Brooks & Dunn KNOW It's Only Rock & Roll.
But They Like Opening for the Rolling Stones A LOT!

    Nashville: They've been cited for "rocking their country" by no less than The Los Angeles Times -- and now Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks are about to find out what it's like to open for the greatest rock & roll band in the world. The date is January 29. The place is Omaha, NE. The 4-time Entertainers of the Year -- who bring a full-tilt, full-frontal impact to their cranked up honky tonk -- are ready.

   "When we received the call, asking us to open for the Rolling Stones, we didn't think it was real," says Dunn, who's been deemed "arguably the finest vocalist in Nashville today" by Entertainment Weekly. "Our manager told us now to call or tell anyone until it was written in stone. Of course, we started calling our friends as fast as we could as soon as he walked out of the room."

   As architects of three different Neon Circus & Wild West Shows, hailed as "the greatest show on 18 wheels," Brooks & Dunn understand connecting a crowd with a diverse musical panorama. To that end, the men who just swept the 2005 Country Music Association Duo of the Year, 2005 American Music Award for Favorite Duo/Group and the 2005 Billboard Award for Country Duo/Group of the Year -- along with the 2005 Academy of Country Music's Top Duo Award this spring -- push the Rolling Stones' envelop of eclecticism as well.

   The Stones have created a mix of openers who range from right now to classic to venerable, drawing on the Black-Eyed Peas to Metallica, Los Lonely Boys to legendary New Orleans soul/funkmen the Meters - and that's just this year's tour alone. Over the years. They've struck music's pulse point and flashpoint again and again, enlisting ZZ Top, Lenny Kravtiz, the Ike and Tina Turner Review, Guns'N'Roses, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Petty and the Neville Brothers among so many others.

   "You gotta pinch yourself to think you're sharing a stage with the greatest rock band in history, but the bottomgline is it's guaranteed the Rolling Stones are gonna be the biggest party that's coming to any town this year -- and partying's what we do best," says low-flying guitarslinger Kix Brooks. "It's definitely an honor."

   Having just burned down Las Vegas at the National Rodeo Finals, Brooks & Dunn closes out a year with a pretty big early Christmas present. With their Tony Brown-produced Hillbilly Deluxe debuting at #1 and their lead single "Play Something Country" also topping the country charts and a pair of Grammy nominations for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Country Collaboration for "Building Bridges" with Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill, Brooks & Dunn got the call every band that's ever played a garage, beer joint or hockey rink dreams of.

   "Are you kidding me?" says Dunn with a big laugh. "The Rolling Stones!!!! I won't believe it until it's over." ##########