Used with permission of CMA Close Up News Service.
By Joel Welin
"We like to throw parties," said Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, "so they've got the right guys for the job."
"The job" is being ringmaster for "The 38th Annual CMA Awards," taking the reins from Vince Gill after 12 years as host.
"Get us a bunch of acts, some trick shooters and ropers, maybe a hot air balloon and we couldn't be happier," said Kix Brooks with a laugh. "To us, it's about having fun, kicking up some dust, making music and sending people home happy."
That description sounds suspiciously like the "Neon Circus & Wild West Show" tour, a typical Brooks & Dunn extravaganza and a savvy updating of the festival style tours. The duo - who has sold more than 27 million, celebrated 21 No. 1 hits, and been named the CMA Entertainer of the Year - has a knack for reaching into the roots of Country Music for inspiration but adding fresh twists that reinvigorate traditions.
It's a straightforward recipe for success, and has made Brooks & Dunn the leading duo in the history of Country Music. They have proved themselves on every kind of stage, including the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, "The Today Show," "The Dr. Phil Show" and the Dale Earnhardt Tribute concert.
The hits are now part of Country Music lore, and many are included on a new greatest hits collection released by Arista Nashville on Oct.19, along with three new songs, produced by Brooks, Dunn and Mark Wright. The 17-song Greatest Hits Collection II includes their most recent single, "That's What It's All About," and new tracks "It's Getting Better All The Time," and "Independent Trucker."
Among the radio favorites on Brooks & Dunn's The Greatest Hits Collection II are "Only in America," "Ain't Nothing 'Bout You," "How Long Gone," a recasting of Roger Miller's "Husbands & Wives," "You Can't Take The Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" and "Red Dirt Road."
"All we're trying to do is everything we know - only more," Brooks said. "We know where this music comes from, so we wanted to start there. But we also listened to all kinds of other music, too, and we wanted to bring that in as well. So our sound got a little bigger, a little harder, maybe even a little rocking - and people who were in the honky tonks responded.
"We didn't set out to change anything. We set out to have a good time. One thing I can tell you about people who are coming to shows, they're looking to have fun, and they're ready. If you give them the chance, they'll take it, and Ronnie and I are all about giving them the chance."
"We thought about pushing ourselves, ... seeing how far the audience would let us take it," he said. "And every time we thought we couldn't go any further, we found out we could. It's been a wild ride."