Karen Brooks (born April 30, 1954) is an American country music singer and songwriter who is best known for a series of singles recorded by Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Patty Loveless, Tanya Tucker, Russell Smith, David Allan Coe, Crystal Gayle and Exile. She recorded a duet with Johnny Cash, "I Will Dance With You", and also with T. G. Sheppard, "Faking Love", which was a number one hit on the Billboard country chart in February 1983. She also had a number of top 40 songs as a recording artist on Warner Records.
Brooks was born in Dallas, Texas, United States. She attended Justin F. Kimball High School with schoolmate Stevie Ray Vaughan (Class of '72). She was formerly married to Gary P. Nunn, with whom she had one child, a son, Lukin Tolliver Nunn. Her mother, Lynn Brooks, was a make-up artist in the motion-picture industry. During the latter half of the 1970s and the early half of the 1980s, she lent her vocals to recordings by Jerry Jeff Walker, David Allan Coe, Steven Fromholz, Gary P. Nunn, Townes Van Zandt, Anne Murray and Emmylou Harris.[ Karen Brooks] AllMusic; retrieved 6-6-08
She remained a popular background singer for much of the late 1970s. She then headed to California to work alongside Rodney Crowell, where she eventually picked up a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. Both "New Way Out" and "Faking Love" hit the Top 20 of Billboard.
Discography Albums Year Album Peak positions Label US Country CAN Country 1982 Walk On 38 — Warner 1984 Hearts on Fire 40 21 1985 I Will Dance with You — — 1992 That's Another Story — — Mercury "—" denotes releases that did not chart
Singles Year Single Peak positions Album US Country CAN Country 1982 "New Way Out" 17 — Walk On "Faking Love" 1 1 Perfect Stranger 1983 "If That's What You're Thinking" 21 — Walk On "Walk On" 30 — 1984 "Born to Love You" 40 — Hearts on Fire "Tonight I'm Here with Someone Else" 19 14 1985 "A Simple I Love You" 63 — "I Will Dance with You" 45 — I Will Dance with You 1992 "Baby I'm the One" — — That's Another Story "That's Another Story" — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart
Awards and nominations YearOrganizationAwardNominee/WorkResult1983 Academy of Country Music AwardsTop New Female VocalistKaren Brooks1984Top Vocal Duo of the YearT.G. Sheppard and Karen Brooks
References