Kix Brooks

Kix Brooks. . Country music singer, songwriter, actor, film producer, television and radio host, and vintner, Kix Brooks came to prominence as one half of country music's most successful duo of all time, Brooks and Dunn., Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks III was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on May 12. 1955. While attending Louisiana Tech. University in Ruston, LA, he began performing at clubs in New Orleans and elsewhere. In 1979, he moved to Nashville where he started his career writing songs for other artists. Brooks cowrote three No. 1 country hits , the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Modern Day Romance," Highway 101's "Who's Lonely Now," and John Conlee's "I'm Only in it for the Love." He also wrote songs recorded by the Oak Ridge Boys among others., In 1989, Brooks released a solo album for Capitol Records. Soon after, he was approached by the head of Arista Nashville, Tim DuBois, who suggested that he try pairing up with another solo artist, Ronnie Dunn, to form a duo. In 1990, Brooks and Dunn signed with Arista, and their first four singes, "Brand New Man," "My Next Broken Heart," "Neon Moon" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie," reached No. 1 on the country charts., Brooks and Dunn sold over 30 million albums, making them the best-selling duo in country music history. Their debut album, Brand New Man, was certified six times platinum and all but two of their studio albums were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting one million copies sold. In all, twenty of their singles topped the country chart, and nearly all reached the Top 20. They won the Country Music Association award for Duo of the Year every year but one between 1992 and 2006. Two of their records won the Grammy award for Best Country Record by a Duo or Group. They earned over 80 industry awards., In 2006, Brooks, recognized as "one of the most versatile guys in country music" (Rolling Stone), became host of the long-running syndicated radio program, American Country Countdown. The broadcast industry honored him with the CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year Award in 2009, 2011 and 2013, making him the first person to win a CMA Award in both the artist and broadcaster categories. In 2021, the Academy of Country Music named Kix the National On-Air Personality of The Year., Outside of music, Brooks entered the movie business with a production company, Team Two Entertainment. He also raised Beefmaster cattle on his farm near Nashville and became a founding partner of Arrington Vineyards. Giving back to the community, he became prominent in charity. advocacy, and philanthropy. In 2014, he was the first recipient of the Country Music Association's Humanitarian Award., In 2015, after a five-year hiatus, Brooks and Dunn reunited and joined forces with their friend Reba McEntire for a Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace titled Reba + Brooks and Dunn: Together in Vegas., Brooks and Dunn developed a style that blended honky tank music with mainstream rock and country, playing off the contrast between their voices and personalities. They became known for the energy of their live shows. Anchored by rock n' roll-styled guitar riffs, their performances also employed special effects, including pyrotechnics.. In 2019, Brooks and Dunn had the honor of being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame., Caption: Kix Brooks, left, and Ronnie Dunn perform during the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, April 2009.