Garth Brooks | |
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 Brooks at theKennedy Center Honors in 2022 | |
| Born | Troyal Garth Brooks (1962-02-07)February 7, 1962 (age 63) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.[1] |
| Other names | Chris Gaines |
| Alma mater | Oklahoma State University |
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| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
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| Works | Garth Brooks discography |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Website | garthbrooks |
Musical artist | |
| Signature | |
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Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an Americancountry singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States,[2] with success on the country music single and album charts,[3] multi-platinum recordings and record-breakinglive performances, while also crossing over into the mainstream pop arena.[4]
Brooks is the only artist in music history to have released nine albums that were certifiedDiamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (surpassingThe Beatles' former record of six); those albums areGarth Brooks (diamond),No Fences (17× platinum),Ropin' the Wind (14× platinum),The Chase (diamond),In Pieces (diamond),The Hits (diamond),Sevens (diamond),Double Live (21× platinum), andThe Ultimate Hits (diamond).[5] Since 1989, Brooks has released 35 records in all, which include 14 studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, three Christmas albums and 12 box sets, along with 63 singles. He has won several awards in his career, including twoGrammy Awards, 17American Music Awards (including "Artist of the '90s") and theRIAA Award for best-selling solo albums artist of the century in the U.S.
Troubled by conflicts between career and family, Brooks retired from recording and performing from 2001 until 2005.[4] During this time, he sold millions of albums through an exclusive distribution deal withWalmart and sporadically released new singles.[6][7] In 2005, Brooks started a partial comeback, giving select performances and releasing two compilation albums. In 2009, he beganGarth at Wynn, a periodic weekendconcert residency atLas Vegas'sEncore Theatre from December 2009 to January 2014. Following the conclusion of the residency, Brooks announced his signing withSony Music Nashville in July 2014.[8] In September 2014, he began his comebackworld tour, with wife and musicianTrisha Yearwood, which culminated in 2017. This was followed by hisStadium Tour, which began in 2019, and another Las Vegas concert residency,Garth Brooks/Plus ONE, continuing into 2024. His most recent album,Time Traveler, was released in November 2023.
Brooks is one of the world'sbest-selling music artists, having sold more than 170 million records.[9]Billboard ranked Brooks as the greatest male solo artist on theBillboard 200 chart of all time.[10] As of 2020[update], according to the RIAA, he is thebest-selling solo albums artist in the United States with 162 million domestic units sold, ahead ofElvis Presley, and is second only to the Beatles in total album sales overall.[11] Brooks was inducted into theCountry Music Hall of Fame on October 21, 2012,[12] having been inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame the year before.[13] He was also inducted into theMusicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016 with his studio musicians, The G-Men.[14] In 2020, Brooks became the youngest recipient of theLibrary of CongressGershwin Prize for Popular Song.[15]
Troyal Garth Brooks was born on February 7, 1962, inTulsa, Oklahoma.[16][1] He was the youngest child of Troyal Raymond Brooks Jr. (1931–2010), adraftsman for an oil company, and Colleen McElroy Carroll (1929–1999), a 1950s-era country singer ofIrish[17] ancestry who recorded on theCapitol Records label and appeared onOzark Jubilee.[18][19][20] This was the second marriage for each of his parents, giving Brooks four older half-siblings (Jim, Jerry, Mike, and Betsy). The couple had two children together, Kelly and Garth.[21] At their home inYukon, Oklahoma, the family hosted weekly talent nights. All of the children were required to participate, either by singing or doing skits.[22] Brooks learned to play both the guitar and banjo.[23]
As a child, Brooks often sang in casual family settings, but his primary focus was athletics. In high school, he played football and baseball and ran track and field. He received a track scholarship toOklahoma State University inStillwater, where he competed in thejavelin.[20][24] At nights, he worked as a bouncer at a local bar and formed his own band, Santa Fe, learning to play whatever the college audience wanted.[25] Brooks graduated in 1984 with a degree in advertising.[24] His roommate,Ty England, later played guitar in his road band until going solo in 1995.[26]
In 1985, Brooks began his professional music career, singing and playing guitar in Oklahoma clubs and bars, most notably Wild Willie's Saloon in Stillwater.[27] Through his elder siblings, Brooks was exposed to a wide range of music. Although he listened to somecountry music, especially that ofGeorge Jones, Brooks was most fond of rock music, citingJames Taylor,Dan Fogelberg, andTownes Van Zandt as major influences.[22] In 1981, after hearing "Unwound", the debut single ofGeorge Strait, Brooks decided that he was more interested in playing country music.[22]
In 1985, entertainment attorney Rod Phelps drove fromDallas to listen to Brooks. Phelps liked what he heard and offered to produce Brooks' first demo. With Phelps' encouragement, including a list of Phelps' contacts inNashville and some of his credit cards, Brooks traveled to Nashville to pursue a recording contract; he returned to Oklahoma within 24 hours.[28] Phelps continued to urge Brooks to return to Nashville, which he did. In 1987, Brooks and wife Sandy Mahl moved to Nashville, and Brooks began making contacts in the music industry.
Garth Brooks'eponymous first album was released in 1989 and was a chart success. It peaked at No. 2 on theBillboard Top Country Albums chart, and reached No. 13 on theBillboard 200 chart. Most of the album was traditionalist country, influenced in part by George Strait.[19] The first single, "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)", was a country top 10 success. It was followed by Brooks' first number-one single on theHot Country Songs chart, "If Tomorrow Never Comes". "Not Counting You" reached No. 2, and "The Dance" reached No. 1; its music video, directed byJohn Lloyd Miller, gave Brooks his first push towards a broader audience. Brooks has later claimed that out of all the songs he has recorded, "The Dance" remains his favorite.[19] In 1989, Brooks embarked on his first major concert tour, as opening act forKenny Rogers.
Brooks' second album,No Fences, was released in 1990 and spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on theBillboard Top Country Albums chart.[29] The album also reached No. 3 on theBillboard 200, and eventually became Brooks' highest-selling album, with domestic shipments of 17 million.[30] It contained what would become Brooks'signature song, theblue collar anthem "Friends in Low Places", as well as other popular singles, "The Thunder Rolls" and "Unanswered Prayers".
Each of these songs, as well as "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House", reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.[19][29]While Brooks' musical style placed him squarely within the boundaries of country music, he was strongly influenced by the 1970s singer-songwriter movement, especially the works ofJames Taylor, whom he idolized and named his first child after, as well asDan Fogelberg.[31][32] Similarly, Brooks was influenced by the 1970s-era rock ofBilly Joel andBruce Springsteen and the operatic rock ofQueen withFreddie Mercury.
In his live shows, Brooks used a wireless headset microphone to free himself to run about the stage, adding energy andarena rock theatrics to spice up the normally staid country music approach to concerts. The bandKISS was also one of Brooks' early musical influences, and his shows often reflect this. Despite all the cited influences, Brooks stated the energetic style of his stage persona is directly inspired byChris LeDoux.[33]
In late 1990, Brooks wasinducted into theGrand Ole Opry.[34][35]
Brooks' third album,Ropin' the Wind, was released in September 1991. It had advance orders of 4 million copies and entered theBillboard 200 at No. 1, a first for a country artist.[18] The album's musical content was a melange ofcountry pop andhonky-tonk; singles included "The River", "What She's Doing Now", and a cover of Billy Joel's "Shameless". It would become Brooks' second-best selling album, afterNo Fences. The success ofRopin' the Wind further propelled the sales of Brooks' first two albums, enabling Brooks to become the first country artist with three albums listed in theBillboard 200's top 20 in one week.[36]NBC filmed Brooks'Reunion Arena concerts in Dallas on September 20 and 21, 1991, and premiered it as a television special two months later.
After spending time in Los Angeles during the1992 riots, Brooks co-wrote a gospel-country-rock hybrid single, "We Shall Be Free", to express his desire for tolerance.[37] The song became the first single off his fourth albumThe Chase. The single only reached No. 12 on theBillboard Top Country Singles chart, Brooks' first song in three years to fail to make the top 10.[38][39] Nonetheless, "We Shall Be Free" peaked at No. 22 on theBillboard Christian Songs charts through a marketing deal with Rick Hendrix Company, and earned Brooks a 1993GLAAD Media Award.[40][41] The next single released fromThe Chase was "Somewhere Other Than the Night", followed by "Learning to Live Again", which peaked at numbers one and two on the Hot Country Songs chart, respectively. The album's final single, "That Summer", would go on to be the most successful single from the album, reaching No. 1 in July 1993.[42]
Brooks released his first Christmas album,Beyond the Season on August 25, 1992. The album included classics such as "White Christmas" and "Silent Night", as well as an original tune, "The Old Man's Back in Town". "Beyond the Season" was the best-selling Christmas album in 1992, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.[43]
In 1993, Brooks, who had criticized music stores selling used CDs since it led to a loss in properroyalty payments, persuadedCapitol Records to not ship his 1993 album,In Pieces, to stores which engaged in this practice. This led to severalantitrust lawsuits against the record label, ending with Capitol shipping the albums to the stores.[44]
Despite the delay in shipping,In Pieces was another success, peaking at No. 1 on both theBillboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts, and selling a total of nearly 10 million copies. After a delay in its worldwide release, the album also peaked at No. 2 on the United KingdomAlbums Chart. That same year, "The Red Strokes" became Brooks' first single to make the UK Singles Chart, reaching a high of No. 13; it was followed by "Standing Outside the Fire", which reached No. 23. Previous albumsNo Fences,Ropin' the Wind andThe Chase also remained in the top 30 in the UK Albums Chart.
Brooks' firstworld tour began in 1993, reaching the UK after many domestic concerts; that September, NBC filmed Brooks' three concerts in Dallas atTexas Stadium for another television special, which was broadcast in May 1994. Brooks sold-out venues such asBirmingham'sNational Exhibition Centre and London'sWembley Arena, a feat never accomplished by an American country music artist. He also began the London radio station,Country 1035. Despite the disdain of the British media, Brooks' overall popularity in the country was evident, with a top disc jockey,Nick Barraclough, referring to Brooks as Garth Vader (a play onDarth Vader) for his "invasion" of the charts and his success in the country genre. UnlikeAlan Jackson, who refused to return to the UK after being treated in a similar negative manner by the press, Brooks would later return in 1996 for more performances.[45] Brooks also took his World Tour to other regions throughout Europe, as well as Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.[45]
In 1994, Brooks paid homage to one of his musical influences,KISS, appearing on the tribute compilation,Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved, a collection of songs performed by popular artists from various genres. The unlikely collaboration of Brooks and KISS' rendition of "Hard Luck Woman" was performed live onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and despite its hard-rock appeal, Brooks' version appeared on theBillboard Hot Country Songs chart.
In November 1995, Brooks releasedFresh Horses, his first album of new material in two years. Within six months of its release, the album had sold over three million copies. Despite its promising start,Fresh Horses plateaued quickly, topping out at quadruple platinum.[46]The album's lead single, "She's Every Woman" peaked at No. 1 on theBillboard Hot Country Songs chart; however, its follow-up single, "The Fever" (anAerosmith cover) only peaked at No. 23, becoming Brooks' first country single to not chart on the top 10. However, Brooks had three additional top 10 singles from the album, including "The Beaches of Cheyenne", which reached No. 1.[47]
Following the release ofFresh Horses, Brooks embarked on his secondworld tour. Its total attendance, approximately 5.5 million, ranks third on the all-time list of concert attendance, and its gross of over $105 million ranks it among thehighest-grossing concert tours in the 1990s.[48]
In 1997, Brooks released his seventh studio album,Sevens. The album was originally scheduled to be released in August 1997, allowing for promotion during Brooks'Central Park concert on HBO; however, plans went awry after a dispute within Capitol Records.[46] The Central Park concert went on as planned, receiving 980,000 fans in attendance and becoming the largest concert in park history.[49]
Sevens debuted at No. 1 on both theBillboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts. It later became Brooks' fourth album to reach sales of 10 million copies. The album included the duet "In Another's Eyes" withTrisha Yearwood, which reached No. 2 on Hot Country Songs chart, and its first single, "Longneck Bottle", withSteve Wariner, reached No. 1. The album spawned two additional number-one singles, "Two Pina Coladas" and "To Make You Feel My Love" (aBob Dylan cover), which also was a top 10 hit on theHot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and was released on thesoundtrack to the film,Hope Floats.
Brooks' first live album,Double Live was released in 1998. Recorded at various shows over the course of his second world tour, the album contained new material not previously released, such as "Tearin' It Up (and Burnin' It Down)" and "Wild as the Wind," featuringTrisha Yearwood. Peaking at No. 1 on both theBillboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts,Double Live went on to become the best-selling live album of all time, certified21× Platinum by theRIAA, and is the seventh-most shipped album in United States music history.[50]
In 1998, Brooks also released the first installment ofThe Limited Series, a six-disc box set containing reissues of his first six studio albums. Each of the reissued albums included a bonus track not available on the original release.
In 1999, Brooks took on thepersona of "Chris Gaines", a fictitiousrock-and-roll musician and character for an upcoming film titledThe Lamb. In September 1999, the film's pre-release soundtrack,Garth Brooks in...the Life of Chris Gaines (also dubbed Gaines'Greatest Hits), was released to much public criticism. Brooks also appeared as Gaines in a televisionmockumentary for theVH1 seriesBehind the Music, and as the musical guest on an episode ofSaturday Night Live, which he also hosted as himself.
Brooks' promotion of the album and the film did not garner excitement, and the failure of the Gaines project was evident mere weeks after the album was released. The majority of the American public was either bewildered, or completely unreceptive to the idea of Brooks portraying a rock-and-roll musician.[51] Sales of the album were unspectacular, at least compared with most of Brooks' previous albums, and although it made it to No. 2 on theBillboard 200 chart, expectations had been higher and retail stores began heavily discounting their oversupply.[52] Less-than-expected sales of the album (more than two million) brought the project to an indefinite hiatus in February 2001 and Gaines quickly faded into obscurity.[53]
Despite the less-than-spectacular response to the Gaines project, Brooks gained his first (and only)Billboard Top 40 pop single in "Lost in You". The album was later certified Double Platinum by the RIAA.
On November 23, 1999, Brooks released his second holiday album,Garth Brooks & the Magic of Christmas. The album peaked at No. 7 onBillboard's Top 200 and No. 1 on the Top Country Albums, making it Brooks' 10th number-one album.[54]
As his career flourished, Brooks seemed frustrated by the conflicts between career and family. He first talked of retiring from performing in 1992, and again in 1995, but each time returned to touring.[38] In 1999, Brooks appeared onThe Nashville Network'sCrook & Chase program, again mentioning retirement in a more serious tone.[55] On October 26, 2000, Brooks officially announced his retirement from recording and performing.[56] Later that evening, Capitol Records noted Brooks' achievement of selling 100 million albums in the US, celebrating at Nashville'sGaylord Entertainment Center.[57]
Brooks' final album before retirement,Scarecrow, was released on November 13, 2001. The album did not match the sales levels of Brooks' heyday, but still sold well, reaching No. 1 onBillboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts. Although he staged a few performances for promotional purposes, Brooks stated that he would be retired from recording and performing at least until his youngest daughter finished high school.[56]
In 2005, Brooks expressed his interest in returning to live performances; however, he remained adamant to the premise of not releasing new music until 2014. Despite this, later that year, Brooks signed a deal withWalmart, leasing them the rights to his entire catalog following his split with Capitol Records.[58][59] Brooks was one of the first musicians to sign an exclusive music distribution deal with a single retailer (along with fellow country music artistRicky Van Shelton, who issued his 1998 albumMaking Plans through the chain as well).[58][60]
Three months later, in November 2005, Brooks and Walmart issued an updatedThe Limited Series compilation, a box set containing reissues of Brooks' albums, includingDouble Live, andThe Lost Sessions, featuring eleven previously unreleased recordings. The box set sold more than 500,000 physical copies on its issue date. By the first week in December 2005, it had sold over 1 million physical copies.[6]
Brooks took a brief break from retirement early in 2005 to perform in variousbenefit concerts. He also released a new single, "Good Ride Cowboy", as a tribute to his late friend and country singer,Chris LeDoux, via Walmart.[7]
In early 2006, Walmart reissuedThe Lost Sessions as a single CD apart from the box set, with additional songs, including a duet with Trisha Yearwood, "Love Will Always Win", which reached the top 25 on theBillboard Hot Country Songs chart.[61] The couple were later nominated for a "Best Country Collaboration With Vocals"Grammy Award.
On August 18, 2007, Brooks announced plans for a new box set,The Ultimate Hits. The new set featured two discs containing 30 classic songs, three new songs, and a DVD featuring music videos. The album's first single, "More Than a Memory", was released on August 27, 2007. It debuted at No. 1 on theBillboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the highest-debuting single in the chart's history.[62]
In November 2007, Brooks embarked onGarth Brooks: Live in Kansas City, performing nine sold-out concerts in Kansas City at theSprint Center, which had opened a month prior. Originally scheduled to be only one show, the performance expanded to nine due to incredibly high demand, with all nine shows (equaling about 140,000 tickets) selling out in under two hours.[63] The final concert of the series was simulcast to more than 300 movie theaters across the U.S.
In January 2008, Brooks embarked on another incredible feat performing five sold-out shows (in less than 48 hours) at theStaples Center in Los Angeles for a fundraiser towards the 2007 wildfires season that impacted much of Southern California's cities and counties. The first concert (of the five) titledGarth Brooks: Live in LA was taped and broadcast repeatedly on CBS with all donations going to all of the victims and families in state of California who were impacted by the fires.
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In January 2009, Brooks made another one of few public appearances since his retirement, performing at theWe Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial concert in Washington, D.C.. In his three-song set, Brooks performed "We Shall Be Free", along with covers ofDon McLean's "American Pie" andthe Isley Brothers' "Shout".
On October 15, 2009, Brooks suspended his retirement to beginGarth at Wynn, a periodic weekendconcert residency atEncore Las Vegas on theLas Vegas Strip. The schedule allowed Brooks both to have the family life during the week and to continue to perform on the weekend. The financial terms of the agreement were not announced, butSteve Wynn did disclose that he gave Brooks access to a private jet to quickly transport him betweenLas Vegas and his home inOklahoma.[64]
Brooks' first weekend on shows in Vegas received positive reviews and was called the "antithesis of Vegas glitz and of the country singer's arena and stadium extravaganzas" by USA Today. The shows featured Brooks performing solo,acoustic concerts, and included aset list of songs that have influenced him. Artists covered in the show includeSimon & Garfunkel,Bob Seger,Billy Joel, andDon McLean. His first performances at Encore Las Vegas coincided with his wedding anniversary, and his wifeTrisha Yearwood joined him for two songs.
In 2013, influenced by the set list of the Las Vegas shows, Brooks releasedBlame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences via Walmart, a compilation album consisting of songs Brooks attributes to the development of his unique country pop genre. The box set's albums were individually certified Platinum and the compilation received aBillboard Music Award nomination. In a December 2013 appearance onGood Morning America to promote the album, Brooks also surprisingly announced plans for a world tour, beginning in 2014.[65]
In February 2014, Brooks announced two concerts atCroke Park, Dublin, Ireland, to be held on July 25 and 26, 2014. Due to high demand, three additional shows were added, and a total of 400,000 tickets were sold.[66] However, due to licensing conflict,Aiken Promotions and Croke Park management were prompted to cancel two of the five concerts after conflict among nearby residents.[67] Brooks, committed to performing the five original concerts, refused to follow through with the request to only perform three, and all concerts were cancelled.[68]
On July 10, 2014, Brooks held a press conference where he announced his signing withSony Music Nashville, as well as confirming plans for a new album, world tour, the release of his music in a digital format, and remorse for the Ireland concert controversy.[8] Fifteen days later, tickets first went on sale for theworld tour.
On September 3, 2014, Brooks released his comeback single, "People Loving People", in promotion of his world tour and new album,Man Against Machine. The song debuted onto the Nielsen BDS-driven Country Airplay chart at No. 19, tying for the third-highest debut of Brooks' career.[69][70][71] On September 4, 2014, Brooks released his entire studio output on digital for the first time ever. Bypassing traditional digital music service providers, Brooks opted into releasing his albums directly his own newdigital music store,GhostTunes.[72] On September 19, Brooks confirmed the release date for his next album, scheduled for November 11 via a press conference in Atlanta.Man Against Machine was released via Pearl andRCA Nashville and was available online exclusively through GhostTunes.[73] GhostTunes closed on March 3, 2017. Brooks' digital catalogue moved to Amazon Music, who maintain exclusive rights over it.
In September 2015, it was announced Brooks would reissue his albumNo Fences later in the year to commemorate its 25-year release anniversary. The release would include a new version of "Friends in Low Places", featuringGeorge Strait,Jason Aldean,Florida Georgia Line, andKeith Urban singing along with Brooks. The album release has since been delayed due to royalty disputes.[74] The track was later featured on his 2016 compilation album,The Ultimate Collection.
On October 13, 2016, Brooks released the first single, "Baby, Let's Lay Down and Dance", from his upcoming album.[75] The following week, Brooks released the upcoming album's title,Gunslinger, viaFacebook Live.[76] It was released on November 11, 2016, as a part ofThe Ultimate Collection, a compilation album Brooks released throughTarget. Brooks' other project for 2016 was a duet holiday album with wifeTrisha Yearwood,Christmas Together.[77]
After years of royalty disputes and an opposition toonline music streaming, Brooks launched a streaming channel onSirius XM Radio.[78] He also reached an agreement to stream his entire catalogue viaAmazon Music.[79]
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On June 19, 2018, Brooks released a new single, "All Day Long", the first off his 2020 album,Fun. The release also included aB-side, "The Road I'm On".[80] In August 2018, Brooks announced newlive album,Triple Live, to be released in partnership withTicketmaster.[81]
In August 2018, Brooks announced hisStadium Tour, which will visit thirty North American stadiums and showcase Brooks in a football-centric environment.[82] In promotion of the tour, Brooks performed the firstconcert at theUniversity of Notre Dame'sfootball stadium in 2018[83] He released the second single, "Stronger Than Me", from his upcoming 2019 album release following a performance dedicated to his wife Trisha Yearwood at theCMA Awards.[84] On August 14, 2021, he performed his largest ever ticketed concert atMemorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., selling 90,000 tickets.[85]
The third single from his upcoming album, "Dive Bar", a duet withBlake Shelton, was released in June 2019.[86] Brooks also embarked on theDive Bar Tour, a promotional tour in support of the single, visiting sevendive bars throughout the United States.[87]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood performed an informal concert broadcast onFacebook Live. The website crashed multiple times as an estimated 5.2 million streamed the broadcast. As a result of this, Brooks and Yearwood performed a concert in the same format the following week, broadcast live onCBS, along with a donation of $1 million to relief efforts.[88] The CBS special scored an estimated 5.6 million viewers.[89] On July 7, Brooks and Yearwood performed a "part 2" to their previous online concert, taking song requests and again broadcast on Facebook Live.[90] On June 27, 2020, Brooks performed a concert broadcast at 300drive-in theaters throughout North America.[91]
Brooks released his most recent album,Fun, on November 20, 2020.[92]
On January 20, 2021, Brooks performed "Amazing Grace" at theinauguration ofJoe Biden.[93] He said his performance was an opportunity "to serve" and is a "statement of unity."[94][95]
On April 30, 2022, Brooks performed in Tiger Stadium on the campus ofLouisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When he performed his signature hit "Callin' Baton Rouge," he became the second person, after LSU quarterbackTommy Hodson, to excite the crowd to a degree that the noise level registered on the university's seismograph – registering as an earthquake caused by excited fans.[96]
On November 14, 2022, Brooks announced his secondconcert residency,Garth Brooks/Plus ONE, atThe Colosseum at Caesars Palace inLas Vegas.[97] He released his most recent album,Time Traveler, in November 2023.[98]
On November 24, 2023, Brooks headlined anAmazon Music Live concert special,Garth Brooks: Dive Bar Concert. The concert took place at Brooks' Nashville bar Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk.[99]
On January 9, 2025, Brooks along with his wifeTrisha Yearwood performed theJohn Lennon song "Imagine" at thestate funeral for former PresidentJimmy Carter at theWashington National Cathedral inWashington, D.C.[100]
The vast majority of Brooks' recordings have used the same studio band, known collectively as the "G-Men". These areBruce Bouton (steel guitar), Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar), Mike Chapman (bass guitar), Rob Hajacos (fiddle), Chris Leuzinger (electric guitar), Milton Sledge (drums), and Bobby Wood (keyboards), along with sound engineer Mark Miller, who took over fromAllen Reynolds as Brooks' producer starting withBlame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences.[101] Chapman died on June 13, 2016.[102]
In 1998, Brooks launched his Touch 'em All Foundation withMajor League Baseball. He also began with a short career inbaseball, when he signed with theSan Diego Padres forspring training in 1998 and 1999.[103] Brooks' performance on the field did not warrant management placing him on the regular season roster; however, he was offered a non-roster spot, but declined it.[104] The following season, Brooks signed with theNew York Mets. This spring-training stint was also a poor performance for Brooks, resulting in a zero-for-seventeen batting record.[105] In 2004, Brooks returned to baseball with theKansas City Royals.[106] He got his first and only hit offMike Myers during his final spring training game with the Royals.[107]
In 2019, Brooks made a return to spring training, joining thePittsburgh Pirates to promote his charity.[108]
In 2005, Brooks ended his association withCapitol Records and established his own record label,Pearl Records.[109] Brooks has released four compilation albums via Pearl Records, as well as his 2014 and 2016 studio albums plus any future releases (also released throughRCA Records Nashville).
In 2010, Brooks purchased Jack's Tracks, a recording studio founded byJack Clement in 1971 and sold to Allen Reynolds in 1975, where most of Brooks' albums were recorded. In 2012, in honor of his 50th birthday, Brooks renamed the studio Allentown Studios.[110][111]
In September 2014, Brooks establishedGhostTunes, adigital music store featuring his owndigital music, as well as over ten million songs from other artists. The store, contracted with "the big three" record labels, allows for autonomous pricing and distribution format, resulting in the most properroyalty payments for artists and songwriters.[112] In March 2017, GhostTunes officially closed, merging withAmazon Music.[113]
Brooks graduated fromOklahoma State University where he starred on thetrack and field team in thejavelin throw. He later completed his MBA from Oklahoma State and participated in the commencement ceremony on May 6, 2011.[114]
Brooks married songwriter Sandy Mahl on May 24, 1986. The couple had three daughters: Taylor Mayne Pearl (b. 1992), August Anna (b. 1994), and Allie Colleen Brooks (b. 1996).[115][116] Brooks and Sandy separated in March 1999, announcing their plans to divorce on October 9, 2000, and filed for divorce on November 6, 2000.[57][117] The divorce became final on December 17, 2001.[117][118]
Brooks remarried on December 10, 2005, to country singer and cookbook authorTrisha Yearwood.[20][24] Yearwood has included various recipes created or inspired by Brooks in her published works, including Garth's Breakfast Bowl, a breakfast dish including cheese and garlic tortellini.[119]
In July 2013, Brooks became a grandfather when August had daughter Karalynn with Chance Michael Russell.[120]
In 1999, Brooks began the Teammates for Kids Foundation, which provides financial aid to charities for children.[121] The organization breaks down into three categories spanning three different sports:
Brooks is also a fundraiser for various other charities, including a number of children's charities and famine relief. With wife Trisha Yearwood, Brooks sangCreedence Clearwater Revival's "Who'll Stop the Rain" on theShelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast nationwide telethon forHurricane Katrina relief.[122] He performed theGarth Brooks: Live in LAbenefit concerts, five sold-out concerts over a two-day period at theStaples Center in Los Angeles, California on January 25 and 26, 2008 (setting numerous records at the high-profile venue in the process and accomplished a feat done by no other artist in music history to perform all 5 shows in a 48-hour time frame). These concerts were staged to raise money for Fire Intervention Relief Effort, serving those impacted by the2007 California wildfires. Tickets were priced at $40 each and all five shows (totaling more than 85,000 tickets) sold out in 58 minutes.CBS broadcast the first concert live as atelethon for additional fundraising.[123]
Brooks, along with wife Yearwood, has supportedHabitat for Humanity's work over the years. In December 2010, Brooks played nine shows in less than a week in Nashville atBridgestone Arena to benefit victims from theMay 2010 Nashville flood. Over 140,000 tickets were sold and $5 million raised.[124]
On July 6, 2013, Brooks joined withToby Keith for a benefit concert for victims of the 2013 Oklahoma tornadoes. The sold-out show featured artistsMel Tillis,John Anderson,Willie Nelson,Trisha Yearwood,Sammy Hagar,Kellie Coffey,Ronnie Dunn,Carrie Underwood andKrystal Keith. It was held atGaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.[125] Most recently, while between legs of his world tour in 2015, Brooks performed a sold-out concert inBarretos, Brazil to benefit the Hospital de Câncer de Barretos.[126]
In a 1999 interview withGeorge, Brooks said, "But if you're in love, you've got to follow your heart and trust that God will explain to us why we sometimes fall in love with people of the same sex."[127][128] Lyrics to his song, "We Shall Be Free", features the line, "When we're free to love anyone we choose," which has been interpreted as a reference to same-sex relationships.[127] Brooks won a 1993GLAAD Media Award for the song.
In 2000, Brooks appeared at theEquality Rocks benefit concert forgay rights. He sang a duet with openly gay singerGeorge Michael.[129]
Brooks' half-sister, Betsy Smittle, who died in 2013, was a musician who released her own albumRough Around the Edges (as Betsy) and was part of Brooks' band for some years. She also worked with the late country starGus Hardin and other musicians in Tulsa. Smittle was a lesbian, and Brooks has credited her with some of the inspiration for his support for same-sex marriage.[130][131]
In October 2024, Brooks was sued by his former hairstylist and makeup artist who claimed she was sexually harassed by him on several occasions. She also claimed that Brooks raped her during a trip the two took to film a Grammy tribute in 2019.[132] Brooks has denied the allegations, calling them a "shakedown" and an extortion attempt. He initially sued his accuser under a pseudonym in an attempt to block the allegations from coming to light.[133] In response to the lawsuit naming him, Brooks named his accuser in a countersuit.[134][135]
Brooks has won a record 22Academy of Country Music Awards and received a total of 47 overall nominations. He has won twoGrammy Award and has 13 nominations, along withBillboard Music Awards,Country Music Association Awards, and many others. Brooks' work has earned awards and nominations in television and film as well, including thePrimetime Emmy Awards andGolden Globe Awards. He was inducted into theCountry Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2010, he was inducted into theCheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame.[136] He has also been inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame,[13] and theMusicians Hall of Fame and Museum.[14]
In 2020, Brooks was awarded theLibrary of CongressGershwin Prize for Popular Song. Age 57 at the time he was named as the Gershwin honoree, he is the youngest recipient of the award.[15] Also in 2020,Cher presented Brooks with theBillboard Icon Award.[137]
In 2021, Brooks was named a recipient for the 43rd AnnualKennedy Center Honors.[138]
According to theRecording Industry Association of America, Brooks was the best-selling solo artist of the 20th century in the United States.[139] This conclusion drew criticism from the press and many music fans who were convinced thatElvis Presley had sold more records, but had been short-changed in the rankings due to faulty RIAA certification methods during his lifetime.[140][141] Brooks, while proud of his sales accomplishments, stated that he too believed that Presley must have sold more.[140]
The RIAA has since reexamined their methods for counting certifications. Under their revised methods, Presley became the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history, making Brooks the number-two solo artist, ranking third overall, asthe Beatles have sold more albums than either he or Presley.[142] The revision brought more criticism of the accuracy of the RIAA's figures, this time from Brooks' followers. On November 5, 2007, Brooks was again named the best selling solo artist in US history, surpassing Presley after audited sales of 123 million were announced.[143] In December 2010, several more of Presley's albums received certifications from the RIAA. As a result, Elvis again surpassed Brooks.[144] As of October 2014[update], the RIAA lists Presley's total sales at 134.5 million and Brooks' at 134 million.[145] Subsequently,Man Against Machine has been certified by the RIAA as Platinum and listing Brooks sales as exceeding 136 million, placing Brooks again as the number 1 selling solo artist.
In 2012, Brooks officially passed the Beatles as the top-selling act of the past 20 years, moving 68.5 million units worldwide, almost 5 million more than the Beatles.[146] In May 2014, Brooks' total album sales reached 69,544,000 copies, which makes him the best-selling album artist in the U.S., ahead of the Beatles (65,730,000),Metallica (54,365,000),Mariah Carey (54,280,000) andCeline Dion (52,234,000).[147]
In September 2016, Brooks became the first and only artist in music history to achieve seven careerDiamond Award albums, according to the RIAA (surpassing the previous tied record of six next to The Beatles).[148]
On June 16, 2021, Brooks won thePollstar award as the "country touring artist of the decade" (2010s). Brooks thanked his band for the companionship during all those years.[149]
In 2014, Brooks was awarded theArkansas Traveler certificate.[150]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Nashville Beat | Himself | TV movie |
| 1990 | Hee Haw | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Empty Nest | Himself | Episode: "Country Weston" |
| 1994 | Mad About You | Himself | Episode: "Up All Night" |
| 1995 | Sesame Street | Himself | Episode: "A New Way to Walk" |
| 1996 | Muppets Tonight | Himself | Episode: "Garth Brooks" |
| 1998 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Host, musical guest |
| 1999 | Saturday Night Live | Himself;Chris Gaines | Host, musical guest (as Gaines) |
| 1999 | Behind the Music | Chris Gaines | Episode: "Behind the Life of Chris Gaines" |
| 2016 | The Voice | Himself / Mentor | Season 11[151] |
| 2022 | America's National Parks | Narrator | 10 episodes |
What's odd is that nobody assumed it could mean interracial marriages or interfaith marriages. They immediately went straight to the homosexual thing.
