BROOKS & DUNN : They’re a Hot Duo (But Don’t Ask ‘em Why)

If you’re looking for how singers Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn came from out of nowhere to become the hottest new duo in country music, don’t ask them.

“Damned if I know,” offers Brooks with a smile as he tugs at his black cowboy hat.

Dunn isn’t much help either.

“I haven’t a clue,” he says, laughing.

They’re not kidding.

Both were unknown singer-songwriters two years ago when Tim DuBois, the head of Arista Records in Nashville, came up with the idea of pairing them. The result was a debut album that has sold more than 2 million and is still in the country Top 20 despite more than 70 weeks on the charts. Titled “Brand New Man,” the album is filled with twangy, honky-tonk dance music.

No one is more surprised than the singers themselves. “We were real tentative with each other,” Brooks explains of the initial pairing. “We were just trying to write together--with no thought of singing together.” After working through that initial awkwardness, they clicked as songwriters and as singers.

“It’s real funny,” Dunn says. “Neither of us could work out a good solo deal, but when they heard us singing together on the songwriting demos, Arista offered us the duo deal. It bothered us some that they didn’t want us as solo artists, but we figured it was worth a shot.”

When they first teamed up, Brooks, 37, who’s from Louisiana, was the more prominent of the two, with a solid reputation in Nashville as a songwriter, boasting a long list of credits, including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Modern Day Romance” and Highway 101’s “Who’s Lonely Now.” Dunn, a 39-year-old Oklahoman, had spent years working clubs in Texas and Oklahoma, refining his skill at playing the kind of bouncy, danceable country music that’s featured on the album.

They may not be able to pinpoint why they’ve scored big, but Bob Guerra, program director of KZLA-FM--Los Angeles’ major country station--had no trouble in pinpointing a reason.

“It’s their songs,” Guerra says. “It’s as simple as that. They’re just good songwriters, writing the kind of songs people want to hear. And they have a strong vocal presence that enhances the songs.”

Despite such praise, Brooks & Dunn still wonder about it all.

Though they’ve already finished a second album, tentatively scheduled for February release, they’re still taking things a step at a time.

“This is so unplanned,” Brooks says. “We’re winging it, man.”