Ronnie Dunn

Ronald Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn. He released his self-titled debut album for Arista Nashville on June 7, 2011, reaching the Top 10 with its lead-off single "Bleed Red".

Dunn was born in Coleman, Texas, 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 in 1975 as a psychology major.

When Ronnie began playing bass guitar and singing with bands in clubs in the Abilene, Texas, area, the university gave him the choice of either quitting the band or the university. He chose to leave the university and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a chance at the country music scene. He lived there for many years while drawing much inspiration from local honky tonks such as Tulsa City Limits, which is prominently featured in the music video for Brooks & Dunn's hit "Boot Scootin' Boogie". While he was in college, he served as a music and youth minister at Avoca Baptist Church in Avoca, Texas.

Ronnie 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 "She Put the Sad in All His Songs" in 1984. In 1990, he and Kix Brooks formed Brooks & Dunn. They released their first album, Brand New Man, with their first four singles in 1991, and was certified 6x platinum by the RIAA. Brooks & Dunn have released 12 studio albums, two Greatest Hits albums, and a Christmas album. The three Greatest Hits albums feature seven songs that can't be found on any other album.

Brooks & Dunn have sold over 30 million records, had 20 number one singles on Billboard, and are one of the most consistently successful acts on the concert circuit. In 2009, they announced that they would disband in 2010.

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 chart for the week ending February 19, 2011. Dunn's self-titled album Ronnie Dunn was released on June 7, 2011. The second single from the album, "Cost of Livin'", 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" at number 31. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums, as well as number 5 on the Billboard 200, selling 45,000 copies in its first week in the US.

Ronnie Dunn has won more than twenty Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) awards, including Country Music Songwriter of the Year in 1996 and 2001. He has received more than 27 ACM awards for Top Vocal Duo since 1991, except for 2000 when the honor went to Montgomery Gentry and 2009 when the honor went to Sugarland, including three Entertainer of the Year awards and vocal event of the year in 2005, for their hit "Building Bridges" with Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow's background vocals, along with his Single of the Year for his gospel song "Believe". He is a member of both the Oklahoma and Arkansas Music Halls Of Fame. Brooks and Dunn have won more Country Music Association awards and Academy of Country Music awards than any act in the history of country music.