Remember When Brooks & Dunn Broke Every Country Music Fan’s Heart in 2009?

In 1991, Brooks & Dunn released their debut album, Brand New Man. The record became the beginning of almost two decades of nonstop hits for duo members Kim Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. Together, they had numerous No.1. singles, including “Neon Moon”, “My Maria”,  “Red Dirt Road”, and more.

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So country music fans were heartbroken in 2009 when Brooks & Dunn announced they were splitting up after their final tour, appropriately called The Last Rodeo.

“After 20 years of making music and riding this trail together, we have agreed as a duo that it’s time to call it a day,” Brooks & Dunn said at the time. “This ride has been everything and more than we could ever have dreamed … We owe it all to you, the fans. If you hear rumors, don’t believe them, it’s just time.”

Brooks & Dunn were quick to quell any talk that the split was because of personal conflicts.

“Nothing lasts forever,” Brooks said in an interview after announcing that Brooks & Dunn was coming to an end. “We’ve had this process of making records and getting ready for tours year after year … When we were going through, trying to get an album together this year, putting songs back and forth and the push and pulling, it hit us both. We’ve done all kinds of music you can think of, done every way we could think of doing it for 20 years.”

“We’ve worn this thing every way we know how to wear it!” he continued. “We realized at that point, this may be it.”

Brooks & Dunn Reunite To Make Music Together Again

Fortunately, Brooks & Dunn’s split was only temporary. Both Brooks and Dunn did release solo music, with Dunn having a Top 10 hit in 2011 with “Bleed Red”. But the pull to make music together again remained strong. In 2015, they joined Reba McEntire in launching their Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas residency, which wrapped up in 2021. 

In 2019, Brooks & Dunn released Reboot, their first record since Cowboy Town in 2007. Reboot features some of their biggest hits, joined by artists like Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, Cody Johnson, and more. In 2024, Brooks & Dunn released Reboot II, a similar concept with Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Hailstorm, and more, putting a new twist on some of their former hits.

“It was one of the most enjoyable experiences we ever had in the studio,” Brooks tells MusicRow. “All of these acts are really good, and some of them tell us that they’ve been fans and have been listening to our music for a long time, which makes you feel good.”

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