NASHVILLE, TN. (Arista Records) - When
Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks heard "That's What It's All About," the current single from their upcoming Greatest Hits, Vol 2 which moves from 20-17* on Billboard's Country Singles chart, they knew it was a song about the things that truly matter. But when the 4-time Entertainers of the Year really took a close at the song and what it celebrates, they recognized it spoke pretty deeply about the price one pays to live their dreams... and decided that it made sense to film a video that showed the juxtaposition of how own earns their living and what lies closest to one's heart.
"Whether you're jumping up onstage or going downtown to an office, driving a truck or working in a hospital, everybody has the thing they do that supports them and their family," says Kix Brooks of the low slung guitar and high-flying stage presence. "But at the end of all that, what it really comes down to is the people you come home to... the ones who love you and you love them.
That IS what it's all about, and we got very lucky to see the visual aspect of this for us when we did."
"We were watching some of the family footage on the side of the stage over the weekend," says
Ronnie Dunn of the rafter-scraping vocals, "and a bunch of us were tearing up. I don't even know where they got some of this footage... there's stuff of my Dad, which really brings it home for me."
Enlisting award-winning director Michael Solomon, the men hailed by USA Today for "the return of macho country" opened up not only their lives and their families to the process - but invited their band members and crew to bring their families along, too. "We've got the greatest people in the world working for us," says Brooks. "And we understand the sacrifice they and their families make to do this... We want the families to know how much we appreciate 'em - and we want the world to see how awesome all these folks are."
Having filmed performance footage in Pittsburgh last night (Sunday, August 14), Brooks, Dunn, band, crew and extended family will set it up at Nashville's First Amendment Center where they will shoot a "portrait" of all the people who make it happen - with the people who support the people who make it happen. And, because it is Brooks & Dunn, they will perform for the assembled family, friends, neighbors and beyond.
"We were really lucky to get this song, because it's about the thing that matters more than all of it: your family, your relationships, the people who love you. Strip it all away - it's pretty powerful stuff, though you can get so caught up in all the stuff that comes with the rat race that you lose sight of that. For us, this video is not only a reminder... it's a way to let those people know how much their support means to us."
