Las Vegas Weekly

April 22, 2010 · 3:59 PM

Photos: Brooks & Dunn’s Last Rodeo Tour kicks off tomorrow

By Robin Leach

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn perform with Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill during ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 19, 2010.

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

I’m going to clear up some confusion about Monday night’s Brooks & Dunn tribute ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn -- The Last Rodeo recorded at MGM Grand Garden Arena. It airs on CBS on May 23, one month after the 47-city tour gets underway tomorrow in Sacramento.

The guys don’t play Las Vegas on this farewell tour after 20 years of collaboration; the nearest place to see them will be Phoenix on May 21.Their very last gig together onstage will be back home in Nashville on Aug. 10 -- this year, not next- -- with all ticket proceeds being donated to the Country Hall of Fame. Backstage at Sunday’s 45th Academy of Country Music Awards, Brooks & Dunn said that the touring show will be extra long because there will absolutely not be any more.

They said Reba McEntire was the first person to put them on a tour back in 1992 after their second hit “Starstruck.” Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn want to do separate things but quickly point out that there’s no rift, and they and their families will remain the closest of friends as they take different directions.

“We may bawl like a baby at the Last Rodeo show, but we will never forget these years. Now we keep going, but separately,” Ronnie said. The tour follows the release of their career-spanning double-disc collection of an amazing 23 No.1 hits included among the 30 total favorites.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

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