Brooks & Dunn Inducted Into the Country Music Hall of Fame

Brooks & Dunn are officially members of the Country Music Hall of Fame! The duo, made up of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, was inducted on Sunday, Oct. 20, along with singer, songwriter and comedic performer Ray Stevens, and country music executive Jerry Bradley.

“We’ve had a lot of people that probably had more faith in us than we had in ourselves at a lot of times,” Brooks said from stage after Reba McEntire gave both men their medallion. “That’s what makes success. Somebody asked me last night, ‘What’s this feel like?’ I said earlier, ‘I’m really having a hard time with it.’ Everybody down there with a medallion around their neck, I think you can probably identify with what I’m saying right now. But the best I can describe it – I thought about this a lot.

“Have you ever been invited to a really cool party that you just can’t believe you’re there?” he continued. “And you walk in and there’s some really cool people in there and maybe even some people that are really your heroes and that kind of thing? And it’s like you’re not one of your heroes but they’re there and you were invited. So you belong here and they make you feel real welcome and it’s just really cool to be in the room. That’s kind of how I feel right now.”

Dunn reflected on his career path, from considering a career in youth ministry, and studying psychology in college, to becoming the most-awarded duo in country music history.

“When you’re first told that you’re getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, I go analytical on it,” said Dunn. “I was a psychology major in college and not a very good one, thank God. One of the things I remember the head of the department saying was, ‘Be real careful, because you’re going to try to over-analyze everything that you do.’ And I do just naturally. I went to bed last night, I was tucked in by these little munchkin voices in my head, and I woke up to the same voices. They were singing, ‘Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road.’

“I think that’s what we did,” he added. “I’m not going to try to analyze it … I’ve never been so proud and humble.”

Prior to Brooks & Dunn‘s induction, Brothers Osborne performed “Brand New Man,” Luke Bryan performed “Red Dirt Road,” and Trisha Yearwood earned a lengthy standing ovation after singing “Believe.”

Brooks & Dunn were officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame by Reba McEntire.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum