Ronnie Dunn’s ‘Let the Cowboy’ Rock Video Has Legend Embracing His Texas Roots

Ronnie Dunn's latest single, 'Let the Cowboy Rock,' was originally intended to be the title cut and debut single of his first solo album, but was pushed aside in favor of the emotional ballad 'Bleed Red,' which ultimately became a Top 10 hit. Still, the legendary singer acknowledges that his current hit, along with the accompanying video featuring a real cowboy as well as a lively party scene in a Nashville bar, best illustrates what he hopes to represent with his music.

"I've been [including cowboy footage] for years, with 'Hard Working Man' and things like that," Ronnie explains to The Boot. "I come from that west Texas, Oklahoma environment, and then in between is stuff that is very much me. I don't walk around with a cowboy hat. I did get a tattoo that says 'cowboy' that's a bit of an over-compensation, probably."

The 58-year-old singer-songwriter maintains it was also important for him to show people dancing and having a good time, which he insists was not staged. "So many people think that culture is not really out there and flourishing these days," he notes. "In the mid '90s, we all kind of drove it home, the stuff Garth [Brooks] did and especially the stuff we were doing at the time ... They aren't professional dancers, that's how that culture in Oklahoma and Texas is. They dance."

Ronnie has already revealed that he plans to do a video for all 11 songs on his album, not just the singles. While that may seem like an arduous task, he sees it as a vital way to connect with fans.

"In an age of social media and content being key, it's important to change the mold where you have $100,000 to $150,000 for one video," he notes. "I hired some guys that are young, just out of college, and we used some new, far-less-expensive cameras and technology to make videos. I can do it now. I can get exposure out of these videos in different places like YouTube and Vevo and other things, more so than I can just by getting them exclusively on CMT or GAC. That's not to diminish their impact, but I have a little more freedom to exploit those videos than I normally would, so I can do ten videos for the price of one."

Ronnie will head out in February for a series of shows, including a stop on Feb. 13 at the San Antonio Rodeo. See his concert schedule here.