Natalie Louise Maines was raised in a musical family as her grandfather was a musician and her father, Lloyd, was a steel guitar player/record producer and a member of the family band “The Maines Brothers Band” She started her singing career at age 3, spending time in recording studios, family jam sessions and performng with her father. The first song she learned to sing was “Shake Your Booty”. She learned to play the piano at 12 and later the acoustic guitar. She continued to perform during her school years attending O. L. Slaton Junior High becoming a member of the choir and was a cheerleader. She attended Texas Tech and had a job waiting on tables at an Italian Restaurant. Natalie made a demo tape that got her a scholarship at Berklee School Of Music in Boston dropping out of Tech. When The original Dixie Chicks Martie and Emily, who were popular around the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex, needed a lead singer Lloyd got Natalie’s demo tape to them. They liked what they heard calling and then sending her a song to sing on a follow-up demo tape. The song “You Were Mine” would later become a #1 song from their first album. Natalie then checked out of Berklee joining The Dixie Chicks. After having to learn the words to 25 songs within a short time she was on stage performing as a Dixie Chick the following week. Natalie Maines with her good looks, high energy, stage presence and talent was the final ingredient needed to take The Dixie Chicks to the top. Ten #1 hits, “Wide Open Spaces” album selling 10 million copies, “Fly” album selling 6 million and 15 major awards to date. Natalie was born in Lubbock.

The Maines Brothers were a family band consisting of Kenny (guitar/harmonica), Steve (vocal/guitar), Lloyd (steel/lead guitar/Hawaiian guitar) and Donnie (drums). Other members included Richard Bowden (fiddle), Gary Banks (keyboards) & Jerry Brownlow (bass). In the 80’s the group had 6 songs that charted in the country Top 100 with one, “Everybody Needs Love On Saturday Night” reaching #24 staying around for 16 weeks. This qualifies them for The West Texas Music Hall Of Fame Honor Roll. Steve, Lloyd, Kenny, and Donnie were replaced in 1987 by Mark Gillespie (drums), Richard Bowden (fiddle/trumpet/ mandolin), Jerry Brownlow (bass) & Gary Banks (keyboard/guitar). The original Maines Brothers Band hailed from West Texas and featured the group's father and uncles; the youngest boy initially performed as "The Little Maines Brothers Band". Lloyd played with the Joe Ely band for 6 years recording 5 LP's, while Kenny did a gig in Las Vegas and Donnie played with "The Tommy Lee Show" (a local band). The group reformed in 1977 with the addition of Richard Bowden and Jerry Brownlow. Gary Banks, a noted songwriter, joined full-time in 1983. Recorded their first 4 albums on their own Texas Soul label gaining popularity throughout the Southwest. Signed with Mercury Records in 1983 and after leaving Mercury reverted back to their own label.