Troyal Garth Brooks best known as Garth Brooks, is an American
country musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist who helped make
country musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Brooks' integration of rock elements into his recordings and live performances has earned him immense popularity. This progressive approach allowed him to dominate the country single and album charts while quickly crossing over into the mainstream pop arena, exposing country music to a larger audience.
Brooks has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, breaking records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the 1990s. Garth Brooks still continues to sell well and according to Nielsen Soundscan, his albums sales through October 2011 are at 68,551,000, which makes him the best-selling albums artist in the United States in the SoundScan era (since 1991), a title held since 1991, well over 5 million ahead of his nearest rival,
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Furthermore, according to RIAA he is the second best-selling solo albums artist in the United States of all time behind
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
(overall is third to the Beatles and Elvis Presley) with 128 million units sold. Brooks has released six albums that achieved
diamondIn the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
status in the United States, those being:
Garth BrooksGarth Brooks is the self-titled debut album of American country music artist Garth Brooks, released on April 12, 1989. It was both a critical and chart success, peaking at #13 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Top Country Albums...
(10× platinum),
No FencesNo Fences is the second studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 27, 1990 and reached #3 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart...
(17× platinum),
Ropin' the WindRopin' the Wind is the third studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 10, 1991 and was his first studio album to debut at #1 the Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart...
(14× platinum), The Hits (10× platinum),
SevensSevens is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 25, 1997, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and on the Top Country Albums chart. The album also topped the Country album charts in Britain for several months and crossed over into the...
(10× platinum) and Double Live (21× platinum). Since 1989, Brooks has released 19 records in all, which include; 9 studio albums, 1 live album, 4 compilation albums, 3 Christmas albums and 2 box sets, along with 77 singles. He won several important awards in his career as 2 Grammy Awards, 16
American Music Awards-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
(not including the poll of "Artist of the '90s") and the
RIAA AwardThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
as Best selling solo albums artist of the Century in the United States. As of 2010, Brooks' world-wide sales now exceed 200 million
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/jive-talkin-why-robin-gibb-wants-more-respect-for-the-bee-gees-826116.html.
Troubled by conflicts between career and family, Brooks officially retired from recording and performing from 2001 until 2009. During this time he sold millions of albums through an exclusive distribution deal with Walmart and has sporadically released new singles. In 2005, Brooks started a partial comeback, and has since given several performances and released two compilation albums.
On October 15, 2009, Garth Brooks announced the end of his retirement. In December 2009, he began a 5 year concert deal with the Encore Hotel and Casino on the
Las Vegas StripThe Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
.
Early life
Garth Brooks was born on February 7, 1962 in
Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. He was the youngest child of Troyal Raymond Brooks, a
draftsmanTechnical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
for an oil company, and Colleen Carroll, a 1950s-era country singer who recorded on the
Capitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
label and appeared on
Ozark JubileeOzark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
. This was the second marriage for each of his parents, giving Garth four older half-siblings (Jim, Jerry, Mike, and Betsy). The couple had two children together, Kelly and Garth. At their home in
Yukon, OklahomaYukon is a city in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 22,709 at the 2010 census....
, the family hosted weekly talent nights. All of the children were required to participate, either by singing or doing skits. Brooks learned to play both the guitar and banjo.
As a child, he 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 to
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...
in
StillwaterStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
, where he competed in the
javelinThe javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
. Brooks graduated in 1984 with a degree in advertising.
Later that year, Brooks began his professional music career, singing and playing guitar in Oklahoma clubs and bars, particularly the Tumbleweed in Stillwater. Through his elder siblings, Brooks was exposed to a wide range of music. Although he listened to some
country musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, especially that of
George JonesGeorge Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
, Brooks was most fond of rock music, citing
James TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
,
Dan FogelbergDaniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music...
, and
Townes Van ZandtJohn Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
as major influences. After hearing
Unwound"Unwound" is the title of a song written by Dean Dillon and Frank Dycus. It was recorded by American country music artist George Strait and was released in April 1981 as his debut single and the lead-off single to his 1981 debut album Strait Country...
,
George StraitGeorge Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
's debut single, in 1981, Brooks decided that he was more interested in playing country music.
In 1985, entertainment attorney Rod Phelps drove from Dallas to listen to Brooks. Phelps liked what he heard and offered to produce Garth's first demo. With Phelps's encouragement, including a list of Phelps' contacts in Nashville and some of his credit cards, Brooks traveled to
NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to pursue a recording contract; he returned to Oklahoma within 24 hours. Phelps continued to urge Brooks to return to Nashville, which he did. In 1986, Brooks married Sandy Mahl, whom he had met while working as a
bouncerA bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
. In 1987, the couple moved to Nashville, and Brooks began making contacts in the music industry. The couple later had three daughters: Taylor Mayne Pearl (born 1992), August Anna (born 1994) and Allie Colleen (born 1996). The couple divorced in 1999. Garth Brooks remarried on December 10, 2005 to
Trisha YearwoodPatricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
, a leading country singer.
1989–1990: Breakthrough success
Garth Brooks's
eponymous first albumGarth Brooks is the self-titled debut album of American country music artist Garth Brooks, released on April 12, 1989. It was both a critical and chart success, peaking at #13 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Top Country Albums...
, was released in 1989 and was a critical and chart success. It peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart and reached number 13 on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
pop album chart. Most of the album was traditionalist country, influenced in part by
George StraitGeorge Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
. The first single, "
Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)"Much Too Young " is the debut single of Garth Brooks from his self-titled debut album. It was also featured on The Garth Brooks Collection, The Hits and The Ultimate Hits. It was co-written by Garth Brooks and Randy Taylor...
", was a country top 10 success. It was followed by his first country number-one, "
If Tomorrow Never Comes"If Tomorrow Never Comes" served as the first single from Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating's second studio album, Destination. The song was produced by Steve Mac. The song peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as making the Top 10 in Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Germany,...
". "Not Counting You" reached number 2, and then "
The Dance"The Dance" is a song recorded by country singer Garth Brooks. The song, written by Brooks' friend, Tony Arata, was a key track on his self-titled debut album Garth Brooks and a #1 chart hit...
" put him at number-one again; this song's theme of people dying while doing something they believe in resonated strongly and, together with a popular music video, gave Brooks his first push towards a broader audience. Brooks has claimed that of all the songs he has recorded, "The Dance" is his favorite.
His follow-up album,
No FencesNo Fences is the second studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 27, 1990 and reached #3 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart...
, was released in 1990 and spent 23 weeks as number-one on the Billboard country music chart. The album also reached number 3 on the pop chart, and eventually became Brooks's highest-selling album, with domestic shipments of 17 million. It contained what would become Brooks's
signature songA signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
, the
blue collarBlue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
anthem "
Friends in Low Places"Friends in Low Places" is a song released by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was the first single from his second album, No Fences. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the U.S...
", as well as two other Brooks classics, the dramatic and controversial "The Thunder Rolls" and the philosophically ironic "
Unanswered Prayers"Unanswered Prayers" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American Country Music artist Garth Brooks which hit #1 on the country billboard charts in 1990. It debuted on his second album No Fences and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, and Double Live...
". Each of these songs, as well as the affectionate "
Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House"Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" is the title of a country music song co-written by Dennis Robbins, Bobby Boyd, and Warren Dale Haynes. Robbins himself originally recorded the song and charted at #71 with it on the Billboard country charts in 1987...
", reached number-one on the country chart.
While Brooks's musical style placed him squarely within the boundaries of country music, he was strongly influenced by the 1970s singer-songwriter movement, especially the works of
James TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
(whom he idolized and named his first child after) and
Dan FogelbergDaniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music...
. Similarly, Brooks was influenced by 1970s-era rock of
Billy JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, and
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and the operatic rock of
QueenQueen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
with
Freddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
. In his highly successful live shows, Brooks used a wireless headset microphone to free himself to run about the stage, adding energy and
arena rockArena rock is a term used to describe rock music that utilised large arena venues, particularly sports venues, for concerts or series of concerts linked in tours...
theatrics to spice up the normally staid country music approach to concerts. The hard rock band
KISSKiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
was also one of his earliest grade school musical influences and his shows often reflected this. Brooks said that the style of his show was inspired mostly by
Chris LeDouxChris Ledoux was an American country music singer-songwriter, bronze sculptor and rodeo champion.During his career LeDoux recorded 36 albums which have sold more than six million units in the United States as of January 2007...
.
1991–93: Ropin' the Wind and The Chase
Brooks's third album,
Ropin' the WindRopin' the Wind is the third studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 10, 1991 and was his first studio album to debut at #1 the Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart...
, released in September 1991, had advance orders of 4 million copies and entered the pop album charts at number-one, a first for a country act. Ropin' the Winds music was a melange of pop country and honky tonk; hits included Billy Joel's "
Shameless"Shameless" is the title of a song written by American singer Billy Joel and recorded on his 1989 album Storm Front. His version was a #40 single on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts. Two years later, the song was covered by country music artist Garth Brooks on his third studio album, 1991's...
", "
What She's Doing Now"What She's Doing Now" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Garth Brooks. It was released in December 1991 as the third single from his album, Ropin' the Wind. It spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
", and "
The River"The River" is the title of a country music song co-written and recorded by American singer Garth Brooks. It was the fifth and final single from his third album, 1991's Ropin' the Wind, and in late 1991 it became his ninth Number One hit on the Billboard country charts.-Content:The song is a...
". All told, it became his second-best selling album after No Fences. The success of this album further propelled the sales of his first two albums, enabling Brooks to become the first country artist with three albums listed in the pop top 20 in one week.
After spending time in Los Angeles during the
1992 riotsThe 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
, Brooks co-wrote the gospel-country-rock hybrid "
We Shall Be Free"We Shall Be Free" is a song released by American country music artist Garth Brooks in late 1992. It debuted on his fourth studio album The Chase and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, Double Live, and The Ultimate Hits. It reached #12 on the Billboard Country Charts in 1992...
" to express his desire for tolerance. The song became the first single off his fourth album
The ChaseThe Chase is the fourth studio album of American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 22, 1992 on Liberty Records and sold 403,000 copies in its first week, The Chase debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and Top Country Albums chart. and has been certified 9 x...
. It only reached number 12 on the country chart, his first song in three years to fail to make the top ten. Nevertheless, the song often received
standing ovationA standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
s when performed in concert, went to number 22 in the Christian charts through a marketing deal with Rick Hendrix Company, and earned Brooks a 1993
GLAAD Media AwardThe GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives...
.
1993–94: In Pieces
In 1993, Garth Brooks, who had criticized music stores which sold used CDs since it led to a loss in royalty payments, persuaded Capitol Records not to ship his August 1993 album In Pieces to stores which engaged in this practice. This led to several anti-trust lawsuits against the record label and ended with Capitol shipping the CDs to the stores after all.
Despite the delay in shipping the album to certain stores,
In PiecesIn Pieces is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 31, 1993. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. It was also a huge hit outside the United States. In Great Britain it was Brooks' highest placed album on...
was another instant No. 1 success, selling a total of about 10 million copies worldwide. Some of his fans were upset, however, that the album was not released simultaneously around the world. In the United Kingdom, one of Brooks's most committed fan bases outside the United States, country music disc jockeys, such as Martin Campbell and John Wellington, noted that many fans were buying the album on import. This made it the first album to debut in the top 10 of the UK Country album charts before its official release date. Once officially released there, in 1994, the album reached the top spot on the UK Country chart and number two on the UK pop albums chart. That same year "The Red Strokes" became Brooks's first single to make the pop top 40 in the UK, reaching a high of No. 13; it was followed by "
Standing Outside The Fire"Standing Outside The Fire" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country Music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in December 1993 as the third single from his album, In Pieces. The song also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, Double Live, and The Ultimate Hits. It...
", which reached No. 23. Previous albums No Fences, Ropin' The Wind and The Chase also remained in the top 30 in the UK.
To support the album, Brooks embarked on a 1994 UK tour, selling out venues such as
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
's
National Exhibition CentreThe National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
and London's
Wembley ArenaWembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. He opened the London radio station,
Country 1035Country 1035 was a country music based Independent Local Radio station based in London, England.-History:After airing test transmissions the first voice officially heard on air was the stations chairman John Wellington. In his opening words he noted that the station will "fulfill a long awaited need"...
and made a number of general television and radio appearances, where he was often mocked by the presenters. On
ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's regional news show
London TonightLondon Tonight is a regional news programme broadcast on ITV London . Produced by ITN, the programme is broadcast at 6pm every weeknight, also including local sports news and local features of interest.Like all regional news programmes on ITV in England and Wales and Channel Television, it uses...
, Brooks was described as "a top-selling, rooting tooting, cotton picking, Country and Western star, yeeha!" The nationwide
Big BreakfastThe Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former...
show's presenters Chris Evans and
Paula YatesPaula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.-Early life:...
, commented that "He's selling more records than anyone in the world, but none of us have ever heard of him." Yates then told Brooks that, "Country singers always seem to be weeping over the dead dog and things," and also remarked, "I thought you'd come in here and twiddle your pistol around and be impressed." Although Brooks remained polite, he did observe that Yates was obviously unfamiliar with modern country music. Scores of Brooks fans later wrote to complain about his treatment on the show. Sometime after this,
Dwight YoakamDwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
appeared on the same show and after Yates told him, "You seem different from other country singers we've had on the show," Yoakam replied, "What? All two of us?"
Despite the disdain of the British media, Brooks's overall popularity in the country was evident, with a top disc jockey, Nick Barraclough, referring to Brooks as Garth Vader (a play on
Darth VaderDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
) for his "invasion" of the charts and his success in the country genre. Unlike
Alan JacksonAlan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
, who refused to return to the UK after being treated in a similar manner by the press, Brooks returned in 1996 for more sold-out concerts, although this time his media appearances were mostly restricted to country radio and interviews with
magazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s.
Elsewhere in the world Brooks was also considered a star, and he enjoyed hit records and sell-out tours in regions including Brazil, throughout Europe, the
Far EastThe Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, New Zealand, and Australia.
In 1994 Brooks paid homage to one of his musical influences when he appeared on the hard rock compilation
Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved-Charts:Album - Billboard Singles - Billboard -External links:*...
, a collection of
KissKiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
cover songs by popular artists from all genres. As the only country performer to participate, some worried that Brooks would turn his cover of the song originally sung by drummer
Peter Criss George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
, "
Hard Luck Woman"Hard Luck Woman" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss and the lead single from their 1976 album, Rock and Roll Over. The song was originally written by Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley as a possible track for Rod Stewart, but when Stewart showed no interest in singing it, Kiss decided to keep...
", into a country song. Brooks instead insisted on remaining true to the song, and requested that the members of Kiss perform the music on the track, the only song on the album that the band musically contributed. The unlikely collaboration performed the song live on
The Tonight Show with Jay LenoThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
in promotion of
Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved-Charts:Album - Billboard Singles - Billboard -External links:*...
, and despite its hard-rock appeal, Brooks's version did appear on the country charts.
1995–98: Success in the mid and late 90s
Brooks released
Fresh HorsesFresh Horses is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 21, 1995. Fresh Horses peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart , and #1 on the Top Country Albums chart....
, his first album of new material in two years, in November 1995; within six months of its release, it had sold over three million copies. Despite its promising start, Fresh Horses plateaued quickly, topping out at quadruple platinum.
The album's lead single, "
She's Every Woman"She's Every Woman" is the title of a country music song written by Victoria Shaw and Garth Brooks, and recorded by Brooks on his 1995 album Fresh Horses...
" peaked at number-one on the
Billboard Country ChartHot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
, however its follow-up single, "
The Fever-Content:Brooks' country rock-generated version featured altered lyrics, describing a rodeo star addicted to his profession . The cover was included on his album Fresh Horses. That album's second single, it peaked #23 on the U.S...
" (a cover of the
AerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
song) only peaked at number 23, becoming Brooks's first released Country single to not chart on the Top 10. However, Brooks had three additional Top 10 hits from the album following the second single, including "
The Beaches of Cheyenne"The Beaches of Cheyenne" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Garth Brooks. It was released in December 1995 as the third of six singles from his 1995 album Fresh Horses...
", that also hit number-one.
In 1997, Brooks released his seventh studio album,
SevensSevens is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 25, 1997, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and on the Top Country Albums chart. The album also topped the Country album charts in Britain for several months and crossed over into the...
. Originally, it was scheduled to be released in August 1997, when he would promote it with a concert in
Central ParkCentral Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. Plans went awry when Capitol Records experienced a huge management shakeup, leaving many of his contacts at the label out in the cold.
The album was then released in November 1997, and debuted at number-one on both the Top Country Albums and
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album charts in the United States, and later became his fourth album to reach a sales of 10 million copies. Its first single was also Brooks's first duet, "In Another's Eyes" with friend and popular country singer,
Trisha YearwoodPatricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
. The song peaked at number 2 on the Country Charts. The album spawned three additional Top 10 Country hits, including two number-one hits between 1997 and 1998, "
Two Pina Coladas"Two Piña Coladas" is a song released by American Country Music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in March 1998 as the third single from his 1997 album Sevens. It hit #1 on the Billboard Country Charts in 1998. A concert version is available on Double Live. The song was written by Shawn Camp,...
" and "
To Make You Feel My Love"Make You Feel My Love", also known as "To Make You Feel My Love" or "Just to Make You Feel My Love", is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan. It appeared on his 1997 album Time Out of Mind...
", which also was a Top 10 hit on the
Hot Adult Contemporary TracksThe Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart and was released on the soundtrack to the movie Hope Floats.
1999: Chris Gaines
In 1999 Brooks and his production company Red Strokes Entertainment, with
Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, began to develop a movie in which Brooks would star. The Lamb was to have revolved around
Chris GainesChris Gaines is a fictional alternative rock persona created as an alter ego for Garth Brooks to explore rock and roll styles far removed from his success as a country singer....
, a fictional rock singer and his emotionally conflicted life as a musician in the public eye. To create buzz for the project, Brooks took on the identity of Gaines in the October 1999 album Garth Brooks in ... The Life of Chris Gaines, which was intended as a 'pre-soundtrack' to the film. Brooks also subsequently appeared as Gaines in a television
mockumentaryA mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
for the
VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
series
Behind the MusicBehind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
and as the musical guest on an episode of
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
which he hosted as himself.
Brooks's endless promotion of the album and the film did not seem to stir much excitement and the failure of the Chris Gaines experiment became fairly evident mere weeks after the album was released. Although critics admired Brooks for taking a musical risk, the majority of the American public was either totally bewildered, or completely unreceptive to the idea of Garth Brooks as anything but a pop-country singer. Many of his fans also felt that by supporting the Gaines project they would lose the real Garth Brooks. Sales of the album were unspectacular and although it made it to number 2 on the pop album chart, expectations had been higher and retail stores began heavily discounting their oversupply. Less than expected sales of the album (more than two million) and no further developments in the production of the film as a result brought the project to an indefinite hiatus in February 2001 and Gaines quickly faded into obscurity.
Despite the less than spectacular response to the Chris Gaines project, Brooks gained his first – and only – US Top 40 pop single in "
Lost in You"Lost in You" is the title of a song co-written by Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and Tommy Sims. It was recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks under the fictitious persona of alternative rock artist Chris Gaines. It was released in July 1999 as the lead single from the album...
", the first single from the album.
2000–04: Official retirement
As his career flourished, Brooks seemed frustrated by the conflicts between career and family. He talked of retiring from performing in 1992 and 1995, but each time returned to touring. In 1999 Brooks appeared on
The Nashville NetworkThe Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
's Crook & Chase program and again mentioned retirement.
On October 26, 2000, Brooks officially announced his retirement from recording and performing. Later that evening, Capitol Records saluted his achievement of selling 100 million albums in the US with a lavish party at Nashville's
Gaylord Entertainment CenterBridgestone Arena, is an all-purpose venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, that was completed in 1996.-Ownership and usage:...
.
Brooks's final album,
ScarecrowScarecrow is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 13, 2001, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the Top Country Albums chart...
, was released on November 13, 2001. The album did not match the sales levels of Brooks's heyday, but still sold comfortably well, reaching number-one on both the pop and country 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, Allie, turned 18. Despite ceasing to record new material between 2002 and (most of) 2005, Brooks continued to chart with previously recorded material, including a top 30 placing for "Why Ain't I Running" in 2003.
2005–08
In 2005 Brooks insisted that he was not touring and did not plan to record any new studio material until at least 2015. However, in August 2005 it was announced that Brooks had signed a deal with
Wal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, leasing them the rights to his back catalog following his split with Capitol. Three months later, Brooks and Wal-Mart issued
The Limited SeriesThe Limited Series is the name of Garth Brooks' second box set of albums. . The set was released in 2005 to be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores...
, a six-CD box set containing past material and a Lost Sessions disc with eleven previously unissued recordings. This set marked the first time in history that a musician had signed an exclusive music distribution deal with a single retailer. The set sold more than 500,000 physical copies on its issue date, proving that Brooks still had a large fan base. By the first week in December 2005, it had sold over 1 million physical copies.
Brooks took a brief break from retirement early in 2005 to perform for several charity causes. With Yearwood, he sang
Creedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
's "Who'll Stop the Rain" on the
Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf CoastShelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast was a one hour, commercial-free benefit concert television special that aired simulcast worldwide on September 9, 2005 at 8 p.m. ET/CT live from New York City and Los Angeles and tape delayed in the Mountain Time Zone and Pacific Time Zones...
nationwide telethon for
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
relief. He also released a new single, "
Good Ride Cowboy"Good Ride Cowboy" is a single, released in 2005, by American country music artist Garth Brooks. The song is a tribute to Chris LeDoux, another country musician and friend of Brooks'...
", as a tribute to his late friend, rodeo star and country singer,
Chris LeDouxChris Ledoux was an American country music singer-songwriter, bronze sculptor and rodeo champion.During his career LeDoux recorded 36 albums which have sold more than six million units in the United States as of January 2007...
.
In early 2006 Wal-Mart issued The Lost Sessions as a single CD apart from the boxed set, with extra tracks including a top 25 duet with Yearwood, "Love Will Always Win". The couple were later nominated for a "Best Country Collaboration With Vocals" Grammy Award for the song.
On August 18, 2007, Brooks announced plans for a new boxed set called
The Ultimate HitsThe Ultimate Hits is an album from country music artist Garth Brooks, released on November 6, 2007, comprising 34 songs over two compact discs, as well as a DVD containing his music videos....
. The new set features two discs containing 30 hits, three new songs, and a DVD featuring music videos for each of these songs. The album's first single, "
More Than a Memory"More Than a Memory" is a song written by Lee Brice, Billy Montana and Kyle Jacobs. It was recorded by country music singer Garth Brooks and released in 2007 as his 51st single. It is the first single from his 2007 compilation The Ultimate Hits. On the U.S...
", was released to radio on August 27, 2007. "More Than a Memory" debuted at number one on the Billboard
Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, becoming the highest-debuting single in the chart's history. The previous record had been set only one week earlier, when
Kenny ChesneyKenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
's "
Don't Blink"Don't Blink" is a # 1 Billboard country, top 40 hot 100 single by country music artist Kenny Chesney. It is the second single from his 2007 album Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, and Chesney's thirteenth Number One single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.The song debuted at #16 on the...
" debuted at number 16.
In November 2007, Brooks performed nine sold-out shows in Kansas City at the
Sprint CenterSprint Center is a large, multi-use indoor arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The building is located at 14th Street and Grand Boulevard, on the east side of the Power & Light District...
, 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. The shows took place from November 5th to the 12th, with the final show on November 14th – the final show was simulcast to more than 300 movie theaters across the US.
2009–present: return to performing
On October 15, 2009, Brooks announced that he was coming out of retirement, to do weekend performances at Encore Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. This arrangement has continued into the fall of 2011. This schedule will allow Brooks to continue during the week to have the family life for which he had retired, and to continue to perform on the weekend. On October 28, 2010, Garth announced he would do his first "arena" concert in Nashville since 1998. All proceeds benefits the Community Foundation in Middle Tennessee in support of all those Tennessee Residents affected by the disastrous flooding that occurred the weekend of May 2, 2010.
The financial terms of the agreement have not been announced, but Wynn did disclose that he gave Brooks access to a private jet to quickly transport him between
Las VegasThe Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
and his home in
OklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Garth's 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 feature Brooks performing solo with his own guitar accompaniment, and include his own hits as well as songs that have influenced him. Artists covered in the show include
Simon and GarfunkelSimon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
,
Bob SegerRobert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
,
Billy JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, and
Don McLeanDonald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
. His first performances at Encore Las Vegas coincided with his wedding anniversary, and his wife
Trisha YearwoodPatricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
joined him for two songs.
During a performance on August 19, 2011, Garth Brooks told his audience that once his youngest daughter is in college he will be "firing the tour back up."
Personal life
Brooks graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he starred on the track team. He was also a member of the
Alpha Gamma RhoAlpha Gamma Rho is a social-professional fraternity in the United States, with 75 university chapters including chapter in Mindanao State University, Philippines...
Fraternity, Pi chapter. He later completed his
MBAThe Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from Oklahoma State and participated in the commencement ceremony on May 6, 2011.
Brooks married his college sweetheart, songwriter Sandy Mahl, on May 24, 1986. They met when Garth was a bouncer at a bar. Brooks and Mahl separated in March 1999, announcing their plans to divorce on October 9, 2000 and filing for divorce on November 6, 2000. The divorce became final in December 17, 2001. In the mid-1990s, many tabloids reported throughout the decade that he was actually having an affair with longtime friend and collaborator
Trisha YearwoodPatricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
. The two have continually denied having had an affair. Following Brooks's divorce, however, the pair did begin dating, and the couple wed on December 10, 2005, at their home in Oklahoma, marking the second marriage for Brooks and the third for Yearwood. They own houses in
Goodlettsville, TennesseeGoodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,780. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963...
;
Malibu, California; and Port St. Lucie, FL, but primarily live on their ranch in
Owasso, OklahomaOwasso is a city in Rogers and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and a northern suburb of Tulsa. The population was 28,915 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Owasso is located at...
, a suburb of
TulsaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
.
In 2000 Brooks attempted to donate part of his liver to country music contemporary, and close friend,
Chris LeDouxChris Ledoux was an American country music singer-songwriter, bronze sculptor and rodeo champion.During his career LeDoux recorded 36 albums which have sold more than six million units in the United States as of January 2007...
; however, it was found to be incompatible. LeDoux did receive a donor, but died in March 2005, due to complications from liver cancer.
Setting records
The
Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
announced that Garth Brooks was the best-selling solo artist of the 20th century in America. This conclusion drew criticism from the press and many music fans who were convinced that
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
had sold more records, but had been short-changed in the rankings due to faulty RIAA certification methods during his lifetime. Brooks, while proud of his sales accomplishments, stated that he too believed that Presley must have sold more.
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, as
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
have sold more albums than either he or Presley. 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.
In December 2010, several more of Presley's albums received certifications from the RIAA. As result, Elvis again surpassed Brooks. As 2011, RIAA lists Presley's sales at 130.5 million and Brooks' sales at 128 million.
Charitable activities
In 1999, Garth Brooks began the Teammates for Kids Foundation which provides financial aid to charities for children. The organization breaks down into three categories spanning three different sports.
- Touch 'Em All Foundation – Baseball Division
- Top Shelf – Hockey Division
- Touchdown – Football Division
The foundation enlists players to donate a predetermined sum of money depending on their game performance. Brooks has participated in spring training for the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in 1998 and 1999, the
New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in 2000 and, most recently, with the
Kansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in 2004 to promote his foundation. Starting during the 2008 season, fans at Royals games in
Kauffman StadiumEwing M. Kauffman Stadium is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the Kansas City Royals of the American League. Together with Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex...
now sing along to "
Friends in Low Places"Friends in Low Places" is a song released by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was the first single from his second album, No Fences. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the U.S...
".
Brooks is also a fundraiser for various other charities, including a number of children's charities and famine relief. He has also donated at least $1 million to wildlife causes. It was announced that Garth would perform a charity concert on January 25 and 26, 2008 at the
Staples CenterStaples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
for the victims of the recent California Wildfires. On December 1, tickets went on sale and sold out within minutes, prompting them to announce 3 more shows. All 5 L.A. shows sold out in less than 59 minutes. CBS aired the first of these concerts (January 25 at 9 pm) live, giving viewers a chance to donate to the Firefighters Relief efforts.
In December 2010, Garth played 9 shows in less than a week in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena to benefit victims from the May 2010 Nashville flood. Over 140,000 tickets were sold and $5 million dollars raised.
Awards
- 2 Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s (total of 14 nominations)
- 16 American Music Awards (not including the poll of Artist of the '90s won in 2000)
- 11 Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
- 18 Academy of Country Music Awards
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- 5 World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
- 10 People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
- 24 Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
s
- 2 ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization that protects its members' musical copyrights by monitoring public performances of their music, whether via a broadcast or live performance, and compensating them...
Awards
- 2 Blockbuster Awards
- Academy of Country Music Awards
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
, Artist of the Decade (1990s)
- Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, Artist of the Century (1900s)
- 1 Radio Music Award
- 2 Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nominations (Outstanding in a Variety of Music Program)
- 1 Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination (Best Original Song)
- GLAAD Media Award for "We Shall Be Free"-1993
- 1 CMT Music Awards
The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:...
nomination, Collaborative Video of the Year for "Workin' For A Livin'" With Huey Lewis (2008)
- Academy of Country Music Awards
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
, inaugural "Crystal Milestone Award" honoring him as the top-selling country music artist in history, with album sales of over 128 million in the U.S. (2008)
- 2 American Music Awards Nominations(2008):
Country Music – Favorite Male Artist
Country Music – Favorite Album for "The Ultimate Hits"
Discography
Studio albums
- 1989: Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks is the self-titled debut album of American country music artist Garth Brooks, released on April 12, 1989. It was both a critical and chart success, peaking at #13 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Top Country Albums...
- 1990: No Fences
No Fences is the second studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 27, 1990 and reached #3 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart...
- 1991: Ropin' the Wind
Ropin' the Wind is the third studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 10, 1991 and was his first studio album to debut at #1 the Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart...
- 1992: Beyond the Season
Beyond the Season is the first Christmas album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 25, 1992, and peaked at number 2 on both of Billboard magazine's Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums sales charts that year...
- 1992: The Chase
The Chase is the fourth studio album of American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 22, 1992 on Liberty Records and sold 403,000 copies in its first week, The Chase debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and Top Country Albums chart. and has been certified 9 x...
- 1993: In Pieces
In Pieces is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 31, 1993. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. It was also a huge hit outside the United States. In Great Britain it was Brooks' highest placed album on...
- 1995: Fresh Horses
Fresh Horses is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 21, 1995. Fresh Horses peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart , and #1 on the Top Country Albums chart....
- 1997: Sevens
Sevens is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 25, 1997, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and on the Top Country Albums chart. The album also topped the Country album charts in Britain for several months and crossed over into the...
- 1999: Garth Brooks...In the Life of Chris Gaines
Greatest Hits, also titled Garth Brooks in.... The Life of Chris Gaines, is part of the alter ego project of American country music artist Garth Brooks, in which Brooks assumes the fictitious persona of alternative rock artist Chris Gaines...
- 1999: Garth Brooks and the Magic of Christmas
Garth Brooks and the Magic of Christmas is the twelfth studio album, and second holiday album, by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 23, 1999, peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200 chart , and #1 on the Top Country Albums chart...
- 2001: Songs from Call Me Claus
Songs from Call Me Claus is a reissue of Garth Brooks and the Magic of Christmas, second Christmas album by American country music artist Garth Brooks, and was released on September 25, 2001...
- 2001: Scarecrow
Scarecrow is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 13, 2001, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the Top Country Albums chart...
Other albums/compilations
- 1994: The Garth Brooks Collection
The Garth Brooks Collection is the first compilation album of American country pop artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 2, 1994 and contains ten of Brooks' favorite songs, including his debut single, "Much Too Young "...
- 1994: The Hits
- 1998: The Limited Series
- 1998: Double Live
- 2005: The Lost Sessions
- 2007: The Ultimate Hits
The Ultimate Hits is an album from country music artist Garth Brooks, released on November 6, 2007, comprising 34 songs over two compact discs, as well as a DVD containing his music videos....
See also
External links