Kix Brooks recently announced that he was leaving his hosting duties of ‘American Country Countdown’ after 18 years at the helm. The 69-year-old country legend is ready to focus entirely on his celebrated group, Brooks & Dunn, who were just awarded Vocal Duo of the Year at the recent CMA Awards, the same award they first won back in 1992. “It’s not that I felt like I ever lost focus on Brooks & Dunn, but it is a good point in my life, especially if we are going to make new music,” Brooks says about stepping away from ‘American Country Countdown.’ Between the group’s success on the road, their recent duets album, Reboot II, and a new record in the works, Brooks is optimistic about their future. “We’ve got a real big new audience out there that’s coming to these shows, and it’s really fun,” Brooks says. “Ronnie [Dunn] and I are at the best place we’ve ever been at in our career. After all this time, we’ve really found a comfort zone between the two of us.” (Billboard)