Emotions and opinions can run very high in country music. Sometimes they explode into public view. Envy can fuel some of these nasty head-to-head tiffs. Sometimes it's a dramatic difference in viewpoints. Or one singer just loathes another singer and the ground they stand on. Whatever the cause, these rivalries can be intense, heated, and long-lived. They can even negatively impact someone's career. Here are four instances when country stars got mighty hot under the collar and icy to each other.
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The Chicks And Toby Keith
The Chicks (they were then known as The Dixie Chicks), especially Natalie Maines, and Toby Keith were not shy about speaking their minds. They had quite a clash about one of Keith's songs, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)." This wrangle got really down-and-dirty. Per The Boot, Keith slammed Maines for being "a lousy songwriter" and he used a backdrop depicting her with hated Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein. She called him out for the song, saying "It's ignorant, and it makes country music sound ignorant." Did they ever put their differences aside? That is unclear.
Travis Tritt And Billy Ray Cyrus
As everyone knows, Cyrus had a mega hit with the song "Achy Breaky Heart" in 1992. It made Cyrus the hottest dude on the planet. Women were swooning over him, his song was wildly popular, and the good times seemed to be never-ending for the hunky, mullet-maned singer. In addition, the tune touched off line-dance mania.
All that success going Cyrus's way did not sit well with Travis Tritt. Per Taste Of Country, he denounced the "Achy Breaky" video was an "[expletive] wiggling contest." Cyrus got the last laugh, however. He snagged an AMA Award for Favorite Country Single the next year. Tritt evidently did some backpedaling regarding his harsh remarks.
Charlie Pride and John Denver
Per Taste Of Country, "This feud can be summarized in one ugly televised moment, when Rich burned the card that announced John Denver as the CMA Entertainer of the Year winner in 1975." That is a pretty ungracious and blatant way to behave, to say the least. Rich's son explained that his dad had imbibed a bit too much, hence the fiery (and foolish) gesture. Perhaps Rich thought that Denver wasn't sufficiently country enough to merit the accolade. Jealousy might have motivated him to do what he did. Per the outlet, Rich's career seemingly took a major nosedive as a result. Was an apology was ever given to Denver? We are not sure.
Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner
Dolly Parton, in addition to being an amazingly successful singer and songwriter, is very shrewd when it comes to handling her career. Per The Boot, the two esteemed country crooners were on his show together from 1967 to 1974. "When the partnership ended, Parton wrote 'I Will Always Love You' for him. But there wasn't much love in 1979, when Wagner filed a $3 million breach of contract suit against her."
Parton was smart and independent. She knew she wanted a solo career free of Wagoner;s influence, even though she was grateful to him for his support and help over the years. Perhaps he felt that his protege breaking away from him was an act of disloyalty. Or maybe he resented Parton potentially becoming a bigger star than he was.
Eventually, though, they smoothed over their differences. Parton was with Wagoner when he passed away eighteen years ago.
