At 71, Ronnie Dunn is looking back—not with regret, but with the kind of honesty that only time and growth can bring. In a recent, heartfelt conversation, the legendary voice behind some of country music’s biggest hits finally opened up about what really happened behind the scenes of Brooks & Dunn, the duo that changed country music forever.
For decades, fans have speculated. Why did the most successful duo in country music take a break in 2010 at the height of their fame? Was there tension? Was it burnout? Or simply the end of an era?
Now, Ronnie is telling his side of the story—and it’s not what most people think.
“People always assumed there was a big fight,” Ronnie said with a half-smile. “But the truth is, it was never about not liking each other. It was about needing to find ourselves again.”
Brooks & Dunn—Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks—burst onto the scene in the early 1990s and never looked back. With hits like “My Maria,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” and “Red Dirt Road,” they sold over 30 million albums and won more CMA and ACM awards than any other duo in country history.
But behind the accolades, there were unspoken pressures.
“We were two very different people pulled into a whirlwind,” Ronnie shared. “Kix is high-energy, charismatic, loves a crowd. I’m more introspective—quiet even. After a while, the machine takes over, and you start to lose your personal voice.”
Ronnie described the years leading up to their hiatus as both triumphant and exhausting. “We loved what we built. But we needed space to breathe. And to remember why we started doing this in the first place.”
When they announced their split in 2010, the country music world was shocked. But what fans didn’t know was that the decision was one of mutual respect, not resentment.
“We sat in a room and said, ‘Let’s end this while we still love each other as friends and brothers in music,’” Ronnie revealed. “And that’s what we did.”
What followed was a period of personal reinvention. Ronnie dove into solo music—stripped down, personal, deeply reflective. He began exploring the kind of artistry that was buried under years of commercial expectations. Songs like “Cost of Livin’” and “I Wish I Still Smoked Cigarettes” showed a rawer, more vulnerable side of him.
And eventually, the story came full circle. In 2015, Brooks & Dunn reunited with Reba McEntire for a Las Vegas residency, and something unexpected happened:
“We rediscovered the joy,” Ronnie said. “The pressure was gone. We were doing it because we wanted to—not because we had to.”
Now, more than 30 years after they started, Ronnie says he sees the journey of Brooks & Dunn not as a straight line, but as a circle—of growth, struggle, and ultimately, grace.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “We’ve lived a life in music that few ever get to experience. And through it all—through the highs, the break, the comeback—it was always about respect, and the music.”
To fans who grew up with their sound, Ronnie’s words offer a new lens—one not clouded by tabloid speculation, but grounded in truth and humanity.
Because in the end, the story of Brooks & Dunn isn’t just about country music. It’s about friendship, evolution, and knowing when to hold on—and when to let go so you can return stronger.