The country music duo Brooks & Dunn decided to pay tribute to Reba McEntire, a country legend, longtime friend, and frequent collaborator, at the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony by playing her upbeat hit, “Why Haven’t I Heard From You.”
Their performance turned into one of the liveliest, bluesiest parts of the evening.
Kix Brooks began the song by playing the first verse on guitar with Ronnie Dunn. Then, as McEntire was beaming from ear to ear in her seat, the seasoned country musicians joined forces in the chorus and bounded through the second verse with ease.
The final tribute show to the country music legend was given by Brooks & Dunn. Kelly Clarkson and Lady Antebellum were among the other performers who honored her that evening. They joined the pair onstage and bowed to the cheering crowd.
The video below features the captivating performance of “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” by the country duo.
Kennedy Center Honors honored McEntire as one of eight outstanding artists for their “enduring and indelible marks on our culture.” Alongside music director Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton co-writer Lin-Manuel Miranda, and famous entertainer Cher, she was honored for all of her significant achievements and the impact she has had on the globe.
The first song from McEntire’s 1994 album Read My Mind, “Why Haven’t I Heard From You,” became one of his biggest singles and peaked at number five on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
A Friendship That Persisted Over Time
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn had been friends with Reba McEntire for many years. The country music duo went on to become co-headliners for a two-year tour in the late 1990s after even opening for the country icon in 1992.
Additionally, McEntire appears on several Brooks & Dunn songs, including “Cowgirls Don’t Cry.”Even more, they collaborated on Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas, the most cherished and longest-running country music residency in Las Vegas history, which ran from 2015 to 2021.
