The lights might shine bright onstage, but Brooks & Dunn say that behind the scenes, some country stars can barely stand each other.
Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks have been in country music long enough to tell the difference between a friend you can call at 2 a.m. and one who only slaps your back when the cameras are rolling. When they joined Theo Von on his This Past Weekend podcast, they did not bother dressing it up. Ronnie just came out with it, “As friendly as they say the world of country music is, it’s so darn competitive. Everybody hates one another. They act like they don’t on TV.”
For decades, fans have been sold this picture of country music as one big, happy family. The kind where everyone’s cheering each other on and raising a glass when another artist gets a number one. Ronnie says that it is mostly smoke. “One of my favorite things is Dolly Parton in an interview years and years ago, she’s talking about somebody and she goes, ‘Oh, honey, there’s room for everybody.’ No, there’s not. You want to get down to it? No, there’s not.”
Theo wanted details, and Ronnie did not hold back. The competition is not just for a trophy or a radio slot. It is for the best songs, the top producers, the biggest marketing push, and the hottest tour spots. And when it comes to chasing a number one, things can get downright cutthroat. “We can sit back and say we’re in it for the love of music, but you’re hungry for that number one. That’s what keeps you going.”
That is not bitterness talking, it is survival instinct. Ronnie knows how hard it is to break through, and even harder to hang onto your spot once you do.
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Kix jumped in to remind folks that it is not all bad blood. “We do make some real friends along the way,” he said. “At some point in your life, you have success; you still want to succeed, but you’re just not so ferocious.” In the early years, he explained, every handshake feels like a test and every lineup spot feels like a fight. But after a while, you can turn the heat down, relax a little, and maybe even share a beer with someone you once thought was your rival.
It is the kind of truth most artists keep to themselves. Not every smile is fake, but not every friendly wave means you would spend an afternoon together offstage. Country music may look like a wide-open table, but in reality, there are only so many seats, and nobody is giving theirs up without a fight.
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Brooks & Dunn have lived it all. They have fought for airplay, chased down the right songs, and watched opportunities go to friends, and sometimes to people they barely knew. They have been the new kids hungry for a win, and they have been the veterans who can laugh at the madness while still keeping an edge. And through it all, they have built real friendships, like the one they have shared for decades with Reba McEntire, proving it is possible to survive the competition without letting it eat you alive.
They are not trying to tear down the genre. They are just letting fans peek behind the curtain. The truth is, country music is like any other high-stakes business: part family, part fight, and part illusion. Those big smiles under the stage lights? Sometimes they mean “glad you’re here.” Other times, they mean “don’t get too comfortable.”
Because in the end, the road to the top is not all singalongs and photo ops. It is a game of staying sharp, staying standing, and maybe, if you are lucky, finding a few friends worth keeping along the way.
