The Last Rodeo

So tonight I am sitting in the living room with the love of my life and we are kicked back watching the CBS special on Brooks & Dunn...The Last Rodeo. As I watch it and sing along I am kind of thinking about these guys, the music they play and how much they are a part of all the reasons I love country music.

I remember the very first country music song I heard. Keep in mind I grew up in a very very strict conservative home. Hell, the type of CHRISTIAN music I was allowed to listen to was censored. So I was 18 and on my own for the first time in my life. I had a little red Toyota. It was beat up, had no air conditioning in it but would run on piss and vinegar...and the radio worked. I remember I was scrolling through the stations looking for a good Christian station to listen to when the most awesome guitar solo caught my attention. It was the intro to "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Reba McEntire. I immediately fell in love with Country Music.

One of my favorite groups has always been Brooks and Dunn. Boot Scootin' Boogie, South of Santa Fe, My Maria, I Believe, Red Dirt Road, Hard Working Man, Brand New Man, A Man This Lonely, Lost and Found...and the list goes on and on. These guys have really stayed by the music they played and while others either quit, compromised their standards in the music or faded away to irrelevance Brooks and Dunn have stuck by the music...and those of us that are fans of the Honky Tonk era of Country Music have loved them for it.

There have always been stories around these guys. That they weren't getting along. People were predicting their break up every year and even when word got out that they really were riding their Last Rodeo the first line of argument was that they were "finally" calling it quits after years of inner fighting. But say what you want, they won the award for Best Duo so many years that they should just name the reward after them. These guys were fun to listen to, to watch, to sing with. They sang with passion and emotion. Hell, I am an atheist and "I Believe" is STILL one of my favorite songs. Even if you don't believe...you couldn't help but feel what THEY believe.

So now at the end of 20 years I wanna tip my hat to a couple of guys that represent everything that Country Music represents for me. A couple of guys that came across as regular guys, made redneck cool and made you proud to be a country music fan. I for one will miss the new stuff...but am glad I still have the old stuff around to pop into the CD player from time to time...