Dixie Chicks Sued by Record Company

The Dixie Chicks -- sisters Martie Seidel, 32, and Emily Robison, 27, as well as Natalie Maines, 25 -- are being sued by their record label, Sony, which accuses the banjo-picking trio of trying to break their contract with the company thanks to "sham" claims that they have been underpaid. The New York Times reports that in the lawsuit filed by Sony on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, the company said that it stands to lose $100 million in revenue if the group fails to deliver the five additional albums they are contractually bound to record. Sony is also taking issue with comments made by the trio last year in a "60 Minutes II" segment that was rerun last week. Robison said they had seen "so, so little" of the $20 million in sales generated by their CD. Sony considers the remarks "a tactical negotiation ploy designed to increase their bargaining power." An attorney for the Chicks had no comment. All told, the Chicks have sold some 15 million albums, with hits like "Ready to Run" and "Wide Open Spaces."