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Beyonce may forgive, but, as anyone whos listened toLemonadeknows, she does not forget.
This Is Texas
Robert Deaton, executive producer, CMA Awards:I was in L.A. whenLemonadedropped.
When someone like Beyonce puts out an album, you listen to all of it.
Daddy Lessons came on, and I was like, Man, this is so Texas country.
This would be great for the CMAs.
But this was different.
I didnt know anybody in her camp, but I did get the emails for the publicist and manager.
This would be a great performance for everybody.
That this was remotely,maybegoing to happen was like a woo-hoo!
Wide-Open Spaces
Meanwhile, the Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines had become infatuated withLemonade.
(Through a representative, the Chicks declined to be interviewed for this article.)
Jimmy Paxson, drummer for the Chicks:The Chicks like to do cover tunes.
Andif youre a hard-core Chicks fan, you probably knew Natalie was crazy aboutLemonade.
Deaton:They were doing Daddy Lessons in concert.
For me, that was a narrative check of the box.
The thing that was shocking about it was that that drum set soundsjustlike whats on the record.
Deaton:It wasnt something that was forced or I put together.
It was something the artist put together.
Paxson:It was going over well.
We were all pretty surprised to hear when it got noticed by Beyonce.
But Maineslater recalled, When Beyonce calls, youre like, OK, maybe just this one time.
Ill only do it with Beyonce!
Miller:The Chicks won Best New Artist on that show years before.
The town loved them untilthat fateful time in England.
Butit always works better if the idea comes from the artist.
They all came from Texas.
It was a big deal.
I grew up listening to country music.
I was thrilled and excited to get a call like that.
It was just like, An artist wants to speak to you.
I kind of blew it off at first.
I thought it was something random.
And then, finally, I answered it.
The person said, Can I call you?
It turned out to be Beyonces music director.
Matt Doe Muirhead, trumpet player for Too Many Zooz:Her kid Blue liked our music.
Parks:We were an unknown band, just playing in the subway at that time.
Muirhead:We eventually recorded some stuff forLemonade.
And then we just thought,Thats the end of our relationship with Beyonce.
Not to sound ungrateful, but we were just being realistic.
Is that something youd like to do?
And of course we said yes.
Maineslater stated, The week we worked with Beyonce is the single greatest working week of my professional life.
Walls:I think we did a solid week and a half, probably eight-hour days.
Just drilling it and drilling it.
It was a lot of personnel, a lot of moving parts.
Beyonces thing is, confirm that its second nature by the time its all said and done.
Youre up there, but youre not giving it any thought because youve drilled it so much.
Youre just on autopilot.
Which was not a surprise.
If you read about Beyonce, you know the work ethic.
Paxson:Beyonce shows up.
She walks over to my drumset and is like, Hey, Im Beyonce.
She was just really cordial and kind.
Walls:Shes quite intense in terms of her preparation for things.
Shes probably one of the hardest-working artists Ive ever encountered.
I think that explains a lot of her success, too.
Shes definitely committed to it.
It pushes you to bring your A game.
Muirhead:I thought she was one of the most high-functioning individuals Ive been lucky to have been around.
This is fucking sick.
The top of the song just starts with the drums.
I started playing the beat, and the whole band lit up and everybody started dancing and freaking out.
One of the drums was bought at Home Depot.
The suitcase was from a thrift store.
The Final Countdown
The musicians traveled to Nashville for final rehearsals prior to the CMAs.
It was the product of seven days of rehearsals in L.A., edited to their liking.
And they said, Make it look like this.
And I said, Okay!
Deaton:There was quite a bit of excitement on the day of the Nashville rehearsal.
Normally, we have two stages.
We could go up and talk to her about the performance and what was working.
She was so incredibly professional and warm.
And someone that likes to leave no stone unturned.
Miller:The stage was full of musicians and quite a bit of production.
They simplified the staging of it, so it had to be re-blocked.
But there was no more time available.
Robert made the decision that we were going to wrap for the night.
The next time I would see the performance would be in the dress rehearsal the next day.
Deaton:There was no issues at all with Beyonce.
We got their notes back, way in advance of the show.
We knew what my team had to correct from a lighting standpoint.
Miller:There was a lot of pressure on all of us to get this right.
Everyone was very nervous.
I think the Chicks were nervous.
I think they needed to be reassured that this was gonna be okay and gonna be accepted.
Nobody could really give them that assurance.
They just had to do it.
They really wanted to keep it quiet.
And we cannot let this go away!
This is too important.
Paxson:When we got to Nashville to do the CMAs, nobody knew we were coming.
I couldnt tell my family or my friends or anybody.
We were meeting Beyonce, coming into rehearsals and shit.
It was like the craziest experience I had in my life.
But I couldnt call my best friend up and just talk to him about it.
I mean, Im sure Beyonce or anybody Ive signed an NDA for would be understanding of that.
It felt like mayhem.
Walls:In terms of the artists and other performers, everyone was extremely excited that she was there.
Miller:Im looking at the video.
The graphic actually says, Coming up next: Beyonce.
I turn around and its Beyonce.
It just felt really loving and nurturing.
Pellegrino:When we hit the stage, it just felt like magic.
Miller:We came up out of a commercial and there was no announcement of any kind.
No Ladies and gentlemen, Beyonce and the Chicks.
It was a total surprise to the audience.
Walls:The show went off without any hiccups.
I just felt excitement the energy of the room, her presence.
It was something that was gonna be talked about.
Paxson:Wed rehearsed it so much that we were just dialed in.
We were the only thing that night that was 100 percent live.
Deaton:If you take that performance and you listen to the original record, she doubled the horns.
Theres a lot more going on on that stage than actually was in the original record.
That was all her vision.
Pellegrino:I was freaking the fuck out.
I actually remember wishing, likepraying, that I could be anywhere else in the entire world but there.
Deaton:I thought it was incredible.
I thought the reaction was amazing.
We had more cutaways than I ever have had.
I could tell that Beyonce was recognizing people.
So Im trying to create a narrative.
I was like, I know that shes looking at Faith.
And Faith is going crazy.
It was just a weird vibe in that building,Maines later recalled.
Some audience members were visibly angry to see a pop star like Beyonceperforming on industrys biggest stage.
Other responses to the performance were downright racist both in the building andon social media.
Miller:If you look at what the audience reaction was, I dont think it was wildly enthusiastic.
Which I was kinda surprised by.
Some people just didnt seem to like the fact that it was going on, for some stupid reason.
Walls:I take that kind of thing with a grain of salt.
Anyone whos breaking ground, disrupting an in-place system, youre gonna naturally irritate some.
Its not an automatic acceptance down there.
You have to win their approval.
I was a little surprised the reaction wasnt warmer than it was.
Parks:I thought it made the performance more impactful.
Not only was that a statement for Beyonce, that was a statement for the Chicks as well.
Looking back on it, we were a part of history.
Paxson:Some magazine does a feature on the CMAs every year.
And when I went through the pages, we were the only thing that wasnt in there.
Parks:Its because theres no social obligation or agitation in music anymore.
That was a perfect representation of what agitation can do in music.
Were so unaccustomed to it.
Our music is supposed to make us feel comfortable and not have any sort of polarity or decision-making.
I found it courageous.
I also found the people who got up and walked out courageous.
Paxson:It was a mindblowing night.
It was a buzz that lasted for days.
The Aftermath
Deaton:Theres always gonna be someone out there thats gonna complain.
And its like, my gosh, yall.
The whole idea is to be open-armed and invite people into who we are.
I just dont think we should put up walls and block people out.
You look on the stage with any country performer, and youve got people of all colors up there.
I think the community is much more open than it was when I first started going down there.
Deaton:I cant speak to Beyonces experience [from her recent statement].
All I know is my experience.
And I loved it.
I will be in her corner; I will be pro-Beyonce.
She couldnt have been better to me.
The performance will grow in stature, in my opinion.
In 15, 20 years, its gonna be mythologized.
Miller:I guess the true test will be, will she be on the show next year?
Deaton:The door is always open.
Id welcome her back with open arms.
Her team knows Im ready to jump.
It would be an honor.
Paxson:Tell her to put a tour together with the Chicks.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
