"We came from pretty blue-collar backgrounds, so you had to dream some lofty dreams," says Ronnie Dunn about the emotional momentum that drives Cowboy Town, the powerful new album by country music superstars, Brooks & Dunn. With the disc's first single, "Proud of the House We Built," yet another smash in a career of more than twenty No. 1 singles, Ronnie observed, "It was literally a fairy tale to think we could get to where things are now. I could tell you a thousand times when I hit the wall, but through persistence, we got there. I think for most people, it's not about being the most talented. It's about weathering the storm."

That determination to weather the storm – and to have a damn good time while doing it – has been essential to the music of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn since they released their debut album, Brand New Man, in 1991. Now, thirty million album sales, a couple of Grammys and a raft of ACM and CMA Awards later, little has changed for them where it counts – on the inside. "We're not motivated by awards," Kix says. "Awards are a by-product of hard work, not what makes you do it. Both of us are motivated by the same desperation that motivated us when we first met. We believe in writing as many songs as we can, recording the best music we can, and working to make it all as good as we can make it."