Brook and Dunn music review

Brook and Dunn music review

Brook and Dunn is an American country music duo which consists of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. Both artists were vocalist and songwriters who were paired by the record producer Tim DuBois back in the 90s. Before the duo, both artists were solo recording artists who showed potential in their field.

The mixture of two elements can cause an explosive reaction that can lead to something completely new. Something greater than the sum of their parts. That’s was the case when producer Tim DuBois paired Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. They were two solo artists, who had struggled in decades, lives were transformed overnight fame toping the country’s vocal duo. Their first album, Brand New Man stayed in Billboard’s Top Country Albums charts for almost a decade. It also became the bestselling album by a country’s due to date and in the music industry. Their breakthrough came in the early 90s, and since then the standout songwriting and performances continue to win acclaim in every major industry awards coupled with enthusiastic audiences. This is evident in massive tours and album sales which put a landmark in their music journey.

Kix Brooks was responsible for playing the part of high-energy showman since Ronnie Dunn was quietly an intense singer who had the soulful voice. Neither of the artists was able to make it on his own, but together they took the stage with extensive energy hitting upon a winning formula of rocked-up honky tonk with punchy and danceable beats rendering them one of the most popular country acts in the 90s. They stayed strong even on the onset of the new millennial.

Kix Brooks began his music career in his home town Shreveport, Louisiana. He earned his nickname even before he was born. At the age of six, he was already playing the ukulele, and at 12, he gave his first performance at a birthday party of a country’s legend Johnny Horton’s daughter since he was their neighbour. By the time he went to college, Louisiana State University, he was a regular club performing artists after performing in local events and venues, he moved to Nashville in the 80s where he found success as a songwriter with Tree Publishing. He wrote songs to different arts such as Highway 101, John Conlee and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band among others. However, his solo recordings failed.

On the other hand, Ronnie Dunn was born grew up performing with his father’s band in West Texas. He started music at his tender age but originally was aspiring Baptist minister. He, therefore, joined a highly conservative Abilene Christian University where he was forced to choose between music and the ministry. Music at clubs was not part of the psychology and theology students. When he was confronted with it, he quit school and decided to pursue his passion, music. He moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his parents. He performed in clubs and events for years in Texas and Oklahoma where he won the Marlboro Talent Search. As part of the price, he landed a recording deal with producers Barry Beckett and Scott Hendricks. It was producer Hendricks that introduced him to the executive DuBois. He, therefore, moved to Nashville, where he met with Brooks. They teamed up and became the undisputed kings of the ’90s country music.

The duo songs continue to inspire and win the hearts of many. For instance, the song Believe as written by Ronnie Dunn and Craig Wiseman relies heavily on faith and the fans felt the connection with it. It was one of the singles in the album Hillbilly Deluxe which was released in the year 2005. The song talks about a man reflecting his childhood and the time he spent with is a neighbour. During their stay, the older man told the little boy the tragedies that come in life. After he went through the tough times, the old man finally found the will to keep going. With his faith, he believes that he will one day see his loved ones in heaven.

After he grew up, the boy moved away and later learnt from his mother that the old man had passed away. The old man’s death made him recall the friendship they had. He noted that If there were ever anybody deserved a ticket to the other side, it’d be that sweet old man… since he was a man, he also found faith and reveals that he has begun finding meaning in his faith too. The song ends with the phrase I believe. The message in the song still resonates with most of Brooks and Dunn fans.

The state of Oklahoma was put in the map by its contributions to music and art. Country music is the most prominent music genre of this state’s entertainment export. The music prominence in the state stretches from the cowboy days of Gene Autry to Brooks and Dunn in the 90s and the dawn of the new millennial. The gap between the 20^th century and the new millennial witnessed different Oklahomans making a habit of perfecting the country music genre (Willman). Researchers have uncovered a fascinating journey of modern politics through the eyes of country music. Country music thus served as a metaphor for politics played on a larger stage. It also acted as a venue for political power play in and of itself (Sharp).

According to Willman, country music remains the most popular music genre in America. This is evident in the music industry awards, which continue to witness millions of viewers from all parts of American and the world at large. Moreover, country music still dominates radio penetration. Business executives carefully penetrate media through an environment of polarized politics whereby the music industry swallows their political preferences to carter for audience needs. He describes how intelligent and informed people of conflicting political ideas communicate with each other through country music.

Country music is the most influential interpreter of American history. The genre is the trademark of music. Therefore, it’s gracefully and implicitly clear that it reflects not only red American but also the blue one. The country music traces its roots back in the 1920s an era of change which witnessed a massive shift in culture, population and media, thus diving the country into the radicals and conservatives. It was marketed as a nostalgic product from the beginning when it was named as old-school music even though it was new (Meacham and Mcgraw). Brooks and Dunn introduced embraced change in the country music and were able to dominate the offset of the 20^th century.

The duo Brooks and Dunn performed in many charity concerts ranging from the empowerment of women to fight against cancer. Many artists were victims, and still are, of cancer in one way or another. During their tours, they advocated for the fight against cancer honouring those who had fallen victims and those who are fighting for such deadly diseases.

Brooks and Dunn became the country music hall of fame. The two duos were inducted in this year along with other songwriters, singer and performers. The audience, as well as the country music fans, had faith in them. They are reflecting on their career paths, for instance, Dunn, who drop out of college and Christian ministry to follow his dreams (Streit). The artists were not just randomly selected; rather, they deserved it. They had made country music great in their time even to the present days.

Brooks and Dunn steered to stardom in the offset of the 20^th century, and for over twenty years, they remained leaders of country music. Throughout their career, the artists sold out the arena scoring hit after hit whereby they won two Grammy awards and other various musical awards. Their combined talent left an indelible mark on music history. For over two decades, the artists’ skilful songwriting, recording, and performances making them successful and long-lasting influence on country music. On their own, they were struggling artists who had minor success, but together they changed the face of country music. Their songwriting skills, coupled with experience in front of the audience, enabled them to create an entertaining and dynamic show.