Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum Announces Details For Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon

Exhibit opens Aug. 9 with artifacts including dozens of awards presented to the duo between 1992 and 2006.

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will tell the story of the best-selling country duo of all time, Country Music Hall of Fame members-elect Brooks & Dunn, in the exhibition Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon. The exhibit encompasses the duo's early solo careers, the circumstances that united them as performers and their innovative approach to stage production and touring. Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon opens Aug. 9, 2019, and runs through July 19, 2020.

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn rocketed to stardom in the 1990s, and for two decades, they remained leaders in country music, with hits including "Neon Moon," "Boot Scootin' Boogie," "Hard Workin' Man," "My Maria" and  "Red Dirt Road." Throughout their career, Brooks & Dunn consistently sold out their arena tours, scored hit after hit (including 20 #1s) and won two Grammys, 19 CMA awards and 24 ACM awards.

"The combined talents of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have left an indelible mark on country music history. For nearly three decades, the duo's skillful songwriting, dynamic recordings and rowdy performances have made Brooks & Dunn an enduring success with lasting influence on the genre and its contemporary hit-makers," said Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "The museum looks forward to exploring the journey of two struggling solo artists brought together by fate and creative vision to become country music's best-selling duo of all time."

On their own, Brooks and Dunn achieved minor success, but their lives changed when Arista Records executive Tim DuBois suggested they form a duo, Brooks & Dunn. Their songwriting skills gave them strong material, and their experience in front of crowds allowed them to create an entertaining and dynamic show. Their 1991 debut album, Brand New Man, updated honky-tonk rhythms with classic rock guitar riffs and dynamic musical arrangements. Four consecutive #1s—"Brand New Man," "My Next Broken Heart," "Neon Moon" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie"—pushed album sales to more than three million copies in the first year.

Brooks & Dunn's momentum continued as they consistently delivered at least three Top 10 songs every year from 1992 to 1998 and performed to increasingly larger audiences. In the early 2000s, the duo pumped life into their concert tours by creating a carnival atmosphere. Their groundbreaking Neon Circus & Wild West Show (2001 and 2002) included confetti cannons, fireworks, hot air balloons, midway exhibits and sideshow acts.

When Brooks & Dunn announced a hiatus in 2010, their career statistics included 41 Top 10 hits, 26 million records sold and a record-setting number of vocal duo awards. In 2014, the duo reunited and announced a Las Vegas residency with longtime friend and Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire that continues today.

In 2019, Brooks & Dunn released Reboot, an album that features their collaborations with contemporary country artists on new versions of some of the duo's hits. This collaboration project debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, marking the first time the duo has topped the album chart since 2009. The album earned the duo their 10th Billboard 200 Top 10 album, the most of any country duo or group in the chart's history.

On March 18, 2019, the Country Music Association announced that Brooks & Dunn were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The duo will be inducted in October.

"It's so cool to have an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum," said Dunn. "When you're reminded that what you have created is part of history like that, it's beyond humbling. I'm so, so proud."

"Ronnie and I are really fired up about having an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum," added Brooks. "We've shared some of our favorite things with the museum over the years, and it's going to be really special for us to revisit those moments from our career, especially in a format like the Hall that reaches all generations of fans."

Items featured in Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon include awards, custom-built instruments and personal artifacts. Some highlights:

• Dozens of awards presented to Brooks & Dunn between 1992 and 2006, including Grammys, CMA and ACM awards
• Neon Circus & Wild West Show-themed Les Paul electric guitar, built for Brooks by the Gibson Custom Shop's Master Luthier, Bruce Kunkel, in 2001. The instrument features rope-shaped binding and ornamentation; a hand-carved and painted cowgirl on the lower bout; carved volume and tone knobs in the shape of horned toads; mother-of-pearl cowgirl inlays on the fingerboard and headstock and a sterling silver pickguard engraved, "Brooks & Dunn, Neon Circus and Wild West Show"
• Red cowboy boots decorated with steer's head inlays, worn by Dunn when he was around five years old
• Hand-tooled leather guitar strap made for Brooks by Hutch's Custom Saddlery and embellished with oak leaf and acorn imagery and the names of Brooks' wife, Barb, and their children, Molly and Eric
• "Neon Moon"-themed archtop electric guitar with custom blue finish and crescent moon inlay, presented to Dunn in 2001 by the Gibson Custom Shop
• Racing suits with steer's head logos, worn by Brooks and Dunn when they drove 5/8th-scale Legends race cars in the 1990s
• Early draft lyrics to "Red Dirt Road," written by Dunn

In support of the exhibition's opening, the museum will host a conversation with Brooks & Dunn in August. Details below.

Proud of the House We Built: A Conversation with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn and Clarence Spalding – Saturday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m.

Brooks & Dunn, alongside their longtime manager Clarence Spalding, will participate in a public interview in the museum's CMA Theater. During this conversation, Brooks, Dunn and Spalding will discuss their careers and share personal stories and memories associated with the artifacts included in Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon. Tickets will be available here, beginning Friday, July 19, 2019, at 10 a.m. Central. Tickets include museum admission.

More information about this exhibit can be found at www.CountryMusicHallofFame.org.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibits, publications and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and welcomes over one million patrons each year, placing it among the most visited museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B®, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported in part by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and Tennessee Arts Commission.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at CountryMusicHallofFame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001. 

SOURCE Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

PRE-ORDER RONNIE DUNN’S TATTOOED HEART NOW

 

Highly-Anticipated Album Slated for Release November 11

“That’s Why They Made Jack Daniels” Available with Advance Purchase


Cover Art Courtesy of Big Machine Label Group

NASHVILLE, TN (September 23, 2016) – Named one of Rolling Stone Country’s “25 Must Hear Albums” of Fall, Ronnie Dunn’s "TATTOOED HEART finds [him] doing what he does best: delivering clever, relatable lyrics in the twangy, heavens-reaching voice that has put him on list after list of the greatest vocalists of all time.” Dunn’s new project is available today for pre-order and out everywhere on November 11. Fans will receive select tracks leading up to the release when they purchase the album in advance on iTunes and Google Play beginning with “That’s Why They Made Jack Daniels,” “Tattooed Heart” (September 30), “Only Broken Heart in San Antone (October 7) and “She Don’t Honky Tonk No More” (October 14). Pre-order here.

TRACK LIST:
1.  “Ain’t No Trucks in Texas” | Tony Martin, Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher
2. “Damn Drunk” with Kix Brooks | Liz Hengber, Alex Kline, Ben Stennis
3. “I Worship the Woman You Walked On” | Bob DiPiero, Mitzi Dawn Jenkins, Tony Mullins
4. “That’s Why They Make Jack Daniels” | Jim Collins, Tom Hambridge, Tony Martin
5. “I Put That There” | Deric Ruttan, Jonathan Singleton
6. “Young Buck” | Jaren Johnston, Jeremy Stover
7. “I Wanna Love Like That Again” | Ronnie Dunn
8. “Still Feels Like Mexico” featuring Reba McEntire | Tommy Lee James, Jon Randall
9. “Tattooed Heart” | Antonio Dixon, Kenneth Edmonds, Sean Forman, Ariana Grande, Matt Squire, Leon Thomas, Khristopher Van Riddick Tynes
10. “This Old Heart” | Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton
11. “Only Broken Heart in San Antone” | Steve Bogard, Jeff Stevens
12. “She Don’t Honky Tonk No More” | Ronnie Dunn, Nikki Fernandez, Andrew Rollins

His current single “Damn Drunk” with Kix Brooks has enjoyed an across the board reception with Taste of Country noting, “This is Dunn at his most adoring.” Watch the video here.

The excitement from fans, critics and Country radio isn’t a surprise for the 28-time ACM Award-Winner and 20-time CMA Award-Winner who has received over 80 industry awards over the past 20+ years as an entertainer. The two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year also penned two songs on TATTOOED HEART, including “I Wanna Love Like That Again” and “She Don’t Honky Tonk No More.”

Dunn will be back in Las Vegas beginning November 30 alongside Superstar friends Reba McEntire and Kix Brooks for their one-of-a-kind Country residency. REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas continues throughout 2017 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. For more information and tour dates, visit RonnieDunn.com.

###

RONNIE DUNN DEBUTS NEW SINGLE ON AMERICA’S MORNING SHOW   “Ain’t No Trucks in Texas” Now Available Country Superstar Surprises Fans with Chance to Attend Vegas Residency Photo Courtesy of Nash Icon Records NASHVILLE, TN  – RONNIE DUNN dropped by America’s Morning Show today (7/17) to premiere his brand new single from Nash Icon Records, “Ain’t No Trucks in Texas.” The biting tune, produced by Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus, is now available on iTunes and all digital retailers. “I haven’t been this excited about new music in a while,” said Dunn of the single. “And I am definitely looking forward to performing it live for fans.” While chatting with AMS host Blair Garner about the highly-anticipated song and his residency with longtime pals Reba and Kix Brooks. Dunn surprised listeners by announcing that he is giving away a trip to see REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: TOGETHER IN VEGAS at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace when they return to the stage in December after a successful run on the initial dates. The package for a lucky fan and guest includes round trip plane tickets, two nights at Caesar’s Palace, dinner and tickets to the dynamic show, in addition to a meet-and-greet with the superstars. For more details and to enter to win, click here.  “We just finished our first nine shows in Vegas,” continued Dunn. In regards to the sold-out residency, which began in June he elaborated, “Honestly, it's the most fun I've ever had and I've played some some cliff hangers over the years. The production, the sound, the crowds are all beyond anything I had imagined and I'm looking forward to the future dates." Dunn is continuing to write and record new music. As half of the best-selling duo in Country music history with more than 30 million albums sold, the Texas native’s career already boasts 23 #1 singles and more than 80 industry awards from the Grammys, Country Music Association and a record 27 Academy of Country Music honors. Named Entertainer of the Year four times collectively by the ACM and CMA, Brooks & Dunn consistently remained among Country’s most popular touring acts, a testament both to their showmanship and to their status as one of the true bedrock artists of Country music. Dunn has twice been honored as the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year as well as named the Billboard Magazine’s Country Songwriter of the Year. As a solo artist, Dunn earned two GRAMMY nominations in 2013. For additional updates and more, visit ronniedunn.com.   # # # CONTACTS: Charlotte Burke Big Machine Label Group 615.324.7925 / Charlotte.Burke@bmlg.net

RONNIE DUNN TAPPED FOR NASH ICON RECORDS

 

Superstar Signs with Big Machine & Cumulus Joint Venture Label

 

Photo Credit: Russ Harrington

NASHVILLE, TN (January 12, 2015) – RONNIE DUNN has officially signed to NASH ICON RECORDS, a joint venture label between the Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) and Cumulus. The Superstar recently teased the announcement and set the rumor mill in motion via his Facebook.

“This is the best possible scenario that I can imagine. The Big Machine and Cumulus combination is a force, and I am proud to be included in this innovative venture,” shared Dunn.

The news follows Dunn’s latest adventure, joining Nash Icon Records flagship artist Reba and former Brooks & Dunn partner Kix Brooks for the REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: TOGETHER IN VEGAS residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, opening June 2015. As half of the best-selling duo in Country music history with more than 30 million albums sold, the Texas native’s career already boasts 23 #1 singles and more than 80 industry awards from the Grammys, Country Music Association and a record 27 Academy of Country Music honors. Named Entertainer of the Year four times collectively by the ACM and CMA, Brooks & Dunn consistently remained among Country’s most popular touring acts, a testament both to their showmanship and to their status as one of the true bedrock artists of Country music. Dunn has twice been honored as the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year as well as named the Billboard Magazine’s Country Songwriter of the Year. As a solo artist, Dunn earned two GRAMMY nominations in 2013 and will soon be heading back into the studio to record a new single, slated for release to radio in early spring. For additional updates and more, visit ronniedunn.com.

"Ronnie Dunn has one of the smoothest, most-recognized and most-popular voices of the last twenty five years in Country music. I'm truly honored to have him join us and take his rightful place as an Icon. Great music is on the way!" said BMLG President & CEO SCOTT BORCHETTA.

“Having Ronnie Dunn as part of Nash Icon Records just a few months after our launch is an honor. We appreciate his trust and vote of confidence in the Nash Icon brand,” continued JOHN DICKEY, Executive Vice President of Content and Programming for Cumulus.

The entertainment powerhouses rolled out the joint venture label under the NASH Icon brand, which will produce new music and live events from Nashville’s most prolific artists over the last 30 years, including recently signed Martina McBride. Separately, Cumulus independently operates 20 NASH Icon radio stations and will soon distribute NASH Icon content to stations nationwide through its wholly owned distribution service Westwood One.
 

# # #

RONNIE DUNN AND THE PBR TO RELEASE NEW VIDEO AT NASHVILLE’S "JACK DANIEL’S INVITATIONAL"

 

PBR's Built Ford Tough Series Returns to Bridgestone Arena Sept. 7-8, 2012

 

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Wednesday, September 5, 2012) – Country star Ronnie Dunn remixed the single “Let The Cowboy Rock” specially for the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and during a two-day event that will bring together country music, Jack Daniel’s, and bull riding, Dunn will debut the raucous new music video for the song. On Saturday, September 8 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena – night two of the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series Jack Daniel’s Invitational – Dunn will be on-hand for the debut.

 

Initially inspired to modify the lyrics to his solo hit while watching a PBR event on television, Dunn explained, “Bull riding is arguably the most intense and electric event in rodeo. The folks at PBR came along and turned up the volume in a way. That's what I wanted to do with ‘Let The Cowboy Rock.’ It just felt like a perfect match.”

 

The modifications add rodeo specific terms and slang, and according to Dunn, he took the liberty of "making a few terms up.” He called upon the help of his good friend and co-producer, Jeff Balding, because Dunn believed he could help take the song to a more aggressive place sonically. It took only a few days for the pair to write, record and mix the song and after playing it for the PBR executives, the organization adopted it as the official song of the PBR.

 

The new music video for the remix was directed by Thien Phan and integrates footage directly from the PBR events.  While the remix attempted to mirror the energy of the music to the intensity of the event, the video seeks to bring to life what a “serious rush” Dunn imagines an eight second ride on a bull is like. The video will be played at PBR events throughout 2012 for their millions of fans and supporters.

 

“The Professional Bull Riders are flattered that Ronnie Dunn has chosen to incorporate our sport in his new version of ‘Let The Cowboy Rock,’” said Professional Bull Riders Chairman and CEO Jim Haworth. “We’re thrilled that he is going to join us at our event in Nashville and allow our passionate fans to be the first to experience the world premiere of his new video, featuring PBR highlights.”

 

“Let The Cowboy Rock (PBR Remix),” complete with rewritten lyrics by Dunn, will be available for download soon.  The original lyrics to the song, as heard on Dunn’s self-titled solo debut as well as the 2012 Cracker Barrel exclusive version read: “Let the cowboy rock / Let the good times roll / this is where the hurt stops / Where the whiskey flows.”

 

The “Let The Cowboy Rock (PBR Remix)” lyrics are as follows:

Let the cowboy rock

Let the good times roll

This is where the buck stops

Where the bad boys go

Put eight on the clock

Go go go .... 'til he drops

Let the cowboy rock!

Old boy in the chute with his hat pulled down

'bout to bust through the gate ... Take it downtown

On “mean and gettin' meaner” .... Tied down tight

A wild eyed  slinger......"are you ready for the fight?"

 

Let the cowboy rock!

Let the good times roll

This is where the buck stops

Where the bad boys go

Put eight on the clock

Go go go .... 'til he drops

Let the cowboy rock!

 

It's the gold buckle ballet ...... The rodeo romp

Raw hide alley.....The big bull stomp

Luck of the draw.... Reachin' for rank

You gotta ride ‘em all

That’s money in the bank!!

 

Let the cowboy rock!

Let the good times roll

This is where the buck stops

Where the bad boys go

Put eight on the clock

Go go go 'til he drops

Let the cowboy rock!

 

The Jack Daniel’s Invitational will bring the Top 35 bull riders in the world to compete against the best bucking bulls on the planet for $130,000 in total purse money. Nashville is the 22nd stop of the 2012 BFTS season, which opened in January with capacity crowds at Madison Square Garden in New York. The BFTS will make 28 stops in 23 states before the Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 24-28, 2012. The World Finals are where the PBR World Champion will be crowned and awarded the coveted championship buckle and a $1 million bonus. The richest bull riding event on the planet, the World Finals has a total purse of more than $2 million.

 

Bull riding begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, and at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8. Tickets are available at the Bridgestone Arena box office, www.Ticketmaster.com and by telephone at (800) 745-3000.

 

About Ronnie Dunn
Ronnie Dunn was born in Coleman, Texas to a hard living, truck driving, country music singing father and a conservative church going mother. Dunn navigated a winding road that led him from West Texas to New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma and through 13 schools in 12 years. Music was about the only constant in life. In 1990 Dunn moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Nashville and was introduced by Arista Records label head, Tim Dubois, to Kix Brooks. Since their initial pairing in 1990, Brooks & Dunn were at the top of the country music singles charts 23 times with songs like “Brand New Man,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” “You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone,” “My Maria,” “Only In America,” and “Red Dirt Road.”  They are the industry's most award-winning duo and were named Entertainers of the Year four times. They garnered 20 Country Music Association Awards and 28 Academy of Country Music Awards – more than any other artist in ACM history, surpassing the legendary Merle Haggard in 2005. With their exceedingly popular tours and more than 30 million records sold, Brooks & Dunn dominated the music industry consistently through the fall of 2009 when they mutually decided to pursue solo careers. With a monumental farewell tour in 2010, the Last Rodeo Tour, Brooks and Dunn said goodbye to their fans as a duo and welcomed in the new chapter of their careers as solo artists. Dunn debuted his self-titled solo album in 2011 that launched the Top 10 “Bleed Red,” Top 20 “Cost of Livin’,” and most recent single, “Let The Cowboy Rock.”  He was twice named BMI Country Songwriter of the Year and received 23 BMI Million Airplay Awards for songs written that have attained one million or more radio airplay status.  For more information, visit www.ronniedunn.com or on Twitter and Facebook @ronniedunn.

 

About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR)
The PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the PBR. In just two decades, the dream of 20 bull riders has become a global sports phenomenon that is televised worldwide. More than 100 million viewers annually watch primetime PBR programming on networks around the world including CBS, CBS Sports Network, NBC, and NBC Sports Network. The PBR has awarded over $100 million in prize money and 25 riders have earned over $1 million, including Justin McBride with $5.5 million – the most of any Western-sports athlete in history. Nearly 2 million fans attend Built Ford Tough Series and Touring Pro Division events each year. For more information on the PBR, go to www.pbr.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at http://twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at www.YouTube.com/PBR.

 

Ronnie Dunn and Cracker Barrel Ready to Serve New Music Offering

Sales of Exclusive CD Ronnie Dunn – Special Edition will support Wounded Warrior Project

LEBANON, Tenn. – Country music icon Ronnie Dunn’s newest solo CD debuts today through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® exclusive music program.  The CD, Ronnie Dunn – Special Edition, is a powerful collection of 12 songs that Dunn first released in 2011, and includes an additional two previously unreleased bonus tracks.  Because Ronnie Dunn and Cracker Barrel support America’s military personnel, a portion of the proceeds from sales of this CD will be donated to Wounded Warrior Project™.   The CD is available for $11.99 exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations and online atcrackerbarrel.com.  

Twice named BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, Dunn’s songs are known for vividly depicting real life as well as profound love.  There’s a healthy helping of each on this CD with “Cost of Livin’,” “Bleed Red,” and “Keep on Lovin’ You,” while “I Love My Country” is richly laden with patriotism. 

 

“More than ever before, I feel as though this album gave me a chance to tell my own story through songs that mean a lot to me,” says Dunn.  “And it’s particularly gratifying because, by working with Cracker Barrel, a portion of the CD retail sales will be donated to Wounded Warrior Project.  To me, that truly makes this CD a special edition.”

“We’re pleased to work with Ronnie Dunn on a collection of songs we not only think will resonate with our guests, but also will support our nation’s Wounded Warriors,” said Julie Craig, Cracker Barrel Marketing Manager.  “Ronnie shares his heart and his life-learned lessons through music and the result is a very special mix of memorable songs.”

Tracks on Ronnie Dunn – Special Edition:
1.    I Love My Country (Previously Unreleased)
2.    Singer In A Cowboy Band                                   
3.    I Don't Dance                                                                  
4.    Your Kind Of Love
5.    How Far To Waco
6.    Once
7.    Cost Of Livin’
8.    Bleed Red
9.    Last Love I’m Tryin’
10.    Let The Cowboy Rock
11.    I Can’t Help Myself
12.    I Just Get Lonely
13.    Love Owes Me One
14.    Keep On Lovin’ You  (Previously Unreleased)

Ronnie Dunn – Special Edition is the latest in Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program.  During 2012, Cracker Barrel released Dolly Parton’s An Evening With….Dolly in April which debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top DVD Music Videos chart and earned a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Gold award. Cracker Barrel released theGospel Side of Dailey & Vincent CD in January. 

 

In September of 2011, The Oak Ridge Boys’ CD It’s Only Natural was released through Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program. In July, Cracker Barrel released Jason Michael Carroll’s all-country Numbers with 11 new songs and one previous hit.  In May, Cracker Barrel released Teddy Gentry’s Best New Nashville with original music from 12 talented new artists and Randy Travis’ self-titled album Randy Travis.  In March of this year, Cracker Barrel released Kenny Rogers’ The Love of God, which debuted at #8 on theBillboard Top Country Albums chart and #2 on the Top Christian Albums chart.  In January, Cracker Barrel releasedThe Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin, which debuted at #1 on Billboard magazine’s Bluegrass Albums chart and at #26 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.  In November 2010, Cracker Barrel released Smokey Robinson’s Now & Then, which debuted at #19 on Billboardmagazine’s R&B chart and was nominated for an NAACP IMAGE AWARD.  September saw the release of the self-titled Rodney Atkins, which included four #1 hits, and Mandy Barnett’s Winter Wonderland.  Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs with Craig Morgan, Wynonna, Alan Jackson, the Zac Brown Band,George Jones, Montgomery Gentry, Bill Gaither, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station,Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans and Charlie Daniels. 

 

About Cracker Barrel 
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store provides a friendly home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants.  Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that’s surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America’s country heritage…all at a fair price.  The restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n’ dumplins as well as its made from scratch biscuits using an old family recipe.  The authentic old country retail store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences. 

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 615 company-owned locations in 42 states.  Every Cracker Barrel unit is open seven days a week with hours Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.  For more information, visit crackerbarrel.com.

About Ronnie Dunn  
Ronnie Dunn was born in Coleman, Texas to a hard living, truck driving, country music singing father and a conservative church going mother. Dunn navigated a winding road that led him from West Texas to New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma and through 13 schools in 12 years. Music was about the only constant in life. In 1990 Dunn moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Nashville and was introduced by Arista Records label head, Tim Dubois, to Kix Brooks. Since their initial pairing in 1990, Brooks & Dunn have been at the top of the country music singles charts 23 times with songs like “Brand New Man,” “Boot Scootin Boogie,” “You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone,” “My Maria,” “Only In America,” and “Red Dirt Road.”  They are the industry's most award-winning duo and have been named Entertainers of the Year four times. They have gathered 20 Country Music Association Awards and 28 Academy of Country Music Awards; more than any other artist in ACM history recently surpassing the legendary Merle Haggard in 2005. With their exceedingly popular tours and more than 30 million records sold, Brooks & Dunn dominated the music industry consistently through the fall of 2009 when they mutually decided to pursue solo careers. With a monumental farewell tour in 2010, the Last Rodeo Tour, Brooks and Dunn said goodbye to their fans as a duo and welcomed in the new chapter of their careers as solo artists. Dunn debuted his self-titled solo album in 2011 that launched the Top 10 “Bleed Red,” Top 20 “Cost of Livin’,” and most recent single, “Let The Cowboy Rock.”  He has twice been named BMI Country Songwriter of the year. He has received 23 BMI Million Airplay Awards for songs written that have attained one million or more radio airplay status.  For more information, visit www.ronniedunn.com.

 

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visitwoundedwarriorproject.org.

RONNIE DUNN LETS THE COWBOY ROCK

 

Country Icon’s Latest Single “Let The Cowboy Rock,” and Supporting Music Video Make National Debut on Monday, January 16; Available for Download on iTunes January 17

 

 

Yahoo!’s Ram Country Performance to air Wednesday, January 18

 

Nashville, Tenn. (Monday, January 16, 2012) – Country luminary Ronnie Dunn is redefining what it means to be a contemporary rock star with the emancipation of his brand-new guitar-heavy single, “Let The Cowboy Rock.” The two-time GRAMMY winning legendary songster has learned a thing or two over his iconic 20-year career about finding one’s own voice in music, including the fact that die-hard American country music knows no bounds. Beginning today, January 16, Dunn’s new up-tempo cowboy-rocker anthem officially impacts country radio and a supporting music video debuts at www.RonnieDunn.com. The video and single will be available for download on January 17 via iTunes but begins rotation on CMT, GAC and supporting national networks today. 

 

Fans eager for a sneak peak of the music video can click HERE.

 

“Let The Cowboy Rock” was penned by Dunn, along with hit songwriter Dallas Davidson, who also co-produced the track, and joins similar-veined Dunn co-writes such as “Cowgirls Don't Cry,” “Cowboy Town,” “Neon Moon,” “Boot Scootin' Boogie,” and “Play Something Country” in context.  

 

LET THE COWBOY ROCK

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

THIS IS WHERE THE HURT STOPS

WHERE THE WHISKEY FLOWS

LET HIM DRINK EVERY DROP

GO, GO, GO ‘TIL HE DROPS

LET THE COWBOY ROCK! 

 

The new single can be found on Dunn’s self-titled solo debut that is in stores now and is a follow-up to his lyrical masterpieces “Bleed Red,” and “Cost of Livin’.”

 

The music video was filmed partly in Pendleton, Oregon during the Pendleton Round-Up with rider Blake Knowles (lead character) with additional footage of Dunn shot in Salt Flat, Utah and Nashville, Tennessee with The Stage on Lower Broadway serving as a backdrop.

 

In addition to his single and video debut, on Wednesday, January 18, live performance from Dunn’s Yahoo!’s Ram Country taping will debut on Yahoo! Music featuring exclusive footage of “Let The Cowboy Rock,” “Cost of Livin’,” and “How Far To Waco” from Ronnie Dunn. 

 

To find out more about Ronnie Dunn’s latest career happenings, visit his official website, www.RonnieDunn.com, or follow him on Twitter at @SingaInABand and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RonnieDunnMusic.

 

Ronnie Dunn:

Writing The Next Chapter

By Deborah Evans Price
© 2011 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
With the release of his self-titled solo debut album, Ronnie Dunn just might be the best-known newcomer in Country Music history. For 20 years he was half of the phenomenally successful duo Brooks & Dunn, which won 19 CMA Awards and dominated the Country duo scene. Now the veteran singer/songwriter is starting over as a solo act, though he admits this transition hasn’t exactly been easy.
“I just panicked,” he said. “I just pushed the panic button and took off running in circles and recorded 34 songs before it was all over. I finally had to bring it down to 11 and went back in and negotiated to get it up to 12. But I was all over the map.”
At the same time, lots of well-meaning folks were offering advice. For example, in suggesting a way to establish an individual identity after his long partnership with Kix Brooks, “I had one guy at the label tell me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t say “honky-tonk”’,” Dunn said. “There were people in my own camp who said, ‘Hey, you just left a really good paying job, dude. What was that about? Did you think about this before you said “I’m going off on my own”?’
“I was certainly helped by a lot of good people, but I’d never felt so alone in my life,” he remembered. “All of a sudden, everyone just went, ‘OK, well, go do what you’ve got to do and I hope it works out for you.’”
In the process of defining himself as a solo artist, Dunn acknowledges that he began to overthink and overanalyze. He credits his wife Janine with helping him regain his focus by encouraging him to take some time alone and evaluate who he had become as an artist. “She said, ‘You came home off your tour, you got ‘COWBOY’ tatted from your elbow to your wrist. Are you off to be David Allan Coe? Or are you on a quest to become Willie? You need to figure that out and put it down on a record.’”
That process of making a solo statement proved very different from how Brooks & Dunn had worked together. “The song selection was different,” Dunn pointed out. “I didn’t have to keep in mind as I was picking songs that, ‘Hey, there are two guys here, two guys onstage, two guys performing’ and deal with that. This is much more personal and subjective; it gave an entirely different slant, obviously. I’d cut three or four demos sometimes and the players were great about working with me. They said, ‘We’ll do a demo first, and then if it makes the record, we’ll come in and bump it up.’ They were really, really good. I’ve got to hand it to them. It allowed me to find myself.”
And what exactly did he find in the process of writing or co-writing nine of the album’s 12 tracks, producing the sessions himself and working on his own? “A great epiphany: I found out that I’m totally confused and I’m good with that,” he responded, with a laugh. “I’m consistently inconsistent. I’m all of the above. I’m OK. I’m a work in progress. That’s my next tattoo somewhere.”
He also found that, for all the freedom he enjoyed on this project, echoes of Brooks & Dunn linger in the final results. “That’s not going away,” he said. “It’s on this record. It’s there. That’s a part of my DNA that I can’t wash off.”
“Ronnie Dunn’s voice is Ronnie Dunn’s voice,” said his manager Clarence Spalding, President, Spalding Entertainment. “You’re not going to be able to hide that, whether he’s the lead singer of Brooks & Dunn or whether he’s moving forward in his solo career. From a song standpoint, there are some that are going to remind people of things Brooks & Dunn have done in the past. But there are others that Kix and Ronnie wouldn’t have done, ‘Bleed Red’ (written by Andrew Dorff and Tommy Lee James) being one of them and ‘Cost of Livin’’ (Phillip Coleman and Dunn). Ronnie worked really hard on this record and it shows.”
“Clarence and I were committed to allowing Ronnie the freedom to craft a truly extraordinary album,” added Gary Overton, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music Nashville. “And whether you trust your own ears, those of the fans or those of the critics who have raved about this record, Ronnie accomplished that goal. I would put this album up against the greatest records in Country Music.”
Dunn’s first solo performance was a promotional set in Las Vegas, but he considers his first “official” show to have been April 16 at the Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Ind. “The show in Indiana was the real telltale thing because I’m thinking, ‘You know what? They are either doing one of two things: They’re coming in to watch it explode or they are here to get onboard,’” he recalled. “After the first two songs into it, they were dancing in the aisles and we were having a good time.”
Dunn says that he invested more time in rehearsal with his new band than he’d ever done before. One question presented itself immediately: What should the balance be between new songs and Brooks & Dunn classics in the live show? “It’s that same old quandary that a lot of people face: ‘Hey, do I do Eagles songs too or do I do Creedence songs?’” he said, alluding to the situation faced by Don Henley of the Eagles and John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival when they stepped out solo.
In the end, Dunn decided to feature six or seven tracks from his solo disc, mingled with Brooks & Dunn hits. His set now includes “Let the Cowboy Rock” (Dunn and Dallas Davidson), “Singer in a Cowboy Band” (Dunn and Craig Wiseman) and “Your Kind of Love” (Maile Misajon and Jeremy Stover), along with the album’s first single, “Bleed Red,” and “Cost of Livin’.”
“It’s crazy,” Dunn said, describing the response especially to “Cost of Livin’,” the album’s second single. “People are standing up and throwing their fists in the air on that one. And during the Country Radio Seminar (CRS), we had 30 or 40 radio people in a Sony suite at the hotel, and they were going at it, wanting that record as soon as they heard it. They were like, ‘We can’t get it fast enough,’ so it’s going to be interesting to see how that does.”
The poignant lyric paints a portrait of a proud man desperately seeking a job in this tough economic climate. “I had one guy tell me that I was too rich to do that,” Dunn said. “I said, ‘Let me send you the picture of me standing in front of that trailer house in New Mexico when my dad was working on the Navajo Dam.’ I didn’t grow up middle class. I grew up poor. That song hits home. I get it. I feel every note.”
Dunn describes this time in his life as both “exciting and frightening,” with more reason for excitement than fright. On its release in June, Ronnie Dunn sold more than 45,000 copies and debuted at No. 1 on the Country charts and No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200. Still, as he plunges ahead as a solo act, he has renewed his appreciation for what new artists have to do as they lay groundwork for their debuts.
“The label took me around and we’d bring in around 30 or 40 people in each of the different regions,” he said. “We started in San Francisco and invited representatives from iTunes and radio PDs and DJs out there. Then I went to Dallas for two days and met with Clear Channel. In Florida, we had a house on the beach and a listening party. And then I went to South Carolina. I made the rounds. It’s been from the ground up. I remember doing this years and years ago and working it hard.”
“We went out to radio with Ronnie Dunn as a new act,” confirmed Spalding. “He visited radio and we held events for radio. We wanted them to touch and feel Ronnie Dunn. Being part of the duo, they knew who Ronnie was. But they didn’t really know Ronnie, so we made sure program directors spent time with him and he got to talk about his record.”
From a record label perspective, Overton remarks that while there are challenges in re-launching an established star, Dunn’s passion goes a long way. “Ronnie still has the fire to make new great music,” he noted. “So we consider his past successes a tremendous starting point for this next chapter in his career. I can’t imagine what Country Music would be without Ronnie Dunn’s voice.”
On the road this summer, Dunn confronts a different scenario than he experienced with Brooks & Dunn. “There are some festivals that are booked that I heard we are going on at 4 in the afternoon,” he said. “I’m used to headlining, but that’s fine. We’ll play at 4 and do what we have to do. It’s time to back up and instead of having eight buses out there, I’m pushing to get just two — one little truck and horse trailer to pull our amps and stuff behind us. It’s just a growing experience.”
Will he miss having his old partner on the road? “Hell, no! And that’s exactly how he would answer that question,” Dunn said, with a laugh. “Do I miss him? We’re still good friends. I hear from him every few weeks or so. Kix and I were able to work it smoothly as I think it can be done in a partnership, and I’m proud of that. I’ll be forever proud of that. That is something that I can look back on and go, ‘Man, what a feat for two ne’er-do-wells to accomplish!’ And I’m happy that both of us can walk away in great shape and good spirits and tackle things that we like and look forward to doing.”
Dunn’s goals at this point are simple yet ambitious: “To keep moving forward in a business that is tremendously hard to do that in and derive satisfaction from the music I make — that’s it,” he said. “I didn’t do this to get rich or make money. I didn’t do it to become famous. I did it because I was a shy kid and it was about the only thing that I could do. I gravitated early on in life to something that I love and chose as a way of life. I don’t think I could change that if I wanted to.”
On the Web: www.RonnieDunn.com

Ronnie Dunn’s Self-Titled Solo Album Debuts At
#1 On Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart With Sales Of 45,000!

Nashville, TN – Ronnie Dunn’s first solo album, Ronnie Dunn, debuts at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with 45,000 albums sold according to Nielsen SoundScan. Dunn’s self-titled Arista Nashville project debuts at #5 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart.

"Cost of Livin’," Dunn’s new single, shipped to radio stations this week. Music critics have singled out this track as an all-too-real everyman’s portrait. The New York Times shares that “by song’s end pride has mixed with fear in vivid fashion” and USA Today picked it as the “one to download.”

Ronnie Dunn calls this album "the one I've always wanted to make." Its depth of material includes the poignant smash first single, “Bleed Red,” to the energized cantina-country of the Dunn/Terry McBride co-write, “How Far toWaco,” and the devastating, heart-on-the-line balladry of the Dunn-penned “Last Love I’m Tryin’.”

The collection kicks-off with the party-time opener, “Singer in a Cowboy Band” (penned by Dunn and Craig Wiseman), and closes with another Dunn co-write, the soulful “Love Owes Me One.”

 Keep up with Dunn online anytime at www.RonnieDunn.com http://www.ronniedunn.com

Ronnie Dunn to release album

Ronnie Dunn to Release Solo Debut Album on June 7!

Self-Titled 12-Song Album Includes Current Hit, “Bleed Red”;

Dunn to Make Televised Debut of “Bleed Red” on the ACM Awards

Nashville, TN – His voice has helped define the soundtrack of country music for two decades, and now Ronnie Dunn is poised to continue that legacy with the release of his self-titled solo debut album, coming June 7.  A 12-track collection, Ronnie Dunn captures the multi-award-winning singer/songwriter’s most complete musical vision, produced solely by Dunn, with eight songs that he wrote or co-wrote.

It’s the album he’s always wanted to make, and Ronnie Dunn delivers in a big way, from the stirring poignancy of the smash first single, “Bleed Red,” to the energized cantina-country of the Dunn/Terry McBride co-write, “How Far to Waco,” the all-too-real everyman’s portrait of “Cost of Livin’,” and the devastating, heart-on-the-line balladry of the Dunn-penned “Last Love I’m Tryin’.”

The collection kicks-off with the party-time opener, “Singer in a Cowboy Band” (penned by Dunn and Craig Wiseman), and closes with another Dunn co-write, the soulful “Love Owes Me One.”

“Bleed Red,” the first hit from the new album, is available now as a digital single and is currently Top 15 and climbing on the country airplay charts.  Fans will have the chance to see Dunn deliver his first televised performance of “Bleed Red” on The 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, April 3, on CBS.

While in Las Vegas for the ACM Awards, Dunn will also headline the free, open-to-the-public concert on Saturday, April 2, as part of ACM Weekend on Fremont Street Experience.

Keep up with Dunn online anytime at www.RonnieDunn.com.