Martie Maguire is an American musician best known for being one of the founding members of the ‘alternative country’ music band Dixie Chicks. She is also acclaimed for setting up a Bluegrass band Court Yard Hounds with her younger sister Emily Robison Strayer. Martie was instinctively drawn towards music as a child and started taking violin lessons when she was only five. Receiving fiddle lessons as a gift on her 12th birth anniversary, she attempted to master several stringed instruments including acoustic guitar, double bass, viola, and the mandolin with Emily. She even tried her hand in composing songs, setting the score for her composed tracks, and lending her vocals to them. She participated in a string of national fiddle competitions as a teenager and won numerous awards as well. While she was in school, she created a bluegrass band, ‘Blue Night Express’ with her classmates, Sharon and Troy Gilchrist, and Emily, and the group performed for more than five years. Martie and Emily teamed up with Robin Lynn Macy and Laura Lynch to create an alternative country and bluegrass crew, ‘Dixie Chicks’. After the departure of Macy and Lynch, Emily and Martie established the folk and country music duo, ‘Court Yard Hounds’. She has won countless awards as a Dixie Chick member, including the most coveted ‘Grammy’.
Quick Facts
Also Known As: Martha Martie Elenor Erwin
Age: 56 Years, 56 Year Old Females
Family:
Spouse/Ex-: Gareth Maguire (m. 2001–2013), Ted Seidel (m. 1995–1999)
father: Paul Erwin
mother: Barbara Trask
siblings: Emily Robison, Julia Erwin
children: Eva Ruth Maguire
Born Country: United States
Country Singers Lyricists & Songwriters
Height: 5'8" (173 cm), 5'8" Females
U.S. State: Pennsylvania
Childhood & Early Life
Martie Maguire was born on 12th October 1969 as Martha Elenor Erwin in York City, Pennsylvania to Paul Erwin and Barbara Trask. She spent her early years in Addison, a suburban town in Dallas County, Texas. She has two sisters, one elder than her and another younger to her.
When Martie’s parents, both of whom were employed as instructors in private schools, observed her instinctive penchant for music, they inspired her to pursue her passion. She started taking lessons in classical violin when she was just five and by the time she was 12, began experimenting with ‘fiddling’ different stringed instruments.
As a prominent member of her school’s orchestra, she fiddled with the mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar, double bass, and viola. Emily, her younger sister, was equally passionate about music, demonstrating her innate flair as a kid. Both the sisters jointly nurtured and honed their instrumental and vocal skills.
Over the years, Maguire mastered the ‘fiddling style’ as well as became remarkably adept as a backing vocalist. At the peak of her career, she exclusively focused on composing songs and arranging the musical score for the same during studio recordings and live concerts, using stringed instruments.
Early Professional Career
In 1983 Martie, as a 14-year-old teen, took to ‘busking’ or performing on the streets together with Emily and her schoolmates, Sharon and Troy Gilchrist. The foursome also attended numerous bluegrass concerts and festivals, and eventually they teamed up to form ‘Blue Night Express’, a teenage bluegrass band.
Martie, as a founding member of ‘Blue Nigh Express,’ performed with the band from 1984 till 1989; five years in total. While she was studying in Greenhill School along with Emily, she participated in the ‘National Fiddle Championship’ organized annually in Winfield, Kansas and stood 2nd in 1987.
She cleared high school in 1988 and went to Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, attending courses for just one year. She was also an active member of the university’s orchestra. During her time at the academy, she again took part in national level fiddle competition in 1988, wresting the 3rd spot.
Creation of Court Yard Hounds with Emily Strayer
Natalie Maines, the lead vocalist of Dixie Chicks, decided to take a sabbatical in early 2010. Martie and Emily then declared that they were working on the sidelines to give shape to a duo country bluegrass band, ‘Court Yard Hounds’.
Martie Maguire performed as an instrumentalist on the band while Emily Strayer fulfilled the role of a vocalist. Court Yard Hounds performed live for the first time at the ‘South by Southwest’ in March 2010. ‘South by Southwest,’ informally known as ‘South By,’ is a music festival held yearly in Austin, Texas.
Martie and Emily came out with their first Court Yard Hounds album in May 2010.
Awards & Nominations
Martie Maguire, along with other founding members of the Dixie Chicks band, has been nominated for a total of 137 awards, bagging 57 of those nominations. The bluegrass and country music group have won numerous Academy of Country Music, American Music, Billboard Music, Blockbuster Entertainment, British Country Music, and Canadian Country Music Awards.
The all-female band has been nominated 23 times for the Grammy Awards, eventually winning 13 of them. The music group has also been honored with Country Music Association, Critics’ Choice, French Country Music, People’s Choice, and Radio Music Awards and a host of other felicitations.
Personal Life
Martie adopted the surname Seidel after she got married to Ted Seidel, a pharmaceutical executive in 1995 on 17th June. Through her marriage she became the stepmother of Carter—Seidel’s son from his previous marriage. However, after enjoying four years of nuptial bliss, the couple split up in 1999.
Following her divorce, she started dating Gareth Maguire, an actor and instructor in a Roman Catholic school, hailing from Northern Ireland. Gareth and Martie got married in 2001 on 10th August, following their betrothal in June of that year. The couple has three daughters, Eva Ruth, Kathleen Emilie, and Harper, all conceived via IVF. The couple divorced in 2013.
Facts About Martie Maguire
Martie Maguire is a talented multi-instrumentalist, known for her skills on the violin, mandolin, and guitar.
She is a founding member of the Grammy-winning country music group, the Dixie Chicks, and has been an influential figure in the genre for decades.
Martie is also known for her harmonizing vocals and songwriting contributions to the Dixie Chicks’ discography.
In addition to her music career, Martie is a dedicated mother and has been known to balance her professional success with her family life.
Martie has used her platform to advocate for various causes, including women’s rights and environmental conservation, showcasing her commitment to social issues beyond music.
