According to a representative for Brooks & Dunn, Ronnie Dunn’s early exit from the stage during a recent show was due to lingering vocal issues from a recent bout of illness.
“Ronnie wasn’t feeling well from being sick,” the rep says in a statement to USA Today, “but Saturday night’s show [the following day] went on as planned.”
That’s consistent with what most fans figured after seeing Brooks & Dunn’s show last Friday night (April 3), with many noting on social media that Dunn appeared “winded” and his voice was flagging.
Read More: Brooks & Dunn’s Ronnie Dunn Walks Offstage Early
The singer spent some time performing sitting down earlier in the show. He tried to rally, but by the time the encore rolled out, he knew he had to call it a night.
After the first verse of the band’s encore song, “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” he gestured to his guitarist that he was done, went up to say goodnight to the crowd, then walked off.
Though fans already knew that Dunn was likely battling some kind of ailment, his publicist’s statement does contain some implied good news: That he was fighting the tail end of an illness, and not something too likely to impact more of the shows on Brooks & Dunn’s calendar.
It’s not clear exactly what was ailing Dunn in Indianapolis. During their mid-March set at the Houston Rodeo, he was still recovering from a double whammy: A bout of COVID-19 and a round of strep throat.
“We call it ‘strovid,'” he said at the time, according to the Houston Press.
On Instagram, Dunn also confirmed that those shows had been difficult due to his illnesses, saying he “had to fight” to get through them and “the flu and strep aren’t a singer’s friend.”
The 71-year-old singer has battled other health issues recently, too. In December, he injured his knee skiing, and his daughter said on social media that he had a “knee replacement” to address his injury. He had to take an eight-week break from performing.
PICTURES: See Inside Ronnie Dunn’s Spectacular Southern Manor Home
Ronnie Dunn lived in true Southern style in his manor home in Nashville. Dunn’s 6-bedroom, 7-bathroom, 10,898-square-foot mansion in a high-dollar part of Music City featured a horse barn, a riding ring and the most top-flight amenities, all situated on 16 gated, very private acres.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
