After the departure of Macy, and the replacement of Lynch with singer Natalie Maines, the band widened their musical repertoire and appearance.

Maguire subsequently stood by her bandmates as they were engulfed in a 2003 controversy for criticizing George W. Bush, which led to the Chicks being blacklisted by many country radio stations.

Although Maguire became famous for her harmony and mastery of the fiddle, she also plays a variety of strings that include the viola, guitar, mandolin, and double bass.

[7] The four students formed the teenage bluegrass group "Blue Night Express", playing together for five years, from 1984 to 1989,[8] while still attending private Greenhill School.

[5] "We'd drive down to the west end of Dallas and open our cases, and that was our job," Martie said of it in a later interview to 60 Minutes II correspondent Dan Rather.

"[9] Also while in high school Martie performed at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, TX, in a strolling duo with Troy Gilchrist for a summer.

She performed in the school orchestra there and again competed in the national fiddle championships at the Walnut Valley Festival, in Winfield, earning third place that year.

[11] In 1989, Martie and Emily joined guitarist Robin Lynn Macy and Laura Lynch on double bass in the Dixie Chicks, playing what was at the time predominantly bluegrass music and a mix of country standards.

Originally listed as Martha, and then Martie Erwin, she played fiddle, mandolin, viola and harmonized with Emily on backing vocals.

That gave Emily and I [sic] a chance to branch out, because we loved those kinds of music but felt limited by our instruments.

[3] Martie was singled out by BMI in 2000, and awarded Songwriter of the Year for writing and/or co-writing "Cowboy Take Me Away", "Ready To Run" and "You Were Mine".

[17] After the band achieved massive commercial success with its first two Sony studio albums with Maines, they struggled with their record company over artistic direction on the third.

"[18] Although Martie and Emily often appear quiet and demure compared to their animated bandmate Natalie Maines, the trio have stood united on controversial subjects since they banded together to play in 1995, even when their opinions have had the potential to serve them more harm than good.

[3] At bandmate Natalie Maines' sister Kim's wedding, Martie met Gareth Maguire, a Roman Catholic teacher and actor from Carnlough, Northern Ireland.

The couple became engaged in June 2001 and married on August 10, 2001, in a civil ceremony in Hawaii; as explained at one of their concerts, the Dixie Chicks' song "White Trash Wedding" is based on Martie's relationship with Gareth.

[23] Later they had a Catholic "blessing" ceremony in the groom's hometown, Carnlough in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on March 9, 2002, for all the guests that were not able to attend the first wedding.

[25] After her second marriage, Martie changed her name to that of her new husband, which is why in her musical career she has been credited by all three of her surnames: Erwin, Seidel, and Maguire.