Suzanne Lynch and Judy Hindman rose to fame as The Chicks when the sisters formed a singing duo in the 1960s, and had a string of hits make the NZ charts.
They're known for their hits Miss You Baby and Stoney End, and Lynch went on to have a successful solo career.
Lynch tells the Herald about the moment she received the "strange" request. After all, they'd had the band name more than half a century. She was just 14 years old when she began touring with her sister who was 17 at the time.
"With everything that's going on in the US at the moment, they wanted to change to The Chicks, and they were nice enough to get in touch," she says.
However, despite being contacted from the band's lawyers and having "always" been a fan of The Dixie Chicks, Lynch admits it wasn't an easy decision.
The Chicks' album art. Photo / Supplied
"We considered it for a while to be honest because it was a strange request, but it was agreed to share the name of The Chicks with them."
She was a little taken aback by the request at first but eventually called it "an awesome, wonderful" decision.
Lynch was impressed with the band's lovely message, who thanked the band directly in their statement posted to social media.
"They sent us a really nice message saying: 'Our sincere and heartfelt thanks goes out to The Chicks of New Zealand for their gracious gesture and allowing us to share their name. We're honoured to co-exist in the world with these exceptionally talented sisters. Chicks rock!"
When asked if sharing the name will mean the two music acts could tour together one day, Lynch laughed.
"Well that's an interesting question," she says. "It would be fun."
The Dixie Chicks decided to drop the word Dixie from their name because the word refers to the Southern US states and those that belong to the Confederacy, the Associated Press reports.
"We want to meet this moment," the band's website reads, referring to the current Black Lives Matter movement which has sparked protests across the United States and the world.
The three-piece band made a comeback earlier this year and will release their first album in 14 years next month.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.