Brooks & Dunn
This powerhouse duo exploded onto the scene in 1991, but they came from different backgrounds. Kix Brooks was born in Louisiana and grew up next door to legend Johnny Horton. He moved to Maine and performed in ski resorts before moving to Nashville and becoming a songwriter, penning songs but making little headway as a solo artist. Ronnie Dunn was from Texas, played with traditional string bands through his teens. He aspired to become a Baptist minister until he was kicked out of Abilene Christian University for playing music in bars. He moved to Tulsa, where he won a songwriting contest, landing a recording session in Nashville. He impressed exec Tim Dubois, who thought something would click between them.
Brooks & Dunn went on to win "Best Group" at the ACM and CMA so often a "Best Duo" category was formed - a category they have dominated ever since.
They followed up their debut, Brand New Man, with solid blockbuster after blockbuster, including Hard Workin' Man, Waitin' On Sundown, and Borderline. In recent years they've gone more pop in keeping with country's steady slide that way, their performances increasingly rowdy and over-the-top, including their 2005 release, Hillbilly Deluxe.
Previous Grammy Wins:
- Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - "Hard Workin' Man" - 1993
- Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - "My Maria" - 1996
Current Grammy Nominations:
- Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - "Play Something Country"
- Best Country Collaboration With Vocals (with Sheryl Crow & Vince Gill) - "Building Bridges"
(Bio courtesy of Kathy Coleman)
