Introduction
Brooks & Dunn, despite their immense success as one of country music’s most iconic duos, did indeed face significant challenges in their partnership.
Here’s a breakdown of their struggles to find harmony:
An Unlikely Pairing: Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were initially brought together by a record executive. They were both solo artists around 40 years old and didn’t even know each other. They had to be convinced to form a duo, with each initially believing the other was brought in to be a songwriter for them.
Creative Differences and Tension: While they became incredibly successful, the duo admitted to having friction for years. This tension wasn’t always “drama” in the traditional sense, but rather a result of two strong artists with their own visions and desires for their music. There were instances where they recorded separately for albums and entertained the idea of breaking up long before they officially announced their split.
The 2009 Breakup: Their breakup in 2009, which stunned the country music world, had been brewing for years. Ronnie Dunn even confessed he was ready to walk away without finishing their farewell tour because of the tension. Kix Brooks also acknowledged that there had always been “hurt feelings” and “opinions” that led to disagreements, particularly over song choices.
Solo Pursuits: A major factor was the desire for each to pursue solo careers and make music without having to compromise.
Reconciliation and Reunion: After years apart, during which both pursued solo projects, they reunited in 2015 for a series of successful Vegas shows with Reba McEntire. This paved the way for their “Reboot” album in 2019, which featured re-recorded versions of their hits with other country artists, demonstrating a new way of collaborating and finding a different kind of harmony.
So, while they created some of country music’s most enduring hits and presented a united front to the public, behind the scenes, Brooks & Dunn’s journey was marked by very real struggles to find and maintain harmony. Their eventual reunion suggests they found a way to work together again on their own terms.