Brooks & Dunn Welcomed to Country Hall of Fame in All-Star Ceremony

Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan and more celebrate the duo's official induction.

Written by Chris Parton
Brooks & Dunn Welcomed to Country Hall of Fame in All-Star Ceremony
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 20: (L-R) Inductee Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn seen with their Hall of Fame plaque during the 2019 Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on October 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)

Brooks & Dunn were officially inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum over the weekend (October 20), honored during a private ceremony that also included fellow inductees Ray Stevens and executive Jerry Bradley, plus Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan and more.

Highlighting Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn as the most successful duo in country history, the event showed off not only Brooks & Dunn’s achievements — including their 20 No.1 hits, 28 million albums sold and nearly 50 CMA, ACM and Grammy awards — but also their personal impact on the genre.

Leading a series of performances was duo following in B&D’s footsteps, Brothers Osborne, who paid tribute by covering the inductees’ first No.1, “Brand New Man.” Next up was Bryan, who played “Red Dirt Road” and spoke of both Brooks and Dunn’s welcoming nature during his early career. And then came B&D contemporary Trisha Yearwood, who delivered a soaring, gospel inflected rendition of the duo’s “Believe.”

Finally, after all the singing was done, it was up to McEntire to officially welcome her longtime friends to the club.

“On behalf of everybody in the Country Music Hall of Fame,” McEntire announced, draping the Hall of Fame medallion around Dunn’s neck. “I do ‘sir knight’ you — or whatever I’m supposed to do!”

“I’ve never been so proud and humble,” Dunn said after the duo’s bronze plaque was unveiled. “If you don’t believe that, just step into my heart right now.”

“We realize how much we love this music, how fun it was to get back to singing those songs again,” Brooks said, referring to the duo’s return after “retiring” in 2010, and the recent Reboot album which has earned them two more CMA Awards nominations. “You know, we had every intention of quitting, and we did for a few minutes, but I think we realize now how lucky we are.”