Ronnie Dunn Makes Solo Debut

June 28, 2011

Ronnie Dunn performs at the Academy of Country Music Concerts at Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, April 2, 2011

After spending the past 20 years performing as half of Brooks & Dunn, the Country duo’s lead singer Ronnie Dunn is striking out on his own with his debut solo album

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Ronnie Dunn recorded three singles in the early 1980s, but none garnered enough success to get his solo career off the ground. In 1990, he teamed with Kix Brooks to form Brooks & Dunn. The duo’s popularity was immediate. Beginning with their 1991 debut single, “Brand New Man,” Brooks & Dunn topped the Country chart 26 times and sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Between 1992 and 2006, Brooks & Dunn won the Country Music Association’s Vocal Duo of the Year Award 14 times. They’ve collected over 60 industry honors, including three Entertainer of the Year Awards from the Academy of Country Music.

Although he had two decades of success behind him, Ronnie Dunn told "Billboard" he was “scared to death” about launching a solo career.

He said, “I think fear and insecurity are great motivators. I look at the length of time that we were in the market place with Brooks & Dunn, and I don’t know how people are going to accept me and I don’t assume in any way they’re gonna come running to this project.” At the same time, Ronnie says it was liberating to have complete control over his solo project.