Brooks & Dunn: Still Hard Workin’ Men

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

After he was tapped by no less of a music industry legend than Clive Davis to establish the Nashville branch of Arista Records in 1989, producer/songwriter Tim DuBois set about signing an impressive roster of talents that included Alan Jackson, Diamond Rio, and Pam Tillis. To that lineup, he decided he should add a duo of heretofore solo singer-songwriters: Two guys named Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn.

But it turned out not to be a good idea. It was a great one.

Starting with their first No. 1 single, “Brand New Man,” a cut from their multiple-platinum debut album of the same title, and continuing decades later with Reboot II, the well-received 2024 album that featured the duo’s re-recordings of their hits with guest vocals from other artists, Brooks & Dunn have continued to shine as bona fide country music superstars.

And along the way, they’ve given us such enduringly popular chart-topping singles as “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” “Hard Workin’ Man,” “Neon Moon,” “My Maria,” “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone,” and “Only in America,” and monster hit albums like Waitin’ on Sundown, Borderline, Steers & Stripes, Red Dirt Road and Hillbilly Deluxe.

Brooks, a 69-year-old native of Shreveport, La., and Dunn, his two-years-senior Texas-born partner in crime, would likely laugh — or even more likely make rude noises — if they heard you describe them as institutions. But that’s inarguably what they are, so it’s not at all surprising that, this coming weekend in Oklahoma City, they will receive the 2024 Lifetime Achievement honor during the 64th Annual Western Heritage Awards at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

We were pleased and privileged to speak with the honorees a few days ago about their past, present, and future as crowd-pleasing, stadium-filling entertainers. Keep in mind: This was just before they took the stage and played to full-throated roars of appreciation and sing-along celebrations from an estimated crowd of 71,256 — the largest audience of the 2025 season — at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. They still have what it takes, and they’re still taking their best to long-time fans and newly engaged audiences.

Cowboys & Indians: Did Tim DuBois ever say why he thought you two would be a perfect fit?

Kix Brooks: Well, he’s a very smart songwriter. He was also teaching accounting at Vanderbilt while he was at Arista. One of the first guys he signed to the label was Alan Jackson. And I think he probably felt like, as far as categories at the award shows and that kind of thing, it'd be good to have a duo together. So he shared with Ronnie and I that he thought we were both good songwriters, and might be a good collaborative team.

At the time, we were not that interested in having a duo record deal. But the same week we met, we wrote what became our first two number one songs, “Brand New Man” and “Next Broken Heart.” We just got together due to his suggestion and wrote those two songs, and he got real excited. Ronnie had already written “Neon Moon” and “Boot Scootin' Boogie” and I had a song called “Lost and Found.” And we had five hits right out of the box, and have been riding the bus for 30 years. So there you go.

C&I: Do you remember the first concert you performed together as a duo?

Brooks: Yeah, I do. It was actually at a club, a kind of a showcase, called The Ace of Clubs, which is no longer there. Everything's been torn down in downtown Nashville to make new clubs for whoever's going on right now. But anyway, yeah, I do remember it well. And I’m sure we really sucked because we had nabbed just a few rehearsals, threw a band together, and went out and played.

But I think we sucked for a long time, if you want to know the truth. It took us several years to get our band thing shaken out and get it to where it is now.

C&I: Do you remember the moment when you figured that, hey, this is really going to work for us?

Ronnie Dunn: Well, maybe a few moments. But they’re short-lived, because you’re always just as good as your last hit. Back in the radio days, that's what you were told to do. Just make sure we never took it for granted or never looked at it that way. I talked with somebody a few minutes ago, and I said, “We always just put our heads down and put one foot in front of the other and did what we have to do.” I don’t know how you attain longevity. Everybody’s different. I mean, how does Willie still do it at 90?

Brooks: Actually, we went for years thinking this is not going to work, just because it was so put together. It was just like a collaboration you have with somebody that works, like writing a couple of good songs. But then to think that this would turn into — well, let’s see now, it was 35 years ago.  There’s no chance in hell you’d meet over a bad enchilada, and you’d write a couple of hits your first week of knowing each other. It’s not that I’d never gotten together and written a hit with somebody I didn’t know. But the fact that you’d have a career like Ronnie and I have — it’s impossible.

But it’s obviously not, because it happened. We’re still having the time of our lives, and are better friends than we’ve ever been. And that’s the truth. [Laughs.] You’d expect me to say that, of course. But we’ve gotten to a level of comfort on stage now that we really enjoy it. And we’re certainly getting along better than we ever have. And that’s tough for duos and bands. It is. There’s just not that many that stand the test of time, especially considering the scenario that we started with.

C&I: What's the worst gig, either early on or recently, you've ever had? Where you thought the audience might be throwing things at you at any moment?

Dunn:  Well, we played in Green Bay years and years and years ago. But I don’t think they were throwing stuff out of meanness. I just think they were into a punk rock thing and they were missing the mosh pit. And it's wintertime, and they’re like caged cats. When they come out, it’s like, holy cow, they’re going to party. So we saw a few cans of beer flying by, but it was more of a party movie. But we had to calm them down for a minute. Say, “Hey. Whoa, whoa, whoa. We're not wearing helmets up here. But we’re having a good time and we’re glad that you are. At least empty the beer cans before you throw them.”

C&I: Are there nights when you’re up there on stage where you just look at each other and go, “Yeah, they’re still coming to see us”?

Dunn: Every night.

Brooks: Every freaking night. Absolutely. I think we went for years thinking this isn’t going to last. The chances of a duo like us or any band going 35 years is pretty much unheard of. Especially with us just getting thrown together and not knowing each other. It seems even more unreal.

Dunn: No, it is surreal. And about the time we think that, maybe in a moment of weakness, we might think, “OK,  we’re done. No one wants to see us anymore.” But they do. And that, miraculously, hasn’t stopped. In fact, these days it’s going as strong as ever.

C&I: I’m not quite so dumb as to ask what’s your favorite among all the songs you’ve ever recorded, because that would be asking a parent to name his favorite child. But I must confess: My all-time favorite Brooks & Dunn song is “Only in America.” Really, it should be the new national anthem.

Dunn: [Laughs.] OK, go to work on it. Do you know any politicians out there?

Brooks: Yeah, talk to the entertainment committee at the Super Bowl. That’d be great place to start.

C&I: But seriously: It’s a song that really crosses any kind of political lines. And you’ve had political candidates from both sides of the aisle use it in ads and rallies. Did you ever think when you recorded it, “But how is this group going to react to it? How is that group going to react to it?

Dunn: No, because it’s not group-oriented.

C&I: Which is part of what makes it such a great song.

Dunn: That song was always just a patriotic statement. And I never saw anything Republican or Democratic about it, honestly. And you’re right. We did it for [George W. Bush’s] inauguration, and since then, I think every president has played it at some point during their campaigns or their inaugurations.  Or it’s playing in the background when they go out to some football game. And that’s exactly what it’s intended for. If people that are attracting the spirit of the American people at some point feel like that’s a good backdrop — hell, yeah, let it go.

C&I: Well, we all get a chance to dance, and everybody gets to dream as big as they want to. That’s kind of a universal statement.

Brooks: That’s kind of it. That kind of sums it up.

C&I: What’s the worst advice the two of you have ever been given? Like, “Oh no, no. Don't record that song.” Or, “No, no, no. Maybe you ought to wear suits in your next video.”

Brooks: Back when we did the video for “Hard Workin’ Man” — Bob Titley was our manager at the time, who dedicated his life to us, by the way. I can’t say anything bad about Bob. He worked so hard for us and really did a great job until he got tired of doing it. But he did tell me that the flame shirt that I wore on “Hard Working Man” was … Well, I just remember him saying, “Are you sure you want to wear that?” I go, “Absolutely, Bob.” And some flame boots, too.” And he said, “Don’t you think it kind of looks ridiculous?” I said, “Absolutely.” And he goes, “I just think you’re going to look back one day and you’re really going to regret having put that on.”

Dunn: Yeah, and it was the best-selling Western shirt in history at the time. That tells you where we were.

Brooks: I know. We were just doing crazy shit all the time, Ronnie and I. And most of it was my fault, I think, because Ronnie’s always been a lot more conservative than I have. Certainly as far as the stage and looking after our stuff. But I think it's probably the difference between Oklahoma and Louisiana, too.

Dunn: The ’90s were a time when things were blowing up. Bob Titley stepped in and all of a sudden we’re going from playing clubs like Billy Bob’s, places like that, to arenas where, the night before we rolled in, Aerosmith had been there, or Jimmy Buffet in places like that. So you had to compete in certain ways. Unless you were George Strait, who could stand there and look like Elvis and sell a kajillion records. We weren’t. We had to jump out there and overcome our ugliness. Each night, like, “Are you going to set yourself on fire tonight on stage or am I going to set myself on fire? Both of us?” But we learned over the years to just let the music do the talking.

C&I: Gentlemen, you have been very generous with your time, and I appreciate it. One last thing: What would each of you like to say to your fans, in 25 words or less?

Dunn: Just how lucky we are. I remind myself every day how lucky we are to be doing what we’re doing for this long.

Brooks: I agree. So thanks for the job.

C&I: Well, thank you for the music. And take care, guys. We want to hear a lot more music from you.

Dunn: We want to make a lot more for you. Thanks for your time.