The Dixie Chicks were forced to cancel several American tour stops due to a lack of interest, but the Chicks still made a public declaration on the Mel Gibson meltdown while in New York.

Dixie Chicks Rip Mel, Cancel Tour Dates

According to Rolling Stone, lead singer Natalie Maines, first dedicated “White Trash Wedding” to Mel Gibson and then barked out “You know how it is - you get drunk, you say things … All our controversies probably would have gone away if I checked into rehab the next day.”

It probably would have been a better idea than posing naked for Entertainment Weekly and sobbing all over television.

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The Chicks got some bad news this week as they had to cancel fourteen cities and delay several others.

Kansas City, Houston, St. Louis, Memphis and Knoxville are among 14 cities no longer on the original schedule released in May, according to a revised itinerary posted Thursday on the Dixie Chick's Web site.

Other shows, including Nashville, Los Angeles, Denver and Phoenix, have been pushed back to later dates.

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Dixie Chicked

The Chicks turned their backs on their country music fans and believed they would be welcomed with open arms singing country music like 'White Trash Wedding' to pop audiences.

So far - not so good. The Chicks tried to spin it on their web site calling it a change in "routing of the 'Accidents & Accusations' tour.

It's no accident - it's basically because they have lost their audience for most of country music.

Their new album did sell well, "Taking the Long Way" has topped a million copies.

--Cathy Beers writes from Chicago