Before Brooks and Dunn became the hit duo they are known as today, each musician got his start behind the scenes, writing songs for artists with the stature they dreamed of possessing and one day would eventually exceed. Brooks a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, got his start in the music industry playing varying venues in the state of Maine. He later moved to Nashville in 1979 and wrote several hit singles for big time acts such as John Conlee, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Oak Ridge Boys, Nicolette Larson, and Keith Palmer.
Ronnie Dunn was born and raised in Coleman, Texas, which does not come to much of a surprise as the influence of Texan country swing pioneer Bob Willis permeates through his style. Dunn’s original intentions were to become a Baptist preacher; however, he had a mutual passion for music. The latter of the two got the better of him as his stints playing in bars eventually got him kicked out of Hardin-Simmons University and resultantly put his pursuits as an evangelist on hold. Dunn later moved to Nashville and caught the attention of Tim DuBois, an executive of Arista Nashville. DuBois concocted the idea of pairing Dunn with Brooks and after hearing their collaborative demo he was convinced that they should act as a duo.
Brooks & Dunn were an instant success. A year after their formation they released their debut single “Brand New Man”, which hit no.1 on the Hot Country Songs in June 1991. This track was featured on their 1st studio album (also entitled “Brand New Man” ) alongside four other hit singles “My Next Broken Heart”, “Neon Moon”, “Lost and Found”, and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”. The album went to no. 3 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums charts, no. 10 on the US Billboard 200 and has since gone on to sell over 6 million copies. Their sophomore release “Hard Workin’ Man” matched the success of their triumphant debut. It peaked at no. 9 on the US Billboard Charts and included 5 singles that entered in the top 5 of the US Country Singles Chart.
The 90s proved to be a prolifically creative time for the duo. They spewed out hit after hit, releasing 2 country chart topping albums “Waitin’ on Sundown” and “Borderline”, which housed no.1 singles such as “She’s Not the Cheatin’ Kind”, “Little Miss Honky Tonk”, “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone”, “My Maria”, and “A Man This Lonely”. Though the team were only four albums into their career a greatest hits compilation was more than warranted. In fact the hits were so profuse a 2nd greatest hits compilation arrived in 2004.
Brooks & Dunn exemplified they still held their charm with their 5th studio album “If You See Her”. Like their previous releases the album was a commercial success reaching no.4 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums and sporting three no.1 singles: “If You See Him/If You See Her”, “How Long Gone”, and “Husbands and Wives”.
Their hot streak came to an end with their 6th studio album “Tight Rope”. While the album was in no way a commercial flop it failed to live up to the standard set by it’s predecessor; however, it did peak at no. 6 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums and featured the no.5 hit single “You’ll Always Be Loved By Me”.
The duo more than picked up the “slack” in the 2000s, releasing three consecutive albums to top the country charts “Steers & Stripes”, “Red Dirt Road”, and “Hillbilly Deluxe”. Five of their singles from this period claimed the no.1 spot on the Country singles chart and in the midst of all this they also released a widely popular Christmas album “It Won’t Be Christmas Without You”.
On 2 October 2007 Brooks & Dunn released their final studio album “Cowboy Town”. It was followed by two additional compilation albums: “Playlist: The Very Best of Brooks & Dunn” and “#1’s… and Then Some” as well as their farewell tour “The Last Rodeo”. After 20 years together the two musicians amicably parted ways to pursue solo careers; however, at the beginning of 2015 they reunited to perform a series of shows in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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