Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn Walked off Stage at a Concert in Indianapolis — Is He OK?

If you walk into any bar at a certain hour, and someone is feelin' lucky, you'll be gifted with a little "Boot Scootin' Boogie." This absolute banger of a song was released by country duo Brooks & Dunn in 1992 and almost immediately brought line dancing back from the dead and introduced it to the masses.

This award-winning, iconic Brooks & Dunn pairing is made up of Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks. They both hail from southern states but were brought together by a record executive who thought these two songwriters should combine their incredible talents. Thankfully, it all worked out. Although they officially retired in 2009, the two reunited six years later and have been touring ever since. Unfortunately, Ronnie walked off the stage at a concert in March 2025. Was his exit health-related?

Brooks & Dunn were performing at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis when they went into their encore. To no one's surprise, the duet ended the night with "Boot Scootin' Boogie" when Ronnie abruptly walked off the stage. The moment was captured on TikTok by Matt Malone, who wrote in his caption, "Feel better, Ronnie!!! Thanks for giving us all you could!!"

While encouraging the audience to chime in, Ronnie turned towards the backstage and ran his hand across his neck in the classic quitting gesture while Kix stepped in and finished the song. Ever the devoted performer, Ronnie turned to the audience and pointed to his chest while waving goodbye. A representative for the band told USA Today, "Ronnie wasn’t feeling well from being sick, but Saturday night’s show went on as planned."

In July 2022, Ronnie spoke with Billboard about his humble begins and the resurgence of a sort of 1990s style country music. Back when he started performing as a solo artist, Ronnie said the only thing bar owners cared about was how much money they made slinging drinks. "The club owners would say, ‘You get ‘em to dancing, and they’ll drink more,'" Ronnie recalled. "They didn’t care if it was the best band or not — they looked at the tab at the end of the night, and that’s the band they hired back."

More than three decades later, Ronnie kept that spirit alive with his fifth solo album "100 Proof Neon," which was released the same month he chatted with the music outlet. This project harkened back to the 1990s and the resurgence of line dancing. "I feel lucky that it’s swinging back around to that, and it’s right back in my wheelhouse," he said. "It also motivates me to keep creating, so I’m digging that."

Just as Ronnie isn't done with making music, his fans are eager to hear him as well as Brooks & Dunn. Beneath the TikTok of Ronnie leaving his show in Indianapolis, folks left positive comments for the country music legend. "His voice was tired," said one person. "He was trying but knew when he reached his limit. Great respect for him." Another wrote, "We were there! He muscled through it! He was hurting." Here's hoping Ronnie just needs a bit of a rest.