Fans were understandably concerned when Ronnie Dunn, half of the legendary country duo Brooks & Dunn, walked offstage during a recent concert. The incident occurred on Thursday, April 3, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Several concertgoers noted that the 71-year-old appeared to be “struggling” throughout the show, not displaying his usual energetic performance.
One TikTok user posted a video showing Ronnie sitting on stage risers while playing his guitar, expressing concern by captioning the clip, “Prayers for Ronnie Dunn! He left the stage in Indy sick tonight.”
Ronnie did manage to continue, though, and during the encore, he stood at the front of the stage to sing “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.” However, when the chorus arrived, Ronnie took a step back from the microphone and encouraged the audience to “sing it if you know it.” He then gestured to his throat, as if indicating he couldn’t continue, before walking toward the side of the stage. He waved to the crowd and tapped his chest, signaling that he wasn’t feeling well and had lost his voice. After a brief moment, he turned and walked offstage.
@mackenziebogdon Anyone know what’s going on?! Hoping a quick bug, and he’s back on stage tomorrow! #brooksanddunn #concert #indianapolis #ronniedunn #illness ♬ original sound – Mackenzie Bogdon
Another TikTok user uploaded a video of the moment, captioning it, “Feel better, Ronnie!!! Thanks for giving us all you could!!”
Following the performance, many fans who had been in the audience expressed their concern on social media. Some shared their thoughts, commenting things like:
“Was there too. Really wanted to hear I Believe but understand he was struggling.”
“We were there and I was concerned about him too. I remember him saying at one point that he could hardly breathe, but he had been singing really hard when he made that comment. Praying for him!”
“We were there too. It looked like he was struggling throughout the entire night.”
@maloneradio Feel better, Ronnie!!! Thanks for giving us all you could!! #brooksanddunn #concert #country #countrymusic ♬ original sound – Matt Malone
A few days after the concert, a representative for Brooks & Dunn addressed the situation, explaining that Ronnie wasn’t feeling well due to being sick. The rep reassured fans that the duo’s next show went on as planned and confirmed that Ronnie was simply recovering from an illness.
Thankfully, Ronnie now has a few weeks to rest and recover, with the next Brooks & Dunn show scheduled for April 24 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. They have several more shows lined up for the spring and summer, and fans are eagerly awaiting the duo’s return to the stage.