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Kix Brooks | |
|---|---|
 Brooks in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Leon Eric Brooks III (1955-05-12)May 12, 1955 (age 70) Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician, radio personality, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar,mandolin, harmonica, piano |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | Avion,Capitol,Arista Nashville |
| Member of | Brooks & Dunn |
| Website | kixbrooks |
Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks III (born May 12, 1955) is an Americancountry music artist, actor, andfilm producer best known for being one half of the duoBrooks & Dunn and host of radio'sAmerican Country Countdown. Prior to the duo's foundation, he was a singer and songwriter, charting twice onHot Country Songs and releasing an album forCapitol Records. Brooks andRonnie Dunn comprised Brooks & Dunn for twenty years, then both members began solo careers. Brooks’ solo career after Brooks & Dunn includes the albumNew to This Town.
In 2019, Brooks was inducted into theCountry Music Hall of Fame as a member of Brooks & Dunn.[1]
Brooks grew up inShreveport,Louisiana. He has a sister, a half-sister, and a half-brother; his father also adopted a son of his third wife. After graduating from the formerSewanee Military Academy, anEpiscopal school inSewanee,Tennessee, Brooks attendedLouisiana Tech University inRuston as atheatre arts major. He moved toAlaska to work with his father on an oilpipeline for one summer, then returned to Louisiana Tech to finish his education. After graduating, he moved toMaine to write advertising for a company owned by his sister and brother-in-law.
Brooks' father urged him to pursue his desire to become a musician, and he moved toNashville, Tennessee, in the early 1980s. His then-girlfriend (now wife Barbara, with whom he has a son and daughter) followed shortly thereafter. He worked for Tree Publishing as a staff songwriter. He recorded his first solo single, "Baby, When Your Heart Breaks Down", for Avion in 1983, but returned to songwriting after it only reached number 73 on theHot Country Songs chart. Brooks and Dan Tyler co-wrote "Modern Day Romance", released byNitty Gritty Dirt Band in June 1985; it became the band's second No. 1 hit on the country chart.
Brooks released an album,Kix Brooks, in 1989 on Capitol Records. This album also featured the song "Sacred Ground" which became a No. 2 country hit forMcBride & the Ride in 1992.
He is one half of country music duoBrooks & Dunn. Their 1991 debut album,Brand New Man, generated four number-one hit singles on the country charts. Brooks usually provided backing vocals on their songs and singles. The singles featuring Brooks on lead vocals include, "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" (the only Brooks & Dunn single featuring Brooks on lead vocals to reach No. 1), "Lost and Found", "Rock My World (Little Country Girl)", "Mama Don't Get Dressed Up for Nothing", "South of Santa Fe", and "Why Would I Say Goodbye".
On August 10, 2009, Brooks & Dunn announced to their fans, via their website they intended to disband after twenty years of touring. According to the short statement released on their web site, Brooks & Dunn intended to release a greatest hits album, tour during the rest of 2009, and have a farewell tour in 2010.
Brooks resumed his solo career in 2012, releasing a new 12-track album on September 11, 2012.New to This Town features nine songs co-written by Brooks, including the album's first single, thetitle track.[2] He followed his second album with the soundtrack to thewestern filmAmbush at Dark Canyon in 2014. Brooks composed the majority of the musical score as well as starring in the film.[3]
On December 3, 2014, Brooks & Dunn reunited, and along withReba McEntire, performed a series of concerts inLas Vegas,Nevada, throughout the summer and fall of 2015.
Brooks performed at the 2019Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Concert and Induction Ceremony.
In 2005, Brooks, along with timber industrialist Roy O. Martin Jr., and theLouisiana State University sports legendsPaul Dietzel, andSue Gunter were among those named a "Louisiana Legend" byLouisiana Public Broadcasting.[4]
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From January 2006 to December 2024, Brooks hostedAmerican Country Countdown, a syndicated radio countdown show based onMediabase (originally was BILLBOARD, from 2006 to August 2009), country charts. Brooks succeeded the show's former host,Bob Kingsley and was replaced by Ryan Fox beginning in January 2025. Brooks is also co-owner of Arrington Vineyards, a Nashvillewinery with winemaker Kip Summers and businessmen John Russell.[5]
In 2013, Kix launched the film company Team Two Entertainment along with Eric Brooks. The company makes independent films Kix produces, and Kix occasionally appears as an actor.
In 2015, Brooks contracted withCooking Channel to hostSteak Out with Kix Brooks, in which he travels around America in search of the beststeakhouses.
| Title | Details | Peak positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [6] | US [7] | ||
| Kix Brooks |
| — | — |
| New to This Town |
| 10 | 53 |
| Ambush at Dark Canyon (soundtrack) |
| — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Songs [9] | US Country Airplay [10] | |||
| 1983 | "Baby, When Your Heart Breaks Down" | 73 | Non-album single | |
| "Make a Little Hay"[11] | — | |||
| 1988 | "I'm On to You"[12] | — | Kix Brooks | |
| 1989 | "Sacred Ground" | 87 | ||
| "She Does the Walk On By"[13] | — | |||
| 2012 | "New to This Town"(featuringJoe Walsh) | 31 | New to This Town | |
| "Bring It On Home" | 39 | 44 | ||
| "Moonshine Road" | 42 | 45 | ||
| 2013 | "Complete 360" | — | 49 | |
| "There's the Sun" | — | 48 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Songs [9] | US Country Airplay [10] | |||
| 1990 | "Tomorrow's World"[a] | 74 | Non-album single | |
| 2016 | "Damn Drunk" (Ronnie Dunn with Kix Brooks) | 42 | 36 | Tattooed Heart |
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "New to This Town" | Team Two Entertainment |
| "Bring It On Home" | Dustin Rikert | |
| "Moonshine Road" | Aaron Thomas |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 8 Seconds | Himself | Brooks and Dunn |
| 2013 | A Country Christmas | Duke the horse | Executive Producer/Music Producer |
| 2013 | Dug Up | Producer Only | Executive Producer |
| 2014 | Ambush at Dark Canyon | Duke Donovan | Executive Producer |
| 2014 | Born Wild | Wade Locklin | Executive Producer |
| 2016 | Timber the Treasure Dog | Timber (voice) | |
| 2016 | A Horse Story | Champion (voice) | |
| 2016 | You're Gonna Miss Me | Elmer Montana | Executive Producer |
| 2018 | Home by Spring | Arthur | Television film (Hallmark) |
| 2020 | A Nashville Christmas Carol | Spirit of Christmas Past | Television film (Hallmark) |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | King of the Hill | Himself | Season 4, Episode 24 |
| 2015 | Steak Out with Kix Brooks | Host | Also co-executive producer |
