Martie Maguire
A multi-instrumentalist and fiddle champion whose musical backbone helped define the sound and rebellious spirit of the Chicks.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American musician·Birthday: October 12·Generation X
Biography
Martie Maguire didn't just join a band; she helped build one from the ground up. Long before the Chicks became a country phenomenon, she was a teenage fiddle prodigy, collecting national championships with a bow in her hand. That technical prowess, combined with a keen ear for harmony, became the foundational layer for the group's sound. Alongside her sister Emily and Natalie Maines, Maguire provided more than just fiery instrumental breaks on fiddle, mandolin, and viola. She was a crucial part of the band's intricate vocal blend and, often behind the scenes, arranged the string sections that gave their music its rich, cinematic texture. Her artistic maturity and quiet confidence provided a steady counterbalance during the group's meteoric rise and through the intense controversy that followed. As a songwriter and co-founder of the side project Court Yard Hounds, she further proved her depth, evolving from a virtuoso sideman into a complete and resilient musical voice.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Martie was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Martie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Martie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won multiple national fiddle championships as a teenager, including titles at the prestigious Walnut Valley Festival.
- Co-wrote several of the Chicks' number-one hits, including 'There's Your Trouble' and 'Ready to Run'.
- Provided the instrumental and harmonic foundation for the Chicks, winning multiple Grammy Awards as a core member of the group.
Did You Know?
She is married to former MLB pitcher Gareth Maguire, though she kept her maiden name professionally.
She and her sister Emily are great-great-great-granddaughters of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
She designed her own signature model fiddle, the 'MM-44,' in collaboration with a violin company.
“The fiddle is a voice, not just an instrument; it has to tell the story.”
