Brooks & Dunn History

Charting hit after hit, the hottest combination in Country music makes a run for the record books.

Brooks & Dunn: Separate Ways
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn took a winding road to come together as the biggest music duo since Simon and Garfunkel. Louisiana native Kix Brooks was born in 1955 and seemed fated to go into music as his childhood neighbor was singer Johnny Horton. After traveling much of the United States with odd jobs and a few gigs, Kix Brooks finally landed in Nashville. Ronnie Dunn was born in 1953 in Texas and was another drifter arriving in Nashville to find his fortune on Music Row. Both struggled as solo artists but once the two met, Brooks & Dunn would make music history.

Brooks & Dunn: Boot Scootin’
A Nashville record producer heard a cut of Ronnie Dunn’s solo work and knew that he would pair well with veteran songwriter Kix Brooks. When the showmanship and energy of Kix Brooks and the soaring vocals of Ronnie Dunn were brought together, Brooks & Dunn was born. The 1990s were certainly not known for singing duos, but Brooks & Dunn tickets sold well in Nashville as the group provided an alternative to the growing Country/Rock crossover movement. Country fans outside Music City seemed to agree as debut Brooks & Dunn album Brand New Man was a quick hit.

Single “Brand New Man” took little time climbing up the charts to No. 1, with “My Next Broken Heart” and “Neon Moon” also taking the peak number on the charts. Brooks & Dunn would soon release their signature song, a song that not only made Brooks & Dunn dance sensations but helped personify Country music for a decade. That song was “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and the single would find a permanent place in jukeboxes and dancehalls. “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” even helped sell Brand New Man to people uninitiated in Country.

Brooks & Dunn: Hard Workin’ Men
“Boot Scootin’ Boogie” made Brand New Man a six-times platinum album and boosted Brooks & Dunn up to legendary status. There was obviously a boatload of pressure on Brooks & Dunn to follow up the instant classic, and they delivered with Hard Workin’ Man. “She Used to be Mine” was another No. 1 chart-topper for Brooks & Dunn and showed that the duo was here to stay. “That Ain’t No Way to Go” hit No. 1, and the softer song showcased the versatility of Brooks & Dunn.

Hard Workin’ Man went five-times platinum and continued to move Brooks & Dunn toward the record books. Waitin’ on Sundown dropped while many singles were still charting, and fans were glad they did not have to wait long to get a hold of new material. “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone”, “Little Miss Honky Tonk”, and “She’s Not the Cheatin’ Kind” added heat to the smoldering fire of Brooks & Dunn singles on the charts. Waitin’ on Sundown would be the third-consecutive multi-platinum album for Brooks & Dunn.

Brooks & Dunn: Platinum
Garth Brooks was a roaring machine on top of Country Music and a generation of stars inspired by him was bubbling out of Music Row on a seemingly daily basis. Brooks & Dunn kept on chugging with their classic style, and this lack of compromise also made their fan base stronger. The 1996 Brooks & Dunn album Borderline included the vocal marvel “My Maria”, which showed off the peerless voice of Ronnie Dunn as well as topping the charts. “A Man This Lonely” added another No. 1 hit to the Brooks & Dunn discography and helped Borderline go double platinum.

The 1998 album If You See Her mirrored the success of earlier Brooks & Dunn albums and featured several hits like “If You See Her/If You See Him”, which saw the duo joined by Reba McEntire. Fans with Brooks & Dunn tickets continued to come out in mass to see the legendary stage show that only Brooks & Dunn could provide. The 1999 album Tightrope did not catch fire like the others, but the 21st century was to be loaded with precious metal for Brooks & Dunn.

Brooks & Dunn: Something Country
Brooks & Dunn bounced back true to form and dedicated with three-straight platinum albums. With a scattershot of singles going No. 1 in this era, “Play Something Country” stands out above the rest. Like “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” before it, “Play Something Country” would not only be a hit but a signature song that instantly brought Brooks & Dunn to the mind of any listener. An infectious up-tempo anthem, “Play Something Country” was a favorite of longtime fans with Brooks & Dunn tickets as well as a new generation of Country fans raised on Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney.

Brooks & Dunn: Touring
Few live acts in Country are more energetic or entertaining live. Brooks & Dunn have always put their fans first and pride themselves on being a great live act, something rare for a big band that never had to truly make their bones on the road. Even as the second-best selling duo in music history, Brooks & Dunn keep to their road-warrior lifestyle like they were a young Punk band trying to get by from gig to gig.

Brooks & Dunn always have their biggest shows in Houston, Texas, where they routinely headline the RodeoHouston event. By 2008, Brooks & Dunn had performed in front of a combined one million fans with their various stops at RodeoHouston. Approximately 71,000 fans with Brooks & Dunn tickets packed into Reliant Stadium to see Brooks & Dunn close the show, while an even bigger crowd is expected in 2009.

Brooks & Dunn: Select Greatest Hits

• “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” from the Brand New Man album
• “Brand New Man” from the Brand New Man album
• “Neon Moon” from the Brand New Man album
• “She Used to be Mine” from the Hard Workin’ Man album
• “That Ain’t No Way To Go” from the Hard Workin’ Man album
• “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” from the Waitin’ on Sundown album
• “Little Miss Honky Tonk” from the Waitin’ on Sundown album
• “My Maria” from the Borderline album
• “A Man This Lonely” from the Borderline album
• “If You See Her/If You Se Him” from the If You See Her album
• “Play Something Country” from the Hillbilly Deluxe album