Gene Watson's Peers:
Ronnie Dunn
(of Brooks & Dunn)
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's Peers who were contacted in 2009 were most gracious with their
time & words. It is here, within this special part of gene-watson.com, 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 was born on Thursday 12 May
1955 in Shreveport, Louisiana & before moving to Nashville in 1979, he
worked the club circuit in Alaska & Maine.
In 1990, Arista Records' Tim DuBois put the two members together & 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' & 'Boot scootin'
boogie' all reached No.1. The album's last single, 'Lost & found',
however, reached No.6, their first single to miss the top spot & the first
to feature Kix Brooks on lead vocals.
'Brand New Man' (Arista Records, 1991) was certified 6-times
Multi-Platinum by the RIAA & peaked at No.3 on the Billboard country music
album chart.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Hard Working Man' (Arista Records, 1992) was released on
Tuesday 23 February 1993 & included five charting 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) & 'That ain't no way to go' (No.1).
'Hard Working Man' (Arista Records, 1992) peaked at No.2 on the Billboard
country music album chart & was certified 5-times
Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Waitin' on Sundown' (Arista Records, 1994) was released on
Tuesday 27 September 1994 & 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) & '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) & was certified 3-times Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Brooks & Dunn's 'Borderline' (Arista Records, 1996) was released on Tuesday
16 April 1996 & five
singles released from the album were major hits; 'My Maria' (No.1 & 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) & 'Why
would I say goodbye' (No.8).
'Borderline' (Arista Records, 1996) reached No.1 on the Billboard country
music album chart & was certified 2-times
Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Wade Hayes recorded Ronnie Dunn's 'Our time is coming' (co-written with Kix
Brooks) & 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
& 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' & 'Why would I say goodbye', which
were not included on this greatest hits collection, although two of them
would be on their second greatest hits collection.
Three new singles were
included & two of them were released as singles; 'Honky tonk truth' (No.3) &
'He's got you' (No.2).
Brooks & Dunn's 'The Greatest Hits Collection' (Arista Records, 1997) peaked
at No.2 on the Billboard country music album chart & was certified 4-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) & 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' & 'Husbands & wives', which both reached No.1 as well. 'Husbands
& wives'
was originally recorded by Roger Miller, whose version peaked at No.5 in 1966
& was originally included on 'Words & Music' (Smash Records, 1966).
The next single, 'I can't get over you' peaked at No.5 & the album's last
single 'South of Santa Fe' peaked at No.41, thus becoming their first single
to miss the country Top 40 & 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 & was certified 2-times 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 & 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, & was a Top 10 Billboard album in the US, due to
the hit single 'Missing you' which went to No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100
singles chart.
'Missing you' was also released as a duet with
Alison Krauss & reached the Top 40
on the Billboard country charts in the United States; John appeared with
Alison on the 'Tonight Show' on Monday 5 February 2007 & they performed
'Missing you' together.
'A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection' (Rounder Records, 2007) is a
compilation album from Alison Krauss,
which was released on Tuesday 3 April 2007 & is a collection of new & old
songs that Krauss has recorded. The collection features duets with
Sting, Brad Paisley, John Waite & James Taylor. The album debuted &
peaked at No.10 on the US Billboard Top 200 & 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) include 'Beer thirty' (No.19) & '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 country music album chart & was certified Gold by the RIAA, thus becoming their least successful
album to date & the first not to be certified Platinum.
Brooks & Dunn's Brooks 'Steers & Stripes' (Arista Records, 2001) was released on
Tuesday 17 April 2001. Its lead-off single, 'Ain't nothing 'bout
you' reached No.1 & is their most successful
single, spending six weeks at No.1 & 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 Brooks 'Steers & Stripes' (Arista Records, 2001) reached No.1
& 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) & 'Winter wonderland' (No.57).
Brooks & Dunn's 'It Won't Be Christmas Without You' (Arista Records, 2002)
reached No.12 on the Billboard country music album chart & 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 country music album chart & 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 & was their last No.1 in the United States. 'Believe' reached No.8,
'Building bridges' featuring Sheryl Crow & Vince Gill reached No.4 & the title track reached
No.16, thus becoming the first single to miss the
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 country music album chart & was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
[edit] Cowboy Town and #1s… and then some
Brooks & Dunn's 'Cowboy Town' (Arista Records, 2007) was their final album &
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 & 'Cowgirls don't cry' reached the
Top 5 in the United States & No.1 in
Canada.
An alternate version of the song featuring Reba McEntire was sent to
radio while the single was climbing & 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 country music album chart & was not
certified by the RIAA.
At the time of the acquisition of the Gene Watson quote from Ronnie Dunn
(August 2009), the Brooks & Dunn single 'Indian summer' was being promoted
at US country music radio. The track is expected to be
featured on the duo's greatest hits album; 'No.1s' will be released on
Saturday 8 September 2009 & will feature twenty-eight past hit songs &
two new recordings on a two-disc CD.
Both Ronnie Dunn & Kix Brooks are vocalists, songwriters & 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 on lead vocals & he has not sung lead on
any of the duo's singles since 1999's 'South of Santa Fe'.
On Monday 10 August 2009, it was announced through their official website,
that Brooks & Dunn were going their separate ways as of 2010.
Visit Brooks & Dunne Official Site
