‘Catch of the Day’ – Ronnie Dunn ft Kix Brooks – “Damn Drunk” [AUDIO]

With today's Catch, we prove all is alright, as it should be, in the country music world. It features the pairing of two artists who, well let's just say this isn't their first time in the recording studio together. And hopefully, not their last.

Ronnie Gene Dunn was born in Coleman, TX, and to say he had a mobile childhood would be an understatement. Ronnie attended 13 schools in his first 12 years of school, beginning his education in New Mexico and finishing it by graduating from Abilene Christian University, majoring in psychology. He began playing bass and singing in bands in the Abilene area while in college, and when his late nights began to affect his education, the college gave him a choice: the bands or the university. He chose to quit school, moving to Tulsa to pursue country music.

Dunn began his career as a songwriter and solo artist, signing with MCA Records in 1982. He charted with two minor hits, 1983's "It's Written All Over Your Face" and 1984's "She Put The Sad In All His Songs" which both peaked at #59 on the charts, while a third single, "Jessie" failed to land on the Billboard Country singles chart. He kicked around Nashville for a few more years, then his record company suggested he team up with another singer and songwriter who had met with the same limited success.

Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks was born and raised in Shreveport, LA, the son of an oil pipeline worker who always encouraged his son to pursue his dream. After attending Louisiana Tech University, where he was a theater arts major, for a short time Kix followed his father to Alaska to work on an oil pipeline. Quickly finding his dreams lay elsewhere, Brooks headed to Nashville in 1980, landing a job at Tree Publishing as a staff songwriter. In 1983, he recorded one of his own songs, "Baby, When Your Heart Breaks Down" for the Avion label, but when the single peaked at #73, Brooks returned to his staff writing position.

He released a self-titled debut album in 1988, but when three more singles failed to chart any higher than #87, Brooks' label offered him a familiar deal: team with another struggling singer and songwriter to form a duo. Both artist were unsure of the offer (and of each other), and hesitantly agreed to give it a try. After all, it beat the unemployment line.

And Brooks & Dunn was born.

The preeminent country music duo, Brooks and Dunn recorded 10 albums for Arista Records Nashville between 1991 and 2007, with each of the albums receiving gold certification. All but their 1999 album Tightrope and the 2007 album Cowboy Town were certified platinum. These albums, along with four Best of/Greatest Hits compilations produced 41 top-10 hits, including 21 #1's. In their time together, Ronnie and Kix collected 17 awards from the Country Music Association , 26 Academy of Country Music Awards (Top Vocal Duo 1992-1999, 2001-2006) and 2 Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Group or Duo with Vocals.

In August of 2009, the duo announced a farewell tour The Last Rodeo, at the time became the top country tour of all time in regards to ticket sales (until some cowboy named Straight rode away). The final rodeo was at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on September 2, 2010. The final show, which aired on CMT, was a benefit concert, with all proceeds going to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

But like all good cowboys, there can never be a last rodeo. In 2014 it was announced the pair would reunite, and along with Reba McEntire, would perform in residence at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas for a series of shows in 2015. Both Ronnie and Kix continue to work independently, but today, we have a musical reunion, of sorts. The lead single from Ronnie Dunn's forthcoming, as yet untitled album, featuring Kix Brooks is in our spotlight today. Brooks and Dunn with "Damn Drunk" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.