Martie Maguire

Martie Maguire – Life, Music, and Artistic Legacy

Explore the life and career of Martie Maguire (born October 12, 1969), the American multi-instrumentalist and founding member of The Chicks. Discover her journey from childhood violinist to Grammy-winning artist, her side projects, personal life, and influences.

Introduction

Martie Maguire—born Martha Elenor Erwin on October 12, 1969—is an influential figure in modern American country and roots music. As a founding member of The Chicks (formerly Dixie Chicks), she has shaped the sound of female-led country music through her virtuosity on fiddle, mandolin, viola, and other string instruments, as well as songwriting, arranging, and harmony vocals. Her career also includes side projects like Court Yard Hounds, and she remains a respected voice for musical craftsmanship and artistic integrity.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Martha Elenor Erwin was born in York, Pennsylvania. Texas, where she grew up in an environment that nurtured musical expression.

At age 5, Martie began classical violin lessons.

During her school years, she and her sister Emily joined with two schoolmates—Troy and Sharon Gilchrist—to form a bluegrass quartet called Blue Night Express, performing, busking, and playing bluegrass festivals while still in high school.

After high school, she attended Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas) for a brief period (circa 1988–1989), where she continued her musical studies and orchestra participation.

Rise with The Chicks

Origins & Band Evolution

In 1989, Martie and Emily teamed up with Laura Lynch (vocals & bass) and Robin Lynn Macy (guitar & vocals) to form what would become the group known as Dixie Chicks (now “The Chicks”).

Over time, as the lineup refined (with Natalie Maines joining as lead singer in 1995, Laura Lynch departing, and Robin Lynn Macy leaving), the band expanded their musical palette to include pop, rock, and roots fusion while retaining their acoustic and string-driven foundation.

Martie’s role in the band has been multi-faceted:

• Instrumentalist & arranger: She contributes fiddle, mandolin, viola, double bass, guitar, and string arrangements for recordings and live shows.

• Songwriter & co-songwriter: She has co-written many of the band’s songs, including notable ones like “Cowboy Take Me Away”, “You Were Mine”, “Ready to Run”.

• Harmony & backing vocals: Her voice supports the rich harmonies characteristic of The Chicks.

The Chicks became one of the most commercially successful female country groups ever, with multiple platinum and diamond albums, crossover hits, and numerous awards including Grammys.

The Controversy & Resilience

In 2003, the band came under public scrutiny after lead singer Natalie Maines criticized then-President George W. Bush and the Iraq War, comments made during a tour in Europe. This led to backlash from parts of the country music audience and reduced radio airplay in some markets. Taking the Long Way album (2006), which won multiple Grammys and reaffirmed their artistic legitimacy.

Side Project: Court Yard Hounds

During a hiatus for The Chicks, Martie and Emily formed the side project Court Yard Hounds (announced in January 2010). South by Southwest (SXSW) in March 2010, and their self-titled album was released that May.

Musical Style & Strengths

Instrumental Mastery & Musical Versatility

One of Martie’s greatest strengths is her multi-instrumentalism. While best known as a fiddler, she is proficient on several string instruments:

• Violin / fiddle

• Mandolin

• Viola

• Double bass

• Guitar / acoustic guitar
  

Her approach combines classical training with folk, bluegrass, country, and even rock sensibilities. She is also known for her arranging skills—designing string parts, harmonies, and integrating orchestral textures into country-pop settings.

Songwriting & Emotional Expression

Martie’s songwriting often draws from personal experiences—family, relationships, introspection, and the dynamics of life on tour. For example, “You Were Mine” reflects on her parents’ divorce, co-written with Emily. Her compositions often fuse emotional restraint with lyrical directness, framed by musical arrangements that blend acoustic instruments with modern production.

Persona & Presence

Martie is often described as quieter and more reserved compared to her bandmate Natalie Maines, but she provides depth and grounded musicianship behind the scenes. Her contributions are essential to the sonic identity of the group, even if less overtly in the spotlight.

Personal Life & Family

Martie has had a life marked by both musical focus and personal transitions:

• First marriage: She married Ted Seidel on June 17, 1995, and changed her surname to Seidel. This marriage ended in divorce in November 1999.

• Second marriage: She met Gareth Maguire, a teacher and actor from Northern Ireland, and married him on August 10, 2001 (with a Catholic blessing in 2002). She then adopted the surname Maguire in her musical career.

• The Chicks’ song “White Trash Wedding” was reportedly inspired by her relationship with Gareth.

• She and Gareth had three daughters: twins Eva Ruth and Kathleen Emilie (born April 27, 2004) and Harper Rosie (born July 25, 2008).

• Martie and Gareth divorced in 2013.

• In February 2022, it was reported she had married Clem Moore.

• On family challenges: Martie has been open about her struggle with infertility, which led her and Emily to go through in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive their children. She and Emily even co-wrote a song, “So Hard,” about those experiences.

Legacy and Influence

Martie Maguire’s impact in music is substantial:

• Female Instrumental Pioneering: In a genre where women are often vocalists, Martie’s role as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger helps break stereotypes about instrumental roles in country music.

• Craft over flash: Her dedication to musical integrity, tight arrangements, and high musicianship has helped the group maintain longevity and respect even through controversies.

• Songwriting with emotional authenticity: Her co-writes (on hits like “Cowboy Take Me Away”) are frequently cited by fans and critics as among The Chicks’ deeper, enduring songs.

• Artistic resilience: Through backlash and shifts in the country music industry, the band (and Martie) adapted, reinvented, and persevered.

Though often not the most publicly vocal in interviews, her work behind the scenes is critically important to the success and sound of The Chicks and musical projects she touches.