The Dixie Chicks

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For Immediate Release
May 31, 2006

DIXIE CHICKS NEW ALBUM,
TAKING THE LONG WAY,
DEBUTS AT #1 ON BILLBOARD TOP 200

Dixie Chicks Become First Female Group Ever
To Have Three Albums Debut In Top Slot

On Sales Dates For Dixie Chicks "Accidents & Accusations Tour" Announced

 (dateline - New York - May 31, 2006; source: Open Wide/Columbia Records)

As Taking The Long Way debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 best-selling albums chart this week, with first week's sales of 525,829, the Dixie Chicks have become the first female group in chart history to have three albums debut at #1, breaking the record the Chicks established in 2002 when the group's last studio album, Home, debuted at #1 and made them the first female group ever to have two albums debut at #1.

With the #1 debut of Taking The Long Way, the Dixie Chicks have also become the first female group in chart history to have three studio albums occupy the #1 slot on the Top 200.

Taking The Long Way has achieved one of the year's Top 5 first week's sales tallies and has the best first week's sales for any female act on the Top 200 in 2006.

Taking The Long Way has debuted at #1 in Canada and #2 in Australia, giving the Dixie Chicks their highest-ever debut chart entries in each of those territories.  The album is also Top 10 in New Zealand.

Taking The Long Way arrives in the midst of an incredible media blitz surrounding the Dixie Chicks, who were honored with a profile on CBS's "60 Minutes" and appeared on the cover of Time magazine an unprecedented two times in May. The group was featured in a five-part series of interviews, culminating with an SRO live concert at New York's Bryant Park on Friday, May 26, on ABC's "Good Morning America."  The Dixie Chicks will sit down for an in-depth interview on "Larry King Live" tonight, Wednesday, May 31.

The popular success of Taking The Long Way is echoed in the praise the album is receiving from the press, which has been heralding the record in a flurry of four-star reviews.  "Taking The Long Way embraces the depth and fury of classic rock while remaining true to the trio's Texas roots," raved Rolling Stone while USA Today called the album "Incredibly impressive."

Entertainment Weekly gave the new Dixie Chicks album an "A" grade saying, "Fightin' words and the music doesn't back down either, on an album that finds the Dixie Chicks bolder than ever.  With (Natalie) Maines projecting more passionately than ever, Taking The Long Way remains intimate and personal."

"This is an album that has something for everyone," said The New York Times, "old fans who thought the Dixie Chicks were at their finest in their fancy-free early days as well as recent admirers who are eager to see the band push beyond the confines of country."

Rolling Stone closed its review of the album with a nod to the new Dixie Chicks single, "If you've dismissed the Chicks or need a new reason to love them, the epic, howling longing of 'Voice Inside My Head' will blow away your expectations."

The record-breaking chart-topping success of Taking The Long Way is the latest in a long line of achievements for the Dixie Chicks.  With 39 RIAA gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications to their credit, the Dixie Chicks are the only female group to hold two RIAA Diamond Awards (each for sales of more than 10 million units).

The Dixie Chicks have won eight Grammy Awards including:
Best Country Album (Wide Open Spaces, 1998; Fly, 1999; Home, 2002)
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal ("There's Your Trouble," 1998; "Ready To Run," 1999; "Long Time Gone," 2002; "Top of the World," 2004)
Best Country Instrumental Performance ("Lil' Jack Slade," 2002) and
Best Recording Package (Home, 2002).

Taking The Long Way is produced by Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run-DMC) and features fourteen new songs co-written by the Dixie Chicks.

"Everything felt more personal this time," says the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines. "I go back to songs we've done in the past and there's just more maturity, depth, intelligence on these. They just feel more grown-up."

Having sold more than $100 million worth of concert tickets during their career, the Dixie Chicks are one of the most popular live acts in history.  The Dixie Chicks will embark on the "Accidents & Accusations Tour" in support of Taking The Long Way beginning July 21 in Detroit, Michigan and ending November 11 in Tacoma, Washington (full itinerary follows).  For additional tour information and links to purchase tickets for the "Accidents & Accusations" tour, please log on to: www.dixiechicks.com

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                DIXIE CHICKS ACCIDENTS & ACCUSATIONS TOUR
Date                City                             Venue                                     On sale
21-Jul              Detroit, MI                  Joe Louis Arena                      Saturday, June 3
22-Jul              Pittsburgh, PA                        Mellon Arena                          Saturday, June 3
23-Jul              Columbus, OH            Schottenstein Center                Saturday, June 10
25-Jul              Philadelphia, PA         Wachovia Center                     Saturday, June 3
28-Jul              Albany, NY                Pepsi Arena                             Saturday, June 3
29-Jul              Boston, MA                Banknorth Garden                   Saturday, June 3
1-Aug              New York, NY           Madison Square Garden         Monday, June 5
4-Aug              Washington, DC         Verizon Center                        Saturday, June 3
13-Aug            Milwaukee, WI           Bradley Center                        Saturday, June 10
15-Aug            Chicago, IL                 The United Center                   Saturday, June 3
18-Aug            Minneapolis, MN        Target Center                           Saturday, June 3
20-Aug            Kansas City, MO        Kemper Arena                         Saturday, June 10
22-Aug            St. Louis, MO             Savvis Center                          Saturday, June 10
23-Aug            Indianapolis, IN          Conseco Fieldhouse                Saturday, June 10
24-Aug            Des Moines, IA          Wells Fargo Arena                  Saturday, June 3
26-Aug            Fargo, ND                   Fargodome                              Saturday, June 3
3-Sep               Phoenix, AZ                Glendale Arena                       Saturday, June 3
6-Sep               Fresno, CA                 SaveMart Center                     Saturday, June 10
8-Sep               Sacramento, CA          ARCO Arena                          Saturday, June 10
9-Sep               Oakland, CA               Oakland Arena                        Sunday, June 11
14-Sep             Los Angeles, CA        STAPLES Center                    Saturday, June 10
16-Sep             Las Vegas, NV           Mandalay Bay                         Saturday, June 10
23-Sep             Omaha, NE                 Qwest Center                          Saturday, June 3
24-Sep             Denver, CO                 Pepsi Center                            Saturday, June 10
26-Sep             Oklahoma City, OK    Ford Center                             Saturday, June 10
27-Sep             Memphis, TN              FedEx Forum                          Saturday, June 10
29-Sep             Dallas, TX                   American Airlines Center        Saturday, June 3
30-Sep             Houston, TX               Toyota Center                          Saturday, June 10
1-Oct               Austin, TX                  Frank Erwin Center                 Saturday, June 10
3-Oct               Nashville, TN              Gaylord Entertainment Ctr.     Saturday, June 3
5-Oct               Tampa, FL                   St. Pete Times Forum              Saturday, June 3
6-Oct               Jacksonville, FL          Veterans Memorial Arena       Saturday, June 10
7-Oct               Ft. Lauderdale, FL       BankAtlantic Center                Saturday, June 3
17-Oct             Atlanta, GA                 Philips Arena                                      Saturday, June 3
20-Oct             Knoxville, TN             Thompson-Boling Arena        Saturday, June 3
22-Oct             Greensboro, NC          Greensboro Coliseum             Saturday, June 10
27-Oct             Ottawa, Ontario           Scotiabank Place                     Saturday, June 3
28-Oct             Toronto, Ontario         Air Canada Centre                   Saturday, June 3
4-Nov              Edmonton, Alberta      Rexall Place                             Saturday, June 10
5-Nov              Calgary, Alberta          Saddledome                             Saturday, June 3
8-Nov              Vancouver, BC           GM Place                                Saturday, June 3
9-Nov              Portland, OR               Rose Garden                           Saturday, June 3
11-Nov            Tacoma, WA               Tacoma Dome                         Saturday, June 3

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