Ronald Gene Dunn (born June 1, 1953) is an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer-songwriter and record executive. Starting in 2011, Dunn has worked as a solo artist following the temporary dissolution of
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1988 through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer, Tim DuBois. Before thei ...
. He released his
self-titled
An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
debut album for
Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville was an American record label that served as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specialized in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks ...
on June 7, 2011, reaching the Top 10 with its lead-off single, "
Bleed Red". After leaving Arista Nashville in 2012, Dunn founded Little Will-E Records. On April 8, 2014, Ronnie Dunn released his second solo album, ''
Peace, Love, and Country Music'' through Little Will-E Records. On November 11, 2016, he released his third album ''
Tattooed Heart'' on
NASH Icon
Nash is a media brand owned by Cumulus Media. It covers country music-related properties owned by Cumulus, including radio stations, digital properties and publications (''Nash Country Weekly, Nash Country Daily''), Nash TV (a video on-demand se ...
label. His fourth album ''
Re-Dunn'' was released on January 10, 2020.
In 2019, Dunn was inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...
as a member of Brooks & Dunn.
Early life
Dunn was born in
Coleman, Texas
Coleman is a town in and the county seat of Coleman County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 3,912.
History
Coleman was founded in 1876 when R. J. Clow donated a 160-acre site on Hords Cre ...
, and attended 13 schools in his first 12 years of school. He began school in New Mexico, and finished his formal education at
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a Private university, private Christian research university in Abilene, Texas, United States. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an R2 (High Research Spending and Doctorate Production) institutio ...
in 1975 as a psychology major. While playing
bass guitar
The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
and singing with bands in clubs in the
Abilene, Texas
Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor County, Texas, Taylor and Jones County, Texas, Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan ar ...
, area, the university gave him the choice of either quitting the band or the university. He left the university, then moved to
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...
, for a chance at the country music scene. He lived there for many years while drawing much inspiration from local
honky tonk
A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, honky tonk, or tonk) is either a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons or the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano ...
s such as Tulsa City Limits, prominently featured in the music video for Brooks & Dunn's hit "
Boot Scootin' Boogie". While in college, he served as a music and youth minister at Avoca Baptist Church in
Avoca, Texas
Avoca ( ) is an unincorporated community in Jones County, Texas, United States.
It is on State Highway 6 at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 600 and Farm to Market Road 1636, 8 mi southeast of Stamford. Avoca is part of the Ab ...
.
Musical career
Brooks & Dunn
Dunn began his musical career as a solo artist. He charted two minor singles with
Churchill/MCA Records: in 1983, he released "It's Written All Over Your Face", and in 1984, "She Put the Sad in All His Songs". In 1990,
Kix Brooks
Leon Eric Brooks III, better known by his stage name Kix Brooks (born May 12, 1955), is an American country music artist, actor, and film producer best known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn and host of radio's ''American Country Cou ...
and he formed Brooks & Dunn. In 1991, they released their first album, ''
Brand New Man
''Brand New Man'' is the debut studio album by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released on August 13, 1991, by Arista Records. Produced by Don Cook and Scott Hendricks, the album produced four consecutive Number One singles on t ...
'', certified six-times platinum by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. Brooks & Dunn released 12 studio albums, two greatest-hits albums, and a Christmas album.
Brooks & Dunn sold over 30 million albums, had 20 number-one singles on ''Billboard'', and were one of the most consistently successful acts on the concert circuit. In 2009, they announced they were temporarily disbanding in 2010. On December 3, 2014,
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1988 through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer, Tim DuBois. Before thei ...
reunited, and along with
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...
, performed a series of concerts throughout the summer and fall of 2015.
2011–2012: Debut solo album and departure from Sony

In late 2010, Dunn announced that he was working on a solo album. The album's first single, "
Bleed Red", was released to country radio on January 29, 2011, and debuted at number 30 on the ''Billboard''
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
chart for the week ending February 19, 2011, and ended as a top 10, his first of his solo career. Dunn's self-titled album ''
Ronnie Dunn
Ronald Gene Dunn (born June 1, 1953) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record executive. Starting in 2011, Dunn has worked as a solo artist following the temporary dissolution of Brooks & Dunn. He released his Ronnie Dunn (alb ...
'' was released on June 7, 2011. The second single from the album, "
Cost of Livin'
"Cost of Livin'" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Ronnie Dunn. It was released in June 2011 as the second single from his self-titled album, and his second release following the split of the duo Brooks & Dunn. ...
", was released on June 6, 2011, and debuted at number 56 on the country chart. It peaked at number 19, followed by "
Let the Cowboy Rock
"Let the Cowboy Rock" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Ronnie Dunn. It was released in January 2012 as the third single from his Ronnie Dunn (album), self-titled album. Dunn wrote this song with Dallas Davidson.
...
" at number 31. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard''
Top Country Albums
Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...
, as well as number five on the
''Billboard'' 200, selling 45,000 copies in its first week in the US.
In June 2012, Ronnie Dunn took to social media to ask his fans what the fourth single on the album should be. Shortly after, Ronnie got a call from the executives at Sony Music saying that his "fb post killed the 'Let the Cowboy Rock' single". He then requested for radio to start playing "Once" as the next single. Before the song could be released to radio as a single, he was released from the label.
2013–2014: Little Will-E Records and ''Peace, Love, and Country Music''
In March 2013, Ronnie Dunn previewed the song "Country This" on SoundCloud. On June 4, 2013, Ronnie released the two new tracks, "Country This" and "Kiss You There", exclusively on iTunes. The songs were each previewed for a month on The Highway on Sirius XM.
On July 9, 2013, Dunn announced his new record deal, a joint effort between HitShop Records and his own label Little Will-E Records with HitShop executing radio promotion while Dunn retains personal brand control. The lead-off single for his second solo album, "Kiss You There", was released to country radio on July 29, 2013. After an unsuccessful run with it, Dunn and HitShop Records parted ways.
On November 19, 2013, Dunn released the second single from the forthcoming album, "Wish I Still Smoked Cigarettes". In January 2014, Dunn also released "Grown Damn Man" as a promotional single from the second solo album. The album, ''Peace, Love and Country Music'', was released on April 8, 2014.
2014–2018: Nash Icon record deal and ''Tattooed Heart''

On December 1, 2014, Ronnie Dunn began to speculate on his Facebook page that he had signed with the newest imprint of
Big Machine Label Group
Big Machine Records is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executiv ...
,
NASH Icon
Nash is a media brand owned by Cumulus Media. It covers country music-related properties owned by Cumulus, including radio stations, digital properties and publications (''Nash Country Weekly, Nash Country Daily''), Nash TV (a video on-demand se ...
, but the label never confirmed nor denied it. On January 12, 2015, the president of Big Machine,
Scott Borchetta
Scott Borchetta (born July 3, 1962) is an American record executive and founder of the Big Machine Records#Imprints, Big Machine Label Group. He started the label in 2005 with Taylor Swift as its first signed artist and 13 employees, he served ...
, officially announced that Dunn had joined
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...
and
Martina McBride
Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material.
McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relocated to Nashville, T ...
, making him the third artist to join the roster. Borchetta stated in a press release, "Ronnie Dunn has one of the smoothest, most-recognized, and most-popular voices of the last 25 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." Dunn also commented in the article, saying, "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." The press release went on to announce Ronnie Dunn was about to hit the studio to record what is now his third solo album and that the lead-off single of the album was released in early spring of 2015.
The lead single from Dunn's third solo album, "Ain't No Trucks in Texas", was released on July 17, 2015. On April 22, 2016, Dunn announced the second single, "
Damn Drunk", on his Facebook page. The song was released August 5, 2016. On August 22, 2016, Dunn announced that the title of his third solo album was ''
Tattooed Heart''; it was released on November 11, 2016.
2019–present: ''Reboot'' and ''Re-Dunn''
In 2019, Brooks & Dunn returned to the studio for the first time since the release of their 2009 compilation, ''
#1s... and Then Some''. The result was a new album, ''Reboot'', a collection of some of Brooks & Dunn's greatest hits re-recorded as duets between the duo and up-and-coming country music stars. The album was released on April 5, 2019. It debuted at number one on ''Billboard''s
Top Country Albums
Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...
chart.
Dunn performed at the 2019
Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
Mission Statement
The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is a 501(c)(3) charity organization. The mission of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is to honor all great musicians regardless of genre or instruments. This is done by exhibiting t ...
Concert and Induction Ceremony.
Dunn announced in 2019 that he would be releasing a covers album in January 2020. Titled ''
Re-Dunn'', the album is a collection of 24 classic rock and country covers. A cover of "
Amarillo by Morning" was released on September 6, 2019.
Personal life
Dunn married his wife, Janine, on May 19, 1990; they have three children.
Awards
As a member of Brooks and Dunn, Dunn has 30
ACM awards, winning Top Vocal Duo every year since 1991, except for 2000 (the honor went to
Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo/solo act founded by singers Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, both Kentucky natives. They began performing together in the 1990s as part of two different bands with Montgomery's brother, John ...
) and 2008 (in which
Sugarland
Sugarland is an American country music duo founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (vocals, guitar, mandolin). They were founded in 2002, when Kristen Hall (vocals, gu ...
won), before winning the award for the last time in 2009. The duo also won three Entertainer of the Year awards and Vocal Event of the Year in 2005, for their hit "
Building Bridges" with
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...
and
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...
's background vocals, along with Single of the Year for the gospel song "
Believe
Believe may refer to:
*Belief, a psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true, with or without proof for such proposition
*Faith, a belief in something which has not been proven
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
." That same year, Brooks and Dunn were part of a group of country artists presented with the new Triple Crown Award by the
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller (songwriter), Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris ...
, which recognized the amazing feat of winning Top New Artist (or Duo/Group), Top Vocalist (or Duo/Group), and Entertainer of the Year. He is a member of the Texas,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
and
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
Music Halls of Fame. With 18 won, Brooks and Dunn are tied for the most
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...
awards wins, sharing the honor with Vince Gill. They have the second-most
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller (songwriter), Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris ...
awards with 30, surpassed only by Miranda Lambert with 35. Dunn was also the
National Anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
singer before Game 3 of the
2011 World Series
The 2011 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2011 Major League Baseball season, 2011 season. The 107th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American Le ...
in
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal c ...
. As a solo artist, Dunn has two Grammy nominations and over 23
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organisation, performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BM ...
(BMI) Million-Airplay awards. He was the BMI Country Music Songwriter of the Year in 1996 and 2001.
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Featured singles
Other appearances
Music videos
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Ronnie
1953 births
Living people
American country singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
Abilene Christian University alumni
Grammy Award winners
Singer-songwriters from Louisiana
People from Coleman, Texas
Texas Republicans
Brooks & Dunn members
MCA Records artists
Musicians from Tulsa, Oklahoma
Arista Nashville artists
Singer-songwriters from Texas
Singer-songwriters from Oklahoma
Country musicians from Texas
Country musicians from Louisiana
Country musicians from Oklahoma