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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 19 March 2019

Brooks & Dunn, Ray Stevens to join Country Hall of Fame

BY KRISTIN M. HALL “Back in the day, in the
Associated Press ‘90s, everything was sensa-
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — tionalized and country had
Country hit-making duo hit arenas and stadiums,”
Brooks & Dunn are rid- Dunn said. “We jumped
ing a resurgence of interest right in on all fours.”
in ‘90s-era country music The duo split up in 2010 and
with a new album celebrat- they both started working
ing their top-selling singles, on solo projects, but reunit-
a longstanding Las Vegas ed in 2015 for what’s turned
residency and now an in- into a four-year residency
vitation to join the Country in Las Vegas with Reba
Music Hall of Fame. McEntire.
The duo, along with come- Stevens, 80, is known for
dic singer Ray Stevens and singing zany hits like “The
record label head Jerry Streak,” but also sentimen-
Bradley, were announced tal ones like the Gram-
Monday as this year’s in- my-winning “Everything
ductees and will be formal- Is Beautiful.” Stevens is a
ly inducted during a cere- Ray Stevens, from left, Jerry Bradley, Ronnie Dunn, and Kix Brooks pose at a press conference multi-faceted artist who
mony later this year. announcing that they will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame Monday, March 18, started as a session musi-
“There’s a lot going on at 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. cian in Nashville and has
this stage that generally Associated Press been a TV personality,
doesn’t happen,” Ronnie versions of their hits with ing 14 vocal duo awards Moon” and “Boot Scootin’ producer, publisher, song-
Dunn told The Associated today’s country stars such over their careers. They Boogie.” writer and entertainer for
Press after the press con- as Kacey Musgraves, Luke started as solo singers but With multi-platinum sales, six decades. He recorded
ference inside the Hall of Combs and Kane Brown. were encouraged to join they became one of coun- comedy albums and vid-
Fame’s rotunda featuring With more than 20 No. 1 up as a duo and had im- try’s biggest touring acts eos and opened a theater
plaques honoring the icons country hits, the Grammy- mediate success with a for decades, combining in Branson, Missouri. He cur-
of the industry. Their new winning pair is the most string of hits, starting with Brooks’ big personality and rently has a dinner theater
album, “Reboot,” out April awarded duo by the Coun- “Brand New Man,” ‘’My guitar work and Ronnie’s show in Nashville called
5, features the duo on new try Music Association, earn- Next Broken Heart,” ‘’Neon singing. “CabaRay.”q