It’s been another great year in country music…and as we get ready for 2010, we’re looking back at some of the highlights of 2009.
IN AUGUST…
• Brooks & Dunn call it a day. The most successful duo in country music history announce they will be parting ways after a 20-year career that saw them win awards, top the album and singles charts and leave a legacy of putting on one of the best touring shows around. But before the final split, Brooks & Dunn also announced they’ll ramp it up one more time in 2010 with the farewell Last Rodeo tour. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
009 HIGHLIGHTS: August" width="16" height="14" /> Kix Brooks says that neither he nor Ronnie Dunn ever envisioned that they would enjoy a 20-year career together. (:38)
“It’s really interesting, you know, how for 20 years we’ve managed to put one foot in front of the other and found our way, whatever that is, with each other, and it’s just succeeded so far beyond anything either one of us could have ever dreamed of. We thought, havin’ been in the music business a long time at the point we met, this might be a year or two kind of career. Maybe we’ll do a record together, and who knows? Something good might come of it. But to think that we’ve been travelin’ for 20 years together and been able to achieve some things so far out of reach for what we thought we could achieve.”
009 HIGHLIGHTS: August" width="16" height="14" /> Ronnie Dunn says that being together all these years has helped him and Kix in ways that some solo acts might benefit from. (:36)
“There are pros and cons to bein’ in a group, duo. Along the way, I think it’s been an asset in many ways, especially in the early years. Bein’ able to play off one another and just from, you know, exhaustion on tour and, you know, walkin’ on stage and pullin’ one another through it and, you know, bein’ cheerleaders for one another all along throughout the process, in songwriting and everything else. I think it helped. I think even a solo artist it wouldn’t hurt to have a coach out there with you or a buddy sometimes. I think a lot of people could use that.”
009 HIGHLIGHTS: August" width="16" height="14" /> Brooks & Dunn talk about some of the cool experiences they’ve enjoyed as a duo over the years. (:25)
Ronnie: “We just got to be around stuff that we normally wouldn’t, like the Olympics and the stuff at the White House and, you know, those experiences were pretty special. You just…”
Kix: “Richard Petty give us drivin’ lessons, got to play golf with Arnold Palmer…”
Ronnie: “Yeah.”
Kix: “…met presidents on both sides.”
Ronnie: “Earnhardt, gettin’ to know him…”
Kix: “Yeah.”
Ronnie: “…hangin’ with him a little bit. Stuff like that. You just, you sit down, and I’m gonna wear some grandkids out on the front porch someday.”