Brooks and Dunn

Country Music Superstars Brooks & Dunn Selected as Recipients of The Academy of Country Music (R)/The Home Depot (R) Humanitarian Award

Award Presented During the 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards To Air Live From MGM Grand in Las Vegas Tuesday, May 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS

The Academy of Country Music (R) and The Home Depot (R) announced today that country music superstars Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of multi-platinum BROOKS & DUNN will be the 2007 recipients of the Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot Humanitarian Award, to be presented during the 42nd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS ceremony honoring country music's top talent as well as the industry's hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

In its sixth year, the Humanitarian Award recognizes artists who serve others, have a generous spirit and help build the dreams of those in need. BROOKS & DUNN, the Academy of Country Music Awards all-time trophy leaders, were selected by a special blue-ribbon committee comprised of executives in the country music industry as well as local and national philanthropic leaders for their ongoing community service and charitable giving of their time and talent.

"Over the years, Kix and Ronnie have done so much to help others. But what strikes me about them is that they do it with joy and laughter," said Gayle Holcomb, chairman of the board of directors. "The Academy often uses the phrase 'Party for a Cause (TM)'. These two guys take a party wherever they go and others feel their burdens are lighter because of it."

As the recipient of the Humanitarian Award, BROOKS & DUNN will receive a beautiful crystal trophy designed by Tiffany & Co. during the live CBS telecast. They will also be honored with a playground donated by The Home Depot and the company's national nonprofit partner KaBOOM!, which envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. The playground will be built by The Home Depot volunteers and community members in the city of BROOKS & DUNN's choice. Past recipients of the Humanitarian Award include Vince Gill, Lonestar, Martina McBride, Neal McCoy and Reba McEntire.

"Philanthropy and giving back are embedded in The Home Depot culture and are at the core of the Humanitarian Award," said Roger Adams, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of The Home Depot. "Through their charitable giving and community service, Kix and Ronnie truly exemplify the values represented by both The Home Depot and the Academy of Country Music. We are proud to recognize them for their contributions and impact on improving our local communities."

"In our career, Ronnie and I have done things we could have only dreamed of, but the most rewarding has been when we've made a difference for someone else," said Brooks.

"We appreciate The Home Depot and the Academy giving us this award, but what makes it even better is that a bunch of kids will get a new playground," added Dunn.

THE RECIPIENTS

Brooks & Dunn have worked with so many charities, some of which have included Hurricane Katrina relief, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House and Laughter for the Children that benefits a Nashville children's home.

They also hold the distinction of being the top- selling country duo in history, selling 30 million albums that have yielded a whopping 23 #1 singles and 40 Top 10 songs. Their tours continually rank as some of the top grossing in any musical genre.

THE HOME DEPOT

The Home Depot (R) is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with more than 2,163 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and China.

Through its HD Supply (SM) businesses, The Home Depot is also one of the largest diversified wholesale distributors in the United States, with nearly 1,000 locations in the United States and Canada offering products and services for building, improving and maintaining homes, businesses and municipal infrastructures.

In fiscal 2006, The Home Depot had sales of $90.8 billion and earnings of $5.8 billion. The Company employs approximately 355,000 associates and has been recognized by FORTUNE magazine as the No. 1 Most Admired Specialty Retailer and the No. 13 Most Admired Corporation in America for 2006. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.

ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC

The ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC, an artist and industry-driven organization, exists to produce a world-class network television awards show, and its associated events, to provide the financial resources to ensure the on-going philanthropic work of its Charitable Fund. Academy of Country Music Charitable Fund promotes and supports music education and humanitarian programs that transform the human spirit.

Through its charitable donations, the ACMCF works towards two main goals: encouraging Learning Through Music and Healing Through Music. The Academy, which is comprised of more than 4,500 professional members and more than 40,000 associate members, was established in 1964 and is headquartered in Encino, Calif. More on the Academy of COuntry Music Awards.

ENCINO, Calif., March 5, 2007 /PRNewswire/ --

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"Hillbilly Deluxe"

Brooks & Dunn

"Boot Scootin' Boogie" zoomed Brooks & Dunn to the top of the country line-dance craze in 1992, and one could hardly blame them for riding the crest, even if it left them in a rut of shallow, preening dance ditties. They began showing greater depth in the late '90s, with albums like If You See Her and Steers and Stripes. While Hillbilly Deluxe is musically consistent, Tony Brown's production sharp and focused throughout, the themes here revert to the same old same old: empty, shallow stompers with lyrics that occasionally sound dated. "Play Something Country," another Ronnie Dunn collaboration with Terry McBride, duly name-drops current Nashville stars as well as P. Diddy and Patsy Cline. Things don't improve with the blustery "She Likes to Get Out of Town"; "Just Another Neon Night," with its painfully clichéd line "turn off that rap, boys, play me some Haggard"; or "Building Bridges," a "vocal event" with superfluous input from Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow. Only the moving story-song "Believe," brimming with heart and honesty, reminds of their potential when they think beyond the boot. --Rich Kienzle

Product Description:Since bursting onto the roiling country music horizon with "Brand New Man," Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks have made breaking new ground, pushing the honky tonk envelope and having too much fun doing it their total mandate. And on August 30, 2005, the hardcore musicians return with Hillbilly Deluxe, an album that merges classic jukebox country with Brooks & Dunn's jacked-up take on modern sounds in honky'n'rocking music. Produced by the legendary Tony Brown (Steve Earle, George Strait, Lyle Lovett, and Patty Loveless, in addition to being a member of the multiple-Grammy-nominated Notorious Cherry Bombs with Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill), Hillbilly Deluxe is a slightly ragged, fairly organic take on just how power and accessibility can merge for an intoxicating take on what Saturday night is made of.

"You never wanna rest on what you've done," says Dunn. "Working with Tony, it's pure music--front and center every time. He was part of that country scene that was Emmylou and the Hot Band, which was always just one match away from blowing the music apart it was so good, so intense, but also so raw. If you're gonna play country, you wanna strip away a lot of the stuff, get down to the heart of the matter--and find songs that dig a little deeper into the way these folks live their lives. I mean, Hillbilly Deluxe is IT: it's about how it really is, not the way the media paints it--that notion of taking the life as far out as we know these good ole boys and girls do."

Certainly "Play Something Country," the raving new single which is B&D's fastest moving ever, is a siren's song of want, release and what matters to the core on a night on the town, while the down-low title track with its funky pocket, Rolling Stones background wailing and stop-start rhythms portrays the essence of modern day "big timing in a small town." Brooks celebrates female independence with the road-tripping go-git-it-girl romp "She Likes to Get Out of Town" and Dunn invokes a classic tears-for-a-quarter country of classic vintage with "She's About as Lonely as I'm Going to Let Her Get."

"With Red Dirt Road, I think we started heading back to what got us here... meaning our roots," confesses Brooks with a wry grin. "There are so many ways to make music, but sometimes just plugging straight into your inspirations is the very best way to go--so you'll hear 'em, ALL of 'EM: the Stones, Jones, Haggard, Tom Petty, a nod even to Rod Stewart's folkie stuff, the soul that made soul music, but came out of the churches. It may be the broadest record we've ever done--and it sure was fun."

• Audio CD (August 30, 2005)
• Original Release Date: August 30, 2005
• Label: Arista Nashville/RLG

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