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Brooks & Dunn Comment on Obama’s Use Of “Only In America”

8/29/08, 2:51 pm EST

Photo: Getty

If it felt familiar when
Brooks & Dunn’s “Only In America” played after Barack Obama’s acceptance speech last night, there was good reason: President George W. Bush used the same song four years ago when he was rallying against Democratic candidate John Kerry. Brooks & Dunn were big supporters of Bush, even playing W’s inauguration party back in 2001. So how does Kix Brooks feel about Obama’s use of the track? He wasn’t angry at Obama for using the song, a la Jackson Browne with John McCain. Instead Brooks said, “Seems ironic that the same song Bush used at the Republican Convention last election would be used by Obama and the Democrats now. Very flattering to know our song crossed parties and potentially inspires all Americans.”

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Comments

Diana | 8/29/2008, 4:00 pm EST

You’d think politicians would know by now to get permission before using someone’s song in their campaign.

Pat | 8/29/2008, 8:27 pm EST

Typical whiney liberals. They preach tolerance yet are intolerant of people they disagree with. You don’t hear Brooks and Dunn moaning about Obama using their music.

Pete | 8/29/2008, 8:31 pm EST

Typical. Musicians who preach tolerance but are intolerant of others with differing views.

kmb | 8/29/2008, 9:14 pm EST

preaching tolerance and acting otherwise is hardly exclusively a left-wing phenomenon. Although I suppose right wingers are more likely to avoid hypocrisy by simply preaching intolerance in the first place.

Lala | 8/30/2008, 3:11 am EST

Don Brooks who is a democrat wrote the song. He owns the rights.

Anonymous | 8/30/2008, 3:35 pm EST

I’m neither a Brooks & Dunn fan, nor a Republican. But I do think that Kix Brooks gave a classy response.

Bumoftheums | 8/31/2008, 2:01 am EST

To all the people who have mentioned that you don’t here musicians requesting to stop using songs for Obama. What about Sam Moore of “Sam & Dave”’s song, “Hold On I’m Comin”?

He demanded a cease and desist.

Jakobi | 8/31/2008, 3:38 am EST

Not a fan myself. But it must be said Mr. Brooks has shown himself to be a true gentleman.

I guess he has earned the right to wear that cowboy hat.

bak | 8/31/2008, 10:47 pm EST

McCain-Palin campaign strategy:
“Put a Girl In It!”

JB | 9/1/2008, 8:37 am EST

Liberals are the epitomy of intolerance. They are not intersted in the debate but, in silencing the opposition. How do you think poilital correctness came into existence? Used by liberals to shut the opposition up. Free speech for liberals.Everyone else just shut up or we will be offended. How childish to be all upset about the use of ones music. If you do not want people to use it, maybe you should’nt put it out there!

(sigh) | 9/1/2008, 1:16 pm EST

JB, im trying to find one reference in this article that anyone is upset over the use of this song.

Anonymous | 9/1/2008, 9:01 pm EST

to “(sigh)”:

I think JB is alluding to the Jackson Browne / John McCain article (which is listed under “Related Stories”)

(sigh) | 9/2/2008, 8:51 pm EST

OK, then, under JB’s logic, anybody who produces a TV commercial endorsing a product can use ANY song they want and if someone “whines” about it, hey, they shouldn’t have put it out there. We all need to be completely tolerant of that. Right???

Carrie | 9/6/2008, 11:00 am EST

Pete, it’s a little more complicated than that. For a published artist, association with their work can imply endorsement. Musicians who “preach tolerance” are perfectly within their rights to not have their work associated with those who preach INtolerance and who obviously practice what they preach. And there’s that pesky little thing called copyright — do not use without express permission.

Anonymous | 12/31/2008, 12:00 am EST

whine whine whine

Anonymous | 1/12/2009, 2:55 pm EST

Lala- don COOK was a CO-WRITER of the song, along with kix brooks.

they wrote it together (and share the rights) in a lovely example of bi-partisan cooperation. do your research.

cxckiwjq | 1/28/2009, 11:19 pm EST

Dixon | 3/13/2009, 6:07 pm EST

Brooks & Dunn, a class act. Kix was being a bigger person about it, but obama has no bussiness using one of thier songs. He should have stuck with Jay Z or something

rabbit | 4/20/2009, 6:04 pm EST

If Obama wants to use someones music, especially a country stars, he should at least ask. I am not a fan of Obama, but I am of Brooks&Dunn. Obama should at least show some respect to the people that have to put up with him.

Rxnjfdme | 7/14/2009, 3:08 am EST

Zwaren

Gray | 11/5/2009, 10:49 am EST

Not all country stars are republican, so country songs do not belong to any individual whether they be democrat or republican. supposed to be land of the free, so i can choose to listen to whatever music I want whether I am white or black.

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