Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Ronnie Dunn: August 2009
Gene Watson's peers within the country music industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' - and rightly so!
All of Gene Watson's Peers who were contacted during 2009 were most gracious with their time and words. It is here, within this special part of the Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Ronnie Dunn (of Brooks & Dunn), which he submitted to this site on Friday 7 August 2009.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Ronnie Dunn who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Ronnie Dunn
This quote was submitted on Friday 7 August 2009.
'As a singer in a beer joint band, I survived many late night Texas and Oklahoma honky tonks by hosing the rowdies down with a late night Gene Watson song.
He's one of the all time, great classic country singers. 'Got No Reason Now For Going Home' has a permanent place on my play list.
To this day he is known as a singer's singer in Nashville. Gene is a special artist. The trail that he forged made it possible for a lot of us to be where we are today'.
Thank you, Ronnie Dunn, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Ronnie Dunn...
Ronnie Dunn was born Ronnie Gene Dunn on Monday 1 June 1953 in Coleman, Texas and before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma he briefly studied theology at Abilene, Texas Christian College. While there, he fronted the house band at a popular nightspot called Duke's Country and later broke into the national spotlight by winning a talent contest that was sponsored by Marlboro.
Kix Brooks was born Leon Eric 'Kix' Brooks III on Thursday 12 May 1955 in Shreveport, Louisiana and before moving to Nashville in 1979, he worked the club circuit in Alaska and Maine.
In 1990, Arista Records' Tim DuBois put the two members together and they became known as Brooks & Dunn.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Brand New Man' (Arista Records, 1991) was released on Tuesday 13 August 1991. Its first four singles, 'Brand New Man', 'My Next Broken Heart', 'Neon Moon' and 'Boot Scootin' Boogie' all reached No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart. The album's last single, 'Lost And Found', however, reached No.6, their first single to miss the top spot and the first to feature Kix Brooks on lead vocals.
'Brand New Man' (Arista Records, 1991) was certified 6-times Multi-Platinum by the RIAA and peaked at No.3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Hard Working Man' (Arista Records, 1992) was released on Tuesday 23 February 1993 and included five charting Billboard country music singles, like their previous album did.
The album's first single, 'Hard Workin' Man' reached No.4. Follow-up singles included 'We'll Burn That Bridge' (No.2), 'She Used To Be Mine' (No.1), 'Rock My World (Little Country Girl)' (No.2) and 'That Ain't No Way To Go' (No.1).
'Hard Working Man' (Arista Records, 1992) peaked at No.2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and was certified five-times Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Waitin' On Sundown' (Arista Records, 1994) was released on Tuesday 27 September 1994 and five singles released from the album were significant hits; 'She's Not The Cheatin' Kind" (No.1), 'I'll Never Forgive My Heart' (No.6), 'Little Miss Honky Tonk' (No.1), 'You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone' (No.1) and 'Whiskey Under The Bridge' (No.5).
'Waitin' On Sundown' (Arista Records, 1994) reached No.1 on the Billboard country music album chart (their first to do so) and was certified three-times Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Borderline' (Arista Records, 1996) was released on Tuesday 16 April 1996 and five singles released from the album were major hits; 'My Maria' (No.1 and the most played song of the year in 1996 according to Billboard magazine), 'I Am That Man' (No.2), 'Mama Don't Get Dressed Up For Nothing' (No.13), 'A Man This Lonely' (No.1) and 'Why Would I Say Goodbye' (No.8).
'Borderline' (Arista Records, 1996) reached No.1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and was certified twice Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Wade Hayes recorded Ronnie Dunn's 'Our Time Is Coming' (co-written with Kix Brooks) and included the track on 'On A Good Night' (Columbia Records, 1996).
Brooks & Dunn's 'The Greatest Hits Collection' (Arista Records, 1997) was their first greatest hits compilation and was released on Tuesday 16 September 1997; the compilation featured all their singles except for 'I'll Never Forgive My Heart', 'I Am That Man', 'A Man This Lonely' and 'Why Would I Say Goodbye', which were not included on this greatest hits collection, although two of them would be included on their second greatest hits collection.
Three new singles were included and two of them were released as singles; 'Honky Tonk Truth' (No.3) and 'He's Got You' (No.2).
Brooks & Dunn's 'The Greatest Hits Collection' (Arista Records, 1997) peaked at No.2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and was certified four-times Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn collaborated with Reba McEntire to perform the single 'If You See Him/If You See Her'.
The track was the lead-off single from both Brooks & Dunn's 'If You See Her' (Arista Records, 1998) and Reba McEntire's 'If You See Him' (MCA Records, 1998); both albums were released on Tuesday 2 June 1998. Their duet reached No.1.
Brooks & Dunn's 'If You See Her' (Arista Records, 1998) also included 'How Long Gone' and 'Husbands And Wives', which both reached No.1 as well. 'Husbands And Wives' was originally recorded by Roger Miller (Thursday 2 January 1936 - Sunday 25 October 1992), whose version peaked at No.5 in 1966 and was originally included on 'Words And Music' (Smash Records, 1966).
The next single, 'I Can't Get Over You' peaked at No.5 and the album's last single 'South Of Santa Fe' peaked at No.41, thus becoming their first single to miss the Billboard country Top 40 and the last to feature Kix Brooks on lead vocals, although the song's music video was quite popular.
Brooks & Dunn's 'If You See Her' (Arista Records, 1998) peaked at No.4 and was certified twice Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Tightrope' (Arista Records, 1999) was released on Tuesday 21 September 1999. 'Missing You', the album's lead-off single, reached No.15 and was a cover of John Waite's international pop hit from 1984.
John Waite's album, 'No Brakes' (EMI America, 1984), resulted in international attention and was a Top 10 Billboard album in the United States of America, due to the hit single 'Missing You', which climbed to No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1984.
'Missing You' was also released as a duet with Alison Krauss and John Waite and reached the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in the United States; John Waite appeared with Alison Krauss on the 'Tonight Show' on Monday 5 February 2007 and they performed 'Missing You' together.
'A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection' (Rounder Records, 2007) was a compilation album from Alison Krauss, which was released on Tuesday 3 April 2007; it was a collection of new and old songs that Alison Krauss had recorded.
'A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection' (Rounder Records, 2007) features duets with Sting, Brad Paisley, John Waite and James Taylor. The album debuted and peaked at No.10 on the US Billboard Top 200 pop chart and at No.3 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums Chart, along with reaching No.38 on the UK albums chart.
Two singles were released from 'A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection' (Rounder Records, 2007). The first, a cover of the John Waite song, 'Missing You', reached No.34 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, while a second single, 'Simple Love', failed to chart.
Further singles released from Brooks & Dunn's 'Tightrope' (Arista Records, 1999) included 'Beer Thirty' (No.19) and 'You'll Always Be Loved By Me' (No.5); the latter track was the most successful track on the album. 'Goin' Under Getting Over You' reached No.60 from unsolicited airplay.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Tightrope' (Arista Records, 1999) reached No.6 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and was certified 'Gold' by the RIAA, thus becoming their least successful album to date and the first not to be certified Platinum.
On Tuesday 24 August 1999, Merle Haggard saw the release of 'For The Record: 43 Legendary Hits' (BNA Records, 1999), which was a two-CD, forty-three song collection of Merle Haggard's greatest hits.
Merle Haggard's 'For The Record: 43 Legendary Hits' (BNA Records, 1999) featured Merle Haggard's re-recordings of his own previously released songs. Guests on the album included Willie Nelson, Brooks & Dunn (Kix Brooks & Ronnie Dunn) and Alabama.
The new versions of Merle Haggard's classic songs 'Silver Wings' and 'That's The Way Love Goes' featured guest vocals from Jewel.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Steers And Stripes' (Arista Records, 2001) was released on Tuesday 17 April 2001. Its lead-off single, 'Ain't Nothing 'Bout You' reached No.1 and is their most successful single, spending six weeks at No.1 and was the most played single of the year in 2001 according to Billboard magazine.
The next single, 'Only In America' reached No.1, as did 'The Long Goodbye'. Next was 'My Heart Is Lost To You', which reached No.5 and, finally, 'Every River', which peaked at No.12.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Steers And Stripes' (Arista Records, 2001) reached No.1 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'It Won't Be Christmas Without You' (Arista Records, 2002) was released on Tuesday 8 October 2002. The songs that charted were 'Hangin' 'Round The Mistletoe' (No.47), 'It Won't Be Christmas Without You' (No.41), 'Rockin' Little Christmas' (No.57) and 'Winter Wonderland' (No.57).
Brooks & Dunn's 'It Won't Be Christmas Without You' (Arista Records, 2002) reached No.12 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and was not certified by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Red Dirt Road' (Arista Records, 2005) was released on Tuesday 15 July 2003. Its lead-off single, 'Red Dirt Road' reached No.1, 'You Can't Take The Honky Tonk Out Of The Girl' reached No.3, while 'That's What She Gets For Loving Me' reached No.6.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Red Dirt Road' (Arista Records, 2005) reached No.1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Hillbilly Deluxe' (Arista Records, 2005) was released on Tuesday 30 August 2005. Its lead-off single, 'Play Something Country' reached No.1 and was their last No.1 on the United States Billboard country music singles chart. 'Believe' reached No.8, 'Building Bridges' featuring Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill reached No.4 and the title track reached No.16, thus becoming the first single to miss the Billboard country music Top 10 since 2002's 'Every River', which peaked at No.12.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Hillbilly Deluxe' (Arista Records, 2005) reached No.1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Cowboy Town' (Arista Records, 2007) was their final album and was released on Tuesday 2 October 2007. Its lead-off single, 'Proud Of The House We Built' reached No.4, 'God Must Be Busy' reached No.11, 'Put A Girl In It' reached No.3 and 'Cowgirls Don't Cry' reached the Top 5 in the United States and No.1 in Canada.
An alternate version of the song featuring Reba McEntire was sent to radio while the single was climbing and she started to be credited on the charts, thus making this their second duet together after 'If You See Him/If You See Her' in 1998.
Reba McEntire is also featured in the music video for 'Cowgirls Don't Cry', which premiered in late 2008.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Cowboy Town' (Arista Records, 2007) reached No.4 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and was not certified by the RIAA.
Reba McEntire recorded Ronnie Dunn's 'Does The Wind Still Blow In Oklahoma' (co-written with Reba McEntire); the track, which was a duet with Ronnie Dunn, was included on Reba McEntire's 'Duets' (MCA Records/HumpHead Country, 2007).
At the time of the acquisition of this Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Ronnie Dunn, in August 2009, Brooks & Dunn's 'Indian Summer' single was being promoted at US country music radio. The track was later featured on the duo's greatest hits album; 'No.1s' was released on Saturday 8 September 2009 and featured twenty-eight past hit songs and two new recordings on a two-disc CD.
Both Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks are vocalists, songwriters and guitarists; Kix plays mandolin as well. Ronnie Dunn's vocal performances have tended to be released as radio singles; only one of their No.1 singles, 'You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone', has featured Kix Brooks on lead vocals and he has not sung lead on any of the duo's singles since 'South Of Santa Fe' in 1999.
On Monday 10 August 2009, it was announced through their official website, that Brooks and Dunn were going their separate ways as of 2010.
Visit Ronnie Dunne's Official Site
Visit Brooks & Dunn's Official Site