ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn -- the Last Rodeo Tour

An all-star tribute special, 'ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn -- The Last Rodeo,' aired Sunday, May 23 at 8:00 PM on CBS. Amazing performances were given by many different performers, including Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.

Proceeds from the live event, taped in April, benefited ACM Lifting Lives, a charitable foundation of the Academy of Country Music. Money raised from the event will be used to help those affected by the recent floods in Middle Tennessee. Brooks and Dunn are among the many stars taking part in the benefit, Nashville Rising; A Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery, on Tuesday, June 22. For more information, please visit www.acmliftinglives.org.

During the tribute concert special, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were awarded the Academy's Milestone Award in recognition of their 20-year career and were honored for holding the record for the most wins of any artist in the Academy's history. Brooks & Dunn have 27 ACM Awards in total, including three prior Entertainer of the Year awards and a Top Vocal Duo award that they received during the ACM Awards broadcast in April. They hold the record for most Top Vocal Duo wins, with 16 awards, eight of which are consecutive from 2000-2007.

Brooks & Dunn have had 23 #1 hits, sold more than 30 million records, and won more than 80 major industry awards during their career. (ACM special reels in viewers)

Viewers Give Opinions on Brooks and Dunn Tribute Show

If the many comments from newscasters and bloggers are any indication, the tribute had the 10 million viewers reported by Academy of Country Music glued to their televisions last night.

Although all of the comments were positive about Brooks and Dunn, fans either loved or hated country music artists changing the style of Brooks and Dunn songs. Examples given were Sugarland's remaking of "Red Dirt Road" into a ballad and Jennifer Hudson's soul version of "Believe."

Brooks and Dunn, however, seemed moved by Jennifer's rendition of Believe, as tears filled their eyes. The camera also caught Faith Hill wiping away tears during Jennifer's rendition, and again when her husband, Tim McGraw, sang "That's No Way to Say Goodbye." Tim McGraw could also be seen tearing up when Faith sang "The Long Goodbye." Fans who didn't like the renditions stated that as this was a tribute to Brooks and Dunn, their songs should have been played the way they wrote and sang them.

Keith Urban showed humility with his statement, "It's daunting singing a Ronnie Dunn song to begin with, I think everyone here tonight will tell you that," he stated when asked about performing "Brand New Man," Brooks & Dunn's first No. 1 single. "That record for me just came flying out of the radio and I was instantly a fan. The two of them together live is just something else."

George Strait played "Boot Scootin' Boogie," while Brooks played harmonica from his seat on the roadcase couch and Dunn laughed.

The show ended with Reba requesting that Brooks and Dunn "Play Something Country." As Reba and the duo sang and played, she motioned for all the artists to join them onstage, which all did.

Some viewers criticized Taylor Swift for what seemed to be camera hogging, as she tried to move between, then in front of Brad and Keith to be center stage playing her guitar. Others put it down to Taylor's youthful exuberance. (Brooks & Dunn Tribute Shines With Sugarland)

Brooks and Dunn Going Out in a Blaze of Glory

All cowboys sooner or later ride off into the sunset. But, Brooks and Dunn decided not to just quietly ride off into the sunset, but to go out in a blaze of glory. The Last Rodeo Tour, a tribute to their fans for supporting the duo for the last 20 years, running from April through August, has sold out at every stop along the tour. Jason Aldean opened for the first half of the tour. Gary Allan opens for the second half of the tour.

"I was willing to walk out and never look back," Ronnie says. "Sometimes, I work a little more from emotion than I do from rational thought." Kix thought the duo owed it to the fans to let them know the duo was going to stop, and to do one last tour, one

Brooks and Dunn decided to end it after they couldn't agree over songs, an ongoing conflict in their 20 year career. "We definitely have to go back and forth with songs," Brooks said. "That's always a challenge where you're having to compromise. There have always been hurt feelings. There have always been opinions." At a meeting about songs in 2009, Dunn decided he could no longer capitulate. "We both knew this was probably it," Kix stated. "He called back the next day and said, 'I don't want to do this anymore.' And I was in agreement. I really was. I was willing that day to try and work it out, but when he said, 'This is it, I really think it is,' I said, 'I think it is, too' ... I was and still am totally at peace with it. It's a good time for us to stop."'

But, just because the Brooks & Dunn duo will no longer exist, doesn't mean that either Ronnie or Kix will quit the music business. "To think that either of us would lock up our guitars and not make music again because this thing has run its course doesn't really make any sense, if you know anything about us," Kix stated. "I'll try to find some hits in there. But I'd also like to write some songs that mean something from that singer/songwriter mentality that I come from. I've been chasing Guy Clark since I learned how to tune a guitar," he confessed.

Ronnie stated that he is already "three-quarters of the way through" his first solo album.
Ronnie, in expressing his respect for Kix stated that Kix is "a stand-up guy. He'll come at you head-on. Whether I agree with it or not, he'll step up. That's good to be around."

Kix, also spoke of his respect for Ronnie, "I'm proud of him. He's a great singer and an amazing talent. When he's on, I just stand there some nights and I smile." (You can call Brooks and Dunn Done & Done after final tour)

Sources:

Alison Bonaguro, Brooks & Dunn Tribute Shines With Sugarland, http://blog.cmt.com/2010-05-24/brooks-dunn-tribute-shines-with-sugarland

Brian Mansfield, You can call Brooks & Dunn Done & Done after final tour, Special for USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com

No author, ACM Special Reels in Viewers, Academy of Country Music, http://www.acmcountry.com/events/brooksdunn.php