Talk about a Texas heater…
Ronnie Dunn teamed up with Parker McCollum for a song called “Road to Abilene” on Ronnie’s new record that’s out everywhere today, 100 Proof Neon.
A solo write by Ronnie, they fondly remember a girl from Abilene, Texas who got left behind for the pursuit of a “six-string dream.”
And a little while back, Parker stopped by the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast to talk about recording the song with Ronnie and how, obviously, there was not a snowball’s chance in hell he’d pass up the chance to sing with a legend like that:
“He sent me the song, I listened to it and I was like yeah, I’m all about that. Dude, I mean, it could’ve been the worst song ever and I’d have still done it, you know?
But it’s a really good song, and I went over to his producers house, and like sittin’ there for a few minutes, and he walked in with a leather jacket and rain boots and was like ‘Sorry I’m late.'”
But the craziest part for Parker was hearing Ronnie’s voice in the studio giving him tips and offering advice during the process:
“And he sat there and I sang my parts and he’d like punch in, you know, and be like ‘Hey, what about this?’
And it’s so weird, and he’d sing it, and I’m like, ‘Holy shit, that’s Ronnie Dunn’s voice right there on the other side of the door. But super cool guy, but I wasn’t there but like and hour and a half or so.
We cut it super quick, and he was really nice. He was like, ‘Man, you sing great.’ And that was it, I have not heard the song.”
I think it’s safe to say that he’s probably heard it by now, but if you haven’t yet, it’s time to change that.
After all these years, Ronnie’s can still bring that honky tonk heat like nobody’s business:
“Road To Abilene”
Ronnie also released his own version of his song with another fellow Texan Triston Marez on this new record, “Where the Neon Lies”:
