Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both singers and songwriters, make up the American country music duo known as Brooks & Dunn. Tim DuBois’s inspiration for the group’s formation in 1990. Each current member was a successful solo artist before the group ever existed.
Could They Still Be a Pair?
The duo Brooks & Dunn was one of the most well-known in country music. They were like brothers, but on August 10, 2009, everything changed for their admirers. After 20 years of marriage, the famous couple decided to depart. After 20 years of making music and travelling the trail together, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have announced their split. They went on to say that the experience was better than any dream could have prepared them for and that they have the fans to thank for that. He cautioned his audience to not trust the reports.
Ten Little-Known Facts About the Hard-Working Duo of Brooks and Dunn
It is not surprising that students of ’90s country music like Luke Combs and Ashley McBryde have contributed to a renewed interest in Brooks & Dunn’s music, much like the initial run of hits they experienced.
Ronnie Dunn is one of the best honky-tonk vocalists since Keith Whitley, while Kix Brooks moved from being a sought-after songwriter for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and other major ’80s artists to being a top-notch guitarist and showman. They built off each other’s skills to have 20 songs reach the top of the charts and be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019.
In addition to these self-evident truths, the duo’s life and music are replete with interesting anecdotes and happy coincidences, from their literary, alter egos to their music’s capacity to appeal to people on opposite sides of the political spectrum, even in our current divisive climate.
Keep reading to find out more interesting details about the beginning of this country music legends’ careers and their nearly 30-year reign.
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1. Two Different Presidential Campaigns Have Featured Their Song
The 2001 single “Only in America” by Brooks & Dunn has been utilised in presidential campaigns for both Democrats and Republicans, including by George W. Bush in his 2004 re-election campaign and by Barack Obama in his 2008 and 2012 campaigns. Candidates including John Kerry, Newt Gingrich, Scott Walker, Mitt Romney, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump have all sung the national anthem throughout their campaigns.
2. One of Their Most Well-Known Hits Is Actually a Cover of Version
In 1996, Brooks & Dunn’s “My Maria,” off their album Borderline, was the most played song in the country. The song’s catchy melody may seem like it was written specifically for Dunn’s voice, and it did win a Grammy for the duet, but the tune wasn’t actually written by them. A song called “My Maria” was written by BW Stevenson and Daniel Moore and was originally released in 1973. It reached number one on the Easy Listening chart and the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
3. There was once a renowned neighbour to singer Kix Brooks
When Brooks was a kid, he and his family lived next door to Johnny Horton, a country music star who would later win a Grammy. In fact, when Brooks was young, he shared the stage with one of Horton’s daughters.
4. Ronnie Dunn Was Almost Ordained as A Baptist Priest
Informally, he is known as “Pastor Ronnie.” Dunn was studying at Abilene Christian University to fulfil his dream of becoming a Baptist preacher when he chose to try his hand at the country music industry instead. Unfortunately, Dunn was ordered to leave once he began performing in local pubs, so he eventually made his way to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
5. They wrote a song about Gretchen Wilson
Wilson was the opening act for Brooks & Dunn on their Deuces Wild Tour, and after their appearance in Minnesota, Dunn and Terry McBryde wrote the song “Play Something Country,” which went on to become a number-one hit. McBride told Country Weekly that he remembered Dunn bursting onto the bus and asking, “How about this idea?” before yelling, “ah oooh, aw, play something country!”
Wilson inspired the “ballsy female that comes into the barroom, puts her hand on her hip… and goes ‘Play something country!'” in the song “Play Something Country.” McBryde claims that the performer appreciates the tune as much as he does.
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6. The Album’s Liner Notes Are Narrative
On each of their albums, Brooks and Dunn introduce their listeners to their cowboy alter personas, Slim and Howdy. In 2008, they collaborated with author Bill Fitzhugh in The Adventures of Slim and Howdy, which chronicles their misadventures in rescuing their longtime friend and honky-tonk owner Jodie Lee when she is kidnapped. The two meet by chance in a Beaumont, Texas, used car lot.
7. They are really fond of the West Coast
As CMT reported in 2004, country duo Brooks & Dunn enjoyed playing in both Los Angeles and Vancouver so much that they felt compelled to tell everyone they knew about it.
“Dunn said, “Texas is great, too, but California is ridiculous,” and Brooks said, “It’s a very cosmopolitan, real gorgeous city.” The location on the water and the otherworldly air add to the strangeness of the place.”
8. They were Steve Wariner’s opening act for the first time.
Brooks & Dunn claim that they opened for Steve Wariner in Muskogee, Oklahoma. In spite of this, “anybody that was coming close to headlining was nice enough to yank us in there, and it was all good,” Brooks tells CMT. “At that point, we were thrilled with any crowd we could get, and that sentiment remains today.”
9. Dunn appreciates the openness of country music listeners
Dunn described country music fans as “the most faithful in the world” to Southern Living, adding that they also “take no crap.”
One of his other points is that “they can be like family and will call your BS in a heartbeat.” “That appeals to me.”
10. Even Before He Was Born, Brooks Had a Name
Leon Eric Brooks III is Brooks’ legal name, however, he was given the playful moniker “Kix” while still in the womb. In fact, he kicked quite a bit.
