Introduction:
Before they became one of the most dominant duos in country music history, Brooks & Dunn were two separate artists walking long, uncertain roads toward Nashville. Their eventual partnership did not emerge from careful planning, but from chance, timing, and a shared hunger to finally be heard.
Kix Brooks, born Leon Eric Brooks III on May 12, 1955, in Shreveport, Louisiana, was surrounded by music from an early age. Living next door to country legend Johnny Horton left a deep impression, and by age twelve, Brooks was already singing and playing guitar. His teenage years were spent writing songs and performing locally while attending high school in Tennessee alongside Horton’s daughter. Though Brooks briefly left college to work on Alaska’s oil pipeline, he later returned to Louisiana Tech University, earning a degree in theater—an education that would help shape his energetic, charismatic stage presence.
Brooks’s journey then took him to Maine, where he worked in advertising while continuing to perform in local bars. By the early 1980s, Nashville called. Signed as a songwriter with Tree Publishing, Brooks wrote for major acts such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Despite multiple solo attempts, including a self-titled album for Capitol Nashville in 1989, commercial success remained elusive.
Meanwhile, Ronnie Dunn was forging his own complicated path. Born in Coleman, Texas, Dunn balanced music with an early desire to become a minister, studying psychology at Abilene Christian University. Ultimately forced to choose between school values and barroom performances, Dunn chose music. After recording locally in Oklahoma, a songwriting contest win in 1988 brought him to Nashville, where producer Scott Hendricks introduced his work to Arista Records executive Tim DuBois.
That introduction changed everything. DuBois believed Brooks and Dunn might be stronger together than apart. Though initially skeptical, the two met casually over lunch and agreed to write together. Within days, they had written “Brand New Man” and “My Next Broken Heart.” Combined with Dunn’s earlier compositions “Neon Moon” and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” the foundation for something historic was set.
Released in 1991, Brand New Man was a phenomenon. Its first four singles all reached number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart—a first for any country group. The album went on to achieve six-times platinum status and launched a career filled with chart-topping albums, sold-out tours, and industry accolades. Brooks & Dunn went on to earn twenty number-one singles, multiple Grammy Awards, and repeated Entertainer of the Year honors from both the ACMs and CMAs.
After two decades of dominance, the duo amicably parted ways in 2010, each pursuing solo passions. Brooks explored film, radio, winemaking, and television, while Dunn returned to solo music and photography. Though tensions surfaced during their final years, time softened old edges.
Their reunion in 2015, alongside Reba McEntire in Las Vegas, reminded fans of the undeniable chemistry that first brought them together. With their Reboot album and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Brooks & Dunn’s legacy stands secure—proof that sometimes, the right meeting at the right moment can change music forever.