Speaker 1: Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast, where I help
Speaker 1: you drift off one fact at a time. I'm your host,
Speaker 1: Benjamin Boster, and today's episode is about Brooks and Done.
Speaker 1: This episode is a happy Birthday present for Dom and
Speaker 1: a special thank you for all your help on the podcast.
Speaker 1: Brooks and Dunn are an American country music duo consisting
Speaker 1: of Kicks Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are
Speaker 1: vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in nineteen eighty
Speaker 1: eight through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer Tim Dubois.
Speaker 1: Before their formation, both members were solo recording artists, having
Speaker 1: each charted two UZ solo singles in the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 1: Kicks Brooks also released an album for Capitol Records in
Speaker 1: nineteen eighty nine and wrote hit singles for other artists.
Speaker 1: The duo signed to Arista Nashville after their formation. They
Speaker 1: recorded eleven studio albums, one Christmas album, and five compilation
Speaker 1: albums for the label. They also have released fifty singles,
Speaker 1: of which twenty went to number one on the Hot
Speaker 1: Country Songs chart and nineteen more reached top ten. Two
Speaker 1: of these number one songs, my Maria a posthumous cover
Speaker 1: of the nineteen seventy three B. W. Stevens hit and
Speaker 1: Ain't Nothing About You were the top country songs of
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six and two thousand one, respectively, according to
Speaker 1: the Billboard Year End Charts. The latter is also the
Speaker 1: duo's longest lasting number one single on that chart, at
Speaker 1: six weeks. Several of their songs have also reached the
Speaker 1: Billboard Hot one hundred was the number twenty five peaks
Speaker 1: of Ain't Nothing About You and Red Dirt Road being
Speaker 1: their highest there. Brooks and Dunn also won the Country
Speaker 1: Music Association Vocal Duo of the Year award every year
Speaker 1: between nineteen ninety two and two thousand six, except for
Speaker 1: two thousand. Brooks and Dunn won the award again in
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. Two of their songs won the Grammy
Speaker 1: Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group
Speaker 1: with Vocal hard Working Man in nineteen ninety four and
Speaker 1: My Maria in nineteen ninety six. All but two of
Speaker 1: the duo's studio albums are certified platinum or higher by
Speaker 1: the Recording Industry Association of America. Their highest certified is
Speaker 1: their nineteen ninety one debut album, Brand New Man, which
Speaker 1: is certified sextuple platinum for shipments of six million copies.
Speaker 1: The duo's material is known for containing influences of honky Tonk,
Speaker 1: mainstream country, and rock, as well as a contrast between
Speaker 1: their singing voices and on stage personalities, Although some of
Speaker 1: their music has also been criticized as formulae, their nineteen
Speaker 1: ninety two single Bootscoot and Boogie helped repopularize line dancing
Speaker 1: in the United States. Brooks and Dunn have collaborated with
Speaker 1: several artists, including Reba McIntyre, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crowe, mac Powell,
Speaker 1: Billy Gibbons, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Luke Combs. After announcing
Speaker 1: their retirement in August two thousand nine, they performed their
Speaker 1: final concert on September second, twenty ten, at the Bridgestone
Speaker 1: Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Both Brooks and Dunn have continued
Speaker 1: to record for eirest to Nashville as solo artists. Dunn
Speaker 1: released a self titled album in twenty eleven, which included
Speaker 1: the top ten country hit Bleed Red, while Brooks released
Speaker 1: New to This Town in September twenty twelve. The duo
Speaker 1: reunited in twenty fifteen for a series of concerts with
Speaker 1: Reba McIntyre and Life Las Vegas. In twenty nineteen, the
Speaker 1: duo was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame
Speaker 1: leon Eric Kicks Brooks, the Third, was born on May twelfth,
Speaker 1: nineteen fifty five, in Shreveport, Louisiana, and before moving to Nashville, Tennessee,
Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy six, he played at various venues in Maine.
Speaker 1: He was also a neighbor of country singer Johnny Horton.
Speaker 1: Brooks worked as a songwriter in the nineteen eighties, co
Speaker 1: writing the number one singles I'm Only in It for
Speaker 1: the Love by John Conley, Modern Day Romance by the
Speaker 1: Nitty Gritty Dirty Band, and Who's Lonely Now by Highway
Speaker 1: one oh one plus the Oakridge Boys top twenty head
Speaker 1: He made a Rock of a Rolling Stone at Larsen's
Speaker 1: let Me Be the First and Keith Palmers Don't Throw
Speaker 1: Me in the Briar Patch. Brooks also released several singles
Speaker 1: through the independent Avian label, charting at number seventy three
Speaker 1: on Hot Country Songs in nineteen eighty three with Baby
Speaker 1: When your Heart Breaks Down. In nineteen eighty nine, he
Speaker 1: released a self titled studio album through Capitol Records. This
Speaker 1: album included Baby When Your Heart Breaks Down and Sacred Ground,
Speaker 1: which McBride and The Ride covered and took to number
Speaker 1: two on the country charts in nineteen ninety two. Brooks
Speaker 1: and Pam Tillis co wrote and sang on Tomorrow's World,
Speaker 1: a multi artist single released on Warner Brothers Records in
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety in honor of earth Day. Brooks also co
Speaker 1: produced and co wrote Backbone Job, a Keith Whitley outtake
Speaker 1: that appeared in his nineteen ninety one compilation album Kentucky Bluebird.
Speaker 1: Ronnie Gen Dunn was born on June first, nineteen fifty three,
Speaker 1: in Coleman, Texas. He played bass, guitar and local bands
Speaker 1: during high school, and he briefly studied theology at Hardin
Speaker 1: Simmons University with the intention of becoming a Baptist preacher.
Speaker 1: Dunn was kicked out of the school because he played
Speaker 1: in bars. Between nineteen eighty three and nineteen eighty four,
Speaker 1: he recorded for the church Hill label, taking both ITDs
Speaker 1: written all over Your Face and She Put the Sad
Speaker 1: in All his songs to number fifty nine on the
Speaker 1: country charts in nineteen eighty nine, says drummer Jamie Oldacre
Speaker 1: entered Dunn in a talent contest sponsored by Marlborough, which
Speaker 1: he won the grand prize in The competition included a
Speaker 1: recording session in Nashville, Tennessee. The producer of that session,
Speaker 1: Scott Hendricks, recommended Dunn's recordings to Tim Dubois, then an
Speaker 1: executive of Heirest in Nashville. Dubois paired Brooks and Dunn
Speaker 1: because he thought that they would work well together as songwriters,
Speaker 1: and after the two recorded a demo, he suggested that
Speaker 1: they form a duo. During this time span, Dunn also
Speaker 1: wrote boots Guten Boogie, which Asleep at the Wheel recorded
Speaker 1: on their nineteen ninety album Keeping Me Up Nights. Brooks
Speaker 1: and Dunn's first single, brand New Man, entered the Hot
Speaker 1: Country Songs charts in June nineteen ninety one and went
Speaker 1: to number one. It was the title track to the
Speaker 1: duo's debut album, Brand New Man, which was released two
Speaker 1: months later. Brooks and Dunn wrote this song and several
Speaker 1: other cuts in collaboration with songwriter Don Cook, who co
Speaker 1: produced the album with Hendrix. It was also Cook's first
Speaker 1: credit as a producer. The next three single releases from
Speaker 1: Brand new Man, My Next Broken Heart, Neo Moon, and
Speaker 1: their own rendition of Bootscooten Boogie, all made number one
Speaker 1: on the Country music charts as well, making for the
Speaker 1: first time in country music history that a duo or
Speaker 1: group had sent its first four singles to the the
Speaker 1: top of the charts. A fifth single, Lost and Found,
Speaker 1: peaked at number six. Bootscoot and Boogie, which had previously
Speaker 1: been the B side to My Next Broken Heart, also
Speaker 1: made number fifty on the Billboard Hot one hundred, and
Speaker 1: its commercial success led to a renewal interest in line
Speaker 1: dancing throughout the United States. Brand New Man was certified
Speaker 1: platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in August
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety two for shipments of one million copies. By
Speaker 1: two thousand and two, the album had been certified sextuple
Speaker 1: platinum for shipments of six million. It spent more than
Speaker 1: one hundred and ninety weeks in the Top Country Albums charts.
Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety two, the duo the Duo of the
Speaker 1: Year award from the Country Music Association, which also nominated
Speaker 1: them for that year's Album of the Year and Horizon Awards.
Speaker 1: Brooks and Dunn won the association's Duo Award for every
Speaker 1: year from then on until two thousand and six, except
Speaker 1: for two thousand, when the award went to Montgomery Gentry.
Speaker 1: After the album's release, Brooks and Dunn began touring as well.
Speaker 1: Hard Working Man was the title of Brooks and Dunn's
Speaker 1: second album, which was released in nineteen ninety three. The
Speaker 1: title track, also its first single, peaked at number four
Speaker 1: on the Country music charts. The album included two number
Speaker 1: one singles in its third and fifth releases, she Used
Speaker 1: to Be Mine and its B side that Ain't No
Speaker 1: Where to Go, Will Burn That Bridge and rock My
Speaker 1: World both made top five on Billboard, with a former
Speaker 1: reaching number one on Radio and Records. Also included on
Speaker 1: the album was a remix of Bootscoot and Boogie. In
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four, Hard Workin' Man won the duo a
Speaker 1: Grammy Award for the Best Country Performance by a Duo
Speaker 1: or Group with Vocal and the album was nominated for
Speaker 1: Best Country Album. Hard Workin Man earned its highest RIAA
Speaker 1: certification in two thousand two, when it was certified quintuple platinum.
Speaker 1: By the end of nineteen ninety four, the duo released
Speaker 1: their third studio album, Waiting on Sundown. It also produced
Speaker 1: five charting singles, three of which made number one on
Speaker 1: the Country charts, She's Not the Cheating Kind, Little Miss
Speaker 1: honky Tonk, and You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone.
Speaker 1: The other two singles, I'll Never Forgive My Heart and
Speaker 1: Whiskey under the Bridge, both made top ten. The first
Speaker 1: single from Brooks and Dunn's fourth album, Borderline, was a
Speaker 1: cover version of B. W. Stevenson's nineteen seventy three single
Speaker 1: My Maria. Their version of the song spent three weeks
Speaker 1: at number one at mid nineteen ninety six, and peaked
Speaker 1: at number seventy nine on the Billboard Hot one hundred.
Speaker 1: It was also that year's top country song according to
Speaker 1: the Billboard Year end Charts. Dunn said that he was
Speaker 1: initially reluctant to record My Maria because the duo had
Speaker 1: not previously recorded any cover songs. The song won Brooks
Speaker 1: and Dunn its second Grammy Award for Best Country Performance
Speaker 1: by a Group or Duo, and the duo won the
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six Entertainer of the Year award from both
Speaker 1: the Country Music Association an Academy of Country Music, making
Speaker 1: them the first duo to win that award from the former.
Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety seven, Brooks and Dunn joined a double
Speaker 1: headliner tour with Reba McIntyre. Borderline produced another number one
Speaker 1: in a Man This Lonely, along with top ten hits
Speaker 1: I Am That Man and Why Would I Say good Bye? Mamma?
Speaker 1: Don't Get Dressed Up for Nothing? The third single and
Speaker 1: B side to My Maria, became their first release not
Speaker 1: to make the top ten. The first Greatest Hits compilation
Speaker 1: was released on September sixth, nineteen ninety seven. It comprised
Speaker 1: most of their singles to that point and three new songs,
Speaker 1: don Quy Tong, Truth, He's Got You, and Days of Thunder.
Speaker 1: The first two were released as singles, with respective peaks
Speaker 1: of three and two on the country charts. The Greatest
Speaker 1: Hits Collection was certified platinum in April nineteen ninety eight
Speaker 1: and double platinum in two thousand one. Brooks and Dunn
Speaker 1: collaborated with Reba MacIntyre to perform if You See Him
Speaker 1: If You See Her, which was the lead off single
Speaker 1: to Brooks and Duns If You See Her and MacIntyre's
Speaker 1: if You See Him, both of which were released on
Speaker 1: the same day. Arista Nashville and m c A Nashville,
Speaker 1: the label to which McIntyre was signed, both promoted the single.
Speaker 1: This cut went to number one, as did If You
Speaker 1: See Hers. Next two singles, how Long Gone and a
Speaker 1: cover of Roger Miller's Husbands and Wives, which also became
Speaker 1: the duo's first top forty hit on the Billboard Hot
Speaker 1: one hundred. Dunn recorded the vocals for Husbands and Wives
Speaker 1: in one take. Also included on the album was a
Speaker 1: cover of Mark Cauley's Born and Raised in Black and White,
Speaker 1: the first song of the duo's career in which they
Speaker 1: alternated on lead vocals. The album's fourth single was I
Speaker 1: Can't Get Over You, which was a top five country
Speaker 1: head Following it was South of Santa Fe, which peaked
Speaker 1: at number forty one on the Country charts, thus becoming
Speaker 1: the duo's lowest peaking single there. In two thousand one,
Speaker 1: If You See Her reach double platinum certification in the
Speaker 1: United States. Tight Rope nineteen ninety nine, the duo's sixth album,
Speaker 1: was also its least commercially successful release. It included three singles,
Speaker 1: a cover of John Waite's Missing You, followed by Beer
Speaker 1: thirty and You Will Always Be Loved by Me. The
Speaker 1: former two failed to make top ten, while the latter
Speaker 1: peaked at number five and two thousand. Dunn co wrote
Speaker 1: some songs on this album was mc bride and the
Speaker 1: Ride lead singer and bassist Terry mc bride, who would
Speaker 1: later join Brooks and Dunn's road band, and Brooks collaborated
Speaker 1: with Bob de Piro. The duo shared production duties with
Speaker 1: Byron Gallimore and all three singles and four other songs
Speaker 1: on the album, while retaining Cook as producer on the
Speaker 1: other six. While Beer thirty was climbing, the album cut
Speaker 1: goin under Gettin Over You charted as high as number
Speaker 1: sixty based on unsolicited airplay. In addition to persuading the
Speaker 1: duo to stay together, Gallant suggested that they record the
Speaker 1: song Ain't Nothing Value because he felt it had potential
Speaker 1: as a hit. The song served as the lead single
Speaker 1: from their seventh album, two thousand Ones, Steers and Stripes.
Speaker 1: It became their longest lasting number one, with a six
Speaker 1: week stay at that position. This song was the second
Speaker 1: song of the duo's career to be named the top
Speaker 1: single of the year according to Billboard Year End. It
Speaker 1: was also their highest peak on the Billboard Hot one
Speaker 1: hundred at the time, peaking at number twenty five there
Speaker 1: The next two singles from Steers and Stripes both made
Speaker 1: number one as well, only in America, and the Long Goodbye,
Speaker 1: the latter of which was written by Irish pop singers
Speaker 1: Ronan Keaton and Paul Brady. After it, the duo charted
Speaker 1: at number five with My Heart Is Lost to You,
Speaker 1: and number twelve was a cover of Kim Ritchie's Every River,
Speaker 1: featuring a back vocal by Richie. All of these other
Speaker 1: singles also made the top charts. Brooks and Dunn released
Speaker 1: their first Christmas album in two thousand and two, titled
Speaker 1: It Won't Be Christmas Without You. Four of its cuts
Speaker 1: made the country music charts based on seasonal airplay, the
Speaker 1: title track Hanging Around the Missiletoe, Rockin' Little Christmas, and
Speaker 1: a rendition of Winter Wonderland. Who was followed in early
Speaker 1: two thousand and three by the duo's eighth studio album,
Speaker 1: Red Dirt Road, whose title track became the duo's eighteenth
Speaker 1: number one on Billboard. Two more singles were released from it,
Speaker 1: you Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl,
Speaker 1: which spent five weeks in the number three position, and
Speaker 1: That's what She Gets For Loving Me at number six
Speaker 1: on the Hot one hundred. These songs respectively peaked at
Speaker 1: twenty five, thirty nine, and fifty three. As with Steers
Speaker 1: and Stripes, Red Dirt Road was certified platinum. The album
Speaker 1: featured a rock oriented sound compared to the duo's previous releases.
Speaker 1: Ariston Nashville released Brooks and Dunn's second Greatest Hits package,
Speaker 1: The Greatest Hits Collection two, in October two thousand and four.
Speaker 1: The album included singles from if You See Her, Steers
Speaker 1: and Stripes, Red Dirt Road, and the previously unreleased That's
Speaker 1: what It's All About and It's Getting Better all the Time, respectively.
Speaker 1: These cuts peaked at numbers two and one on the
Speaker 1: Country Music charts, as well as thirty eight and fifty
Speaker 1: six on the Hot one hundred. It excludes material from Tidrope.
Speaker 1: In August two thousand five, the duo released the single
Speaker 1: play Something Country. According to Dunn and co writer Terry
Speaker 1: mc bride, it was inspired by Gretchen Wilson, who was
Speaker 1: touring with Brooks and Dun and Big and Ridge on
Speaker 1: The Deuce's Wild Tour at the time. Play Something Country
Speaker 1: was the lead off to their ninth studio album, bill
Speaker 1: Billy Deluxe. Brooks and Dunn co produced it with Tony Brown,
Speaker 1: with further production from Mark Wright on My Heart's Not
Speaker 1: a Hotel. A month after the album's release, Play Something
Speaker 1: Country became the duo's twentieth and final number one on
Speaker 1: Hot Country Songs and went to number thirty seven on
Speaker 1: the Billboard Hot one hundred. The album's second single, Believe,
Speaker 1: peaked at number eight, also winning the next year's Single
Speaker 1: of the Year and Song of the Year awards from
Speaker 1: the Country Music Association. After it was Building Bridges with
Speaker 1: guest vocals from Vince Gill and Sheryl Crowe, which peaked
Speaker 1: at number four. Before the duo released this song, it
Speaker 1: had been released by co writer Larry Willoughby, a cousin
Speaker 1: of country singer Rodney Crowell, and later by Nicola Larsen.
Speaker 1: The final release from Hillbilly Deluxe was the title track,
Speaker 1: which peaked at number sixteen on Hot Country Songs. Their
Speaker 1: tenth studio album Cowboy Town, was released on October second,
Speaker 1: two thousand seven. Its lead off single, Proud of the
Speaker 1: House We Build reached number four on the Country charts
Speaker 1: and fifty seven on the Hot one hundred. Following this
Speaker 1: song where God Must Be Busy at number eleven, and
Speaker 1: Put a Girl In It at number three. After this song,
Speaker 1: the duo released Cowgirls Don't Cry, which they later performed
Speaker 1: with Reba MacIntyre at the Country Music Association Awards. Following
Speaker 1: this performance, the song was re released part way through
Speaker 1: its chart run, was MacIntyre dubbed into the final chorus.
Speaker 1: In early two thousand nine, the song peaked at number
Speaker 1: two in the Country charts. Although not released as a single,
Speaker 1: the title track spent three weeks on the charts and
Speaker 1: peaked at number fifty six. Also included on the album
Speaker 1: is a collaboration with Jerry Jeff Walker on the Ballad
Speaker 1: of Jerry Jeff Walker. Cowboy Town was also the name
Speaker 1: of the duo's two thousand nine tour, which featured Rodney
Speaker 1: Atkins and zz Top. The tour began on June six
Speaker 1: at the Bamajam Festival in Enterprise, Alabama. On August ten,
Speaker 1: two thousand nine, Brooks and Dunn announced that they would
Speaker 1: be splitting up after a tour titled The Last Rodeo.
Speaker 1: According to Brooks, the decision to split was on good terms.
Speaker 1: He told CMT that Dunn and he are still good friends,
Speaker 1: while Dunn said we've ended up more like brothers. The
Speaker 1: duo released its final compilation, Number Ones and Then on
Speaker 1: September eighth of the same year. The album features twenty
Speaker 1: eight past hits and two new songs, but again skipping
Speaker 1: material from Tide Rope. Both of these new songs, Indian
Speaker 1: Summer and honky Tonk's Tomp featuring guest vocals from Billy
Speaker 1: Gibbons and zz Top, peaked at number sixteen on the
Speaker 1: Country Music charts. On May twenty three, twenty ten, CBS
Speaker 1: aired a tribute show presented by the Academy of Country
Speaker 1: Music titled The Last Rodeo, on which various country music
Speaker 1: stars performed Brooks and dun songs, while the duo received
Speaker 1: a Milestone Award. On December third, twenty fourteen, Brooks and
Speaker 1: Duns were announced to be reuniting to perform a series
Speaker 1: of concerts in Las Vegas with Viba McIntyre in mid
Speaker 1: to late twenty fifteen. In twenty sixteen, they were selected
Speaker 1: as some of the thirty artists to perform on Forever Country,
Speaker 1: a mashup track featuring the artists performing a medley of
Speaker 1: take Me Home, Country, Roads, on the Road Again, and
Speaker 1: I Will Always Love You, which was released in celebration
Speaker 1: of fifty years of the CMA Awards. In February twenty nineteen,
Speaker 1: the duo announced a new album called Reboot, which features
Speaker 1: re recordings of their previous singles with guest vocals from
Speaker 1: contemporary country music artists. In advance of the album's release,
Speaker 1: they issued two of their tracks, a version of Brand
Speaker 1: New Man with Luke Combs and Believe featuring Caine Brown.
Speaker 1: In addition, Brooks and Dunn announced to concert in Dallas
Speaker 1: alongside their Las Vegas residency, as well as a March
Speaker 1: twenty nineteen appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Speaker 1: Reboot was released on April fifth, twenty nineteen. Brooks and
Speaker 1: Dunn announced a sequel album to Reboot in twenty twenty four,
Speaker 1: titled Reboot two. It includes re recordings of their previous
Speaker 1: hit singles with other country music artists such as Jelly Roll,
Speaker 1: Lanny Wilson, and Megan Moroni. Unlike the previous project, it
Speaker 1: also includes collaborations with rock band Hailstorm and blues singer
Speaker 1: Marcus King. The album was released on November fifteenth, twenty
Speaker 1: twenty four.