 The undisputed kings of the '90s
line-dancing craze,
Brooks & Dunn are not only the biggest-selling duo in
country music history, they've also sold more records than
any
other duo period, save for
Simon & Garfunkel.
Ronnie Dunn was the quietly intense singer with the
soulful voice, while
Kix Brooks played the part of the high-energy showman.
Neither had been able to break through as a solo act, but
together they hit upon a winning formula of rambunctious,
rocked-up honky tonk with punchy, danceable beats, and
alternated those cuts with smooth, pop-tinged ballads. The
combination made them one of the most popular country
artists of the '90s, and they were still going strong as the
new millennium dawned.
Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks (born in Shreveport, LA) and
Ronnie Gene Dunn (born in Coleman, TX) arrived in Nashville
from very different backgrounds.
Brooks was a neighbor of
Johnny Horton and first began singing with the country
legend's daughter at age 12; after a time working on the
Alaskan oil pipeline, he moved to Maine and performed in ski
resorts and other local venues. He went to Nashville in the
early '80s and found success as a songwriter, penning hits
for
John Conlee,
Highway 101, and
the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, among others; however, his
solo recordings -- a few small-label singles in 1983 and a
self-titled album in 1989 -- failed to make any impact.
Dunn, meanwhile, had been playing with traditional
string bands since he was a teenager, but originally aspired
to become a Baptist minister. He attended the highly
conservative Abilene Christian University, but was kicked
out for continuing to play music on the side in area bars.
He decided to pursue music full-time and moved to Tulsa,
where he led a house band and recorded for a local label
from 1983-1984. In 1988, he won a songwriting contest whose
prize included a recording session in Nashville; the
producer, Scott Hendricks, was impressed enough to pass some
of
Dunn's material on to Arista executive
Tim DuBois.
DuBois had a hunch that
Dunn and
Brooks would complement each other well, and he
introduced the two and encouraged them to try writing and
recording some demo songs together. When he heard the
results,
DuBois signed the newly minted
Brooks & Dunn duo to a contract.
Brooks & Dunn issued their debut album, Brand New Man,
in 1991, and it was an out-of-the-box smash. The title
track, "My Next Broken Heart," "Neon Moon," and "Boot
Scootin' Boogie" all hit number one on the country charts,
and the latter song in particular was an inescapable smash
that helped kick-start the line-dancing fad that swept
country bars across the nation. Brand New Man eventually
went on to sell over five million copies, and made the duo
into country superstars; their supporting tour established
their penchant for theatrical live shows as well. Their
follow-up, Hard Workin' Man, consolidated their success with
a string of five Top Five country hits: the title track, the
number ones "She Used to Be Mine" and "That Ain't No Way to
Go," and the number twos "We'll Burn That Bridge" and "Rock
My World (Little Country Girl)." Hard Workin' Man sold over
four million copies, and by the time its run of singles was
exhausted, the duo had already completed a follow-up in
1994's Waitin' on Sundown. Five more Top Ten hits followed,
including the number ones "She's Not the Cheatin' Kind,"
"Little Miss Honky Tonk," and "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm
Gone" (the others were "I'll Never Forgive My Heart" and
"Whiskey Under the Bridge"). Waitin' on Sundown went double
platinum, confirming
Brooks & Dunn's status as a blockbuster success.
Brooks & Dunn's commercial dominance continued apace
with 1996's Borderline, another double-platinum success
which produced two more chart-toppers in "My Maria" (a cover
of the
B.W. Stevenson pop hit from 1972) and "A Man This
Lonely," and a number two hit in "I Am That Man." In 1997,
the duo issued The Greatest Hits Compilation, whose new
tracks, "Honky Tonk Truth" and "He's Got You," both reached
the Top Five. And they weren't done as hitmakers by any
means; despite failing to go platinum, 1998's If You See Her
contained two number ones in "Husbands and Wives" (a
Roger Miller cover) and "How Long Gone," and another Top
Fiver in "I Can't Get Over You." With such a consistent
track record,
Brooks & Dunn were perhaps due for the inevitable slip,
and 1999's Tight Rope was the closest thing to a commercial
misstep they'd ever recorded. Despite some chance-taking in
the production and the cover of rocker
John Waite's ballad "Missing You," other parts of the
album found their formula wearing thin. The record produced
only one Top Ten hit in "You'll Always Be Loved by Me," and
failed to even go gold.
Faced with a downturn in their sales,
Brooks & Dunn spent more time crafting their next album,
2001's Steers and Stripes. It helped restore their
commercial fortunes with a trio of chart-topping singles:
"Ain't Nothing 'Bout You," "Only in America," and "The Long
Goodbye." The following year, the duo issued their first
holiday album, It Won't Be Christmas Without You. The duo
pushed the envelope even further with 2003's Red Dirt Road,
a song cycle that served as both a biography and a tribute
to their roots and upbringing. The rowdy Hillbilly Deluxe, a
Top Ten hit, followed in 2005. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Brooks & Dunn for your next corporate or private event.
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