Brooks & Dunn Biography

Country music band. Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks III was born May 12, 1955 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ronnie Gene Dunn was born June 1, 1953 in Coleman, Texas. Brooks performed in the club circuit in Alaska and Maine before moving to Nashville to pursue his career in music in 1979. Dunn studied theology at Abilene Christian College before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he fronted a house band among other gigs.

The two musicians had spent more than 15 years in clubs on their own before being brought together in 1990 by Arista Records' Tim DuBois. A vibrant mix of hard-charging country, potent emotions and serious swagger, Brooks & Dunn's first album sold six million copies thanks to such chart-topping singles as "Brand New Man," "My Next Broken Heart" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie."

With Dunn as lead vocalist and Brooks on guitar, the duo wrote most of their own material, including such winners as "She Used to Be Mine" and "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone." Brooks & Dunn boasted the longest winning streak in the history of the Country Music Association, including the trophy for Entertainer of the Year in 1996.

Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, the duet toured and recorded extensively, releasing Tight Rope in 1999, Steers and Stripes in 2001. In 2001, their song "Only In America" became a sort of anthem for a disillusioned country after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Their next album, Red Dirt Road hit the airwaves in 2003, and was an instant hit with fans and critics. Its title track jumped to No. 1, and earned the group a Grammy nomination.

The duo's Greatest Hits II (2004) album provided yet another hit, "It's Getting Better All the Time," and the following year their Hillbilly Deluxe record produced the popular singles "Play Something Country" and "Believe." In 2006, "Believe" won two CMA Awards, and Brooks & Dunn won for Best Vocal Duo. The next year, Brooks & Dunn released their 10th studio album, Cowboy Town, which gave the group a slew of hits, including "Proud of the House We Built" and "Put a Girl In It."

In August of 2009, Brooks & Dunn surprised audiences when they announced that they would be splitting up in 2010. The duo told fans that the break-up was amicable, saying that it "was just time" to end their careers. The duo will perform a final tour, with dates to be announced later this year.

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