Kix Brooks

Induction Year: 2023

Birth Name: Leon Eric Brooks III

Birth Date: 05-12-1955

Place of Birth: Shreveport, Louisiana

Raised in Shreveport, LA, Kix Brooks was playing guitar by age 6, entertaining audiences by age 12 and writing songs by age 14. After stints working on an oil pipeline in Alaska and as an advertising copywriter in Maine, he moved to Nashville in 1979.

He first hit the charts as a singer-songwriter on an independent label in 1983, then signed with Capitol Records for his debut solo album in 1988. Between 1983 and 1992, Kix’s songwriting yielded three #1 Country hits — “I’m Only In It For The Love” by John Conlee, “Modern Day Romance” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and “Who’s Lonely Now” by Highway 101 — plus a #2 hit with “Sacred Ground” by McBride & The Ride.

During the 1990s and 2000s, Kix teamed with Ronnie Dunn to form Brooks & Dunn. Kix co-wrote many of the duo’s hits, including “Brand New Man,” “Lost And Found,” “My Next Broken Heart,” “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” (a 1995 nominee for ACM song of the year), “Only In America” (a 2002 nominee for ACM song of the year) and “Red Dirt Road” (a 2003 nominee for CMA song of the year).

With more than 30 million records sold, Brooks & Dunn earned more than 75 major industry awards, culminating in their 2019 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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Song Catalog

"Brand New Man"

(written with Ronnie Dunn, Don Cook)

Brooks & Dunn1991 #1 Country
Brooks & Dunn w/ Luke Combs2019 
 

"Bring It On Home"

(written with Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson)

Kix Brooks2012 #39 Country

"I'm Only In It For The Love"

(written with Deborah Allen, Rafe Van Hoy)

John Conlee1983 #1 Country
 

"Indian Summer"

(written with Bob DiPiero, Ronnie Dunn)

Brooks & Dunn2009 #16 Country
 

"Lost And Found"

(written with Don Cook)

Brooks & Dunn1992 #6 Country
Brooks & Dunn w/ Tyler Booth2019 
 

"Mama Don't Get Dressed Up For Nothing"

(written with Don Cook, Ronnie Dunn)

Brooks & Dunn1996 #13 Country
Cledus T. Judd (as Cledus Don't Stop Eatin' For Nuthin')1998 
Brooks & Dunn w/ LANCO2019 

"Modern Day Romance"

(written with Dan Tyler)

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band1985 #1 Country
 

"My Next Broken Heart"

(written with Don Cook, Ronnie Dunn)

Brooks & Dunn1991 #1 Country
Brooks & Dunn w/ Jon Pardi2019 
 

"New To This Town"

(written with Marv Green, Terry McBride)

Kix Brooks w/ Joe Walsh2012 #31 Country
 

"Old Photographs"

(written with Ken Beal, Bill McClelland)

Sam Neely1984 #81 Country
Sawyer Brown1988 #27 Country

"Only In America"

(written with Don Cook, Ronnie Rogers)

Brooks & Dunn2001 #1 Country#33 Pop
Cledus T. Judd (as "Don't Mess With America")2002 

"Red Dirt Road"

(written with Ronnie Dunn)

Brooks & Dunn2003 #1 Country#25 Pop
Brooks & Dunn w/ Cody Johnson2019 
 

"Sacred Ground"

(written with Vernon Rust)

Kix Brooks1989 #87 Country
McBride & The Ride1992 #2 Country
 

"That Ain't No Way To Go"

(written with Don Cook, Ronnie Dunn)

Brooks & Dunn1994 #1 Country
 

"The Long Goodbye"

(written with Ronnie Dunn, Mark Wright)

Brooks & Dunn2001 #1 Country, #39 Pop
 

"Whiskey Under The Bridge"

(written with Don Cook, Ronnie Dunn)

Brooks & Dunn1995 #5 Country
 

"Who's Lonely Now"

(written with Don Cook)

Highway 1011990 #1 Country
 

"Why Would I Say Goodbye"

(written with Chris Waters)

Brooks & Dunn1997 #8 Country
 

"You Made A Rock Of A Rolling Stone"

(written with Chris Waters)

The Oak Ridge Boys1986 #24 Country
 

"You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone"

(written with Don Cook, Ronnie Dunn)

Brooks & Dunn1995 #1 Country
Brooks & Dunn w/ Ashley McBryde2019 

Other Media

Kix Brooks

Induction Year: 2023