Garth Brooks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Garth Brooks
Brooks at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2022
Born	Troyal Garth Brooks (1962-02-07) February 7, 1962 (age 63) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Other names	Chris Gaines
Alma mater	Oklahoma State University
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Spouse(s)	Sandy Mahl ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 2001)​ Trisha Yearwood ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Country country pop country rock
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Years active	1985–2001 2005–present
Labels	Capitol Nashville Liberty Pearl Lyric Street Big Machine RCA Nashville

Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is a famous American country singer and songwriter. He became super popular by mixing country music with pop and rock sounds. This made him a huge star, especially in the United States.

Garth Brooks has sold millions of albums and broken records with his live shows. He is the only artist in music history to have nine albums certified "Diamond" by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This means each of those albums sold over 10 million copies! Some of these albums include Garth Brooks, No Fences, and Double Live.

He has released many records, including 17 studio albums and 77 singles. Brooks has won many awards, like two Grammy Awards and 17 American Music Awards. He was even named the "Artist of the '90s."

From 2001 to 2005, Brooks took a break from music to focus on his family. He still sold millions of albums through Walmart during this time. In 2005, he started performing again, and in 2009, he began a special concert series in Las Vegas.

Garth Brooks is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with over 170 million records sold. He is the best-selling solo albums artist in the U.S. He was welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2020, he received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, becoming the youngest person to get this award.

Early Life and School

Troyal Garth Brooks was born on February 7, 1962, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the youngest of six children. His dad worked for an oil company, and his mom, Colleen McElroy Carroll, was a country singer in the 1950s.

The Brooks family loved music! At their home in Yukon, Oklahoma, they had weekly talent nights. All the kids had to sing or perform skits. Garth learned to play the guitar and banjo.

When he was a kid, Garth loved sports more than music. In high school, he played football and baseball, and ran track. He even got a scholarship to Oklahoma State University for javelin throwing. At night, he worked as a bouncer and played in his own band, Santa Fe. He graduated in 1984 with a degree in advertising.

Music Career

Starting Out (1985–1990)

Garth Brooks started his music career in 1985, playing guitar and singing in clubs in Oklahoma. He listened to all kinds of music, but especially liked rock artists like James Taylor. After hearing a song by George Strait, Garth decided he wanted to play country music.

In 1985, a lawyer named Rod Phelps heard Garth play and offered to help him. With Rod's encouragement, Garth moved to Nashville in 1987 to try and get a record deal.

Garth Brooks' first album came out in 1989 and was a big hit. It reached No. 2 on the country charts. His first number-one song was "If Tomorrow Never Comes." Another hit, "The Dance," helped him reach an even bigger audience. Garth says "The Dance" is still his favorite song. In 1989, he started touring, opening for Kenny Rogers.

His second album, No Fences, was released in 1990. It stayed at No. 1 on the country charts for 23 weeks! This album became his best-selling one, with 17 million copies sold. It included his famous song "Friends in Low Places," plus "The Thunder Rolls" and "Unanswered Prayers." All these songs became number-one hits.

Garth's music was country, but he loved the rock music of the 1970s, especially bands like Queen. In his live shows, he used a special microphone that let him run all over the stage. This made his country concerts feel like exciting rock shows! He was inspired by country singer Chris LeDoux for his energetic stage style. In late 1990, Garth became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

More Success (1991–1994)

Garth's third album, Ropin' the Wind, came out in 1991. It was the first country album ever to debut at No. 1 on the main Billboard 200 chart. This album mixed country pop with traditional country sounds. Hit songs included "The River" and a cover of Billy Joel's "Shameless." It became his second-best selling album.

After seeing the riots in Los Angeles in 1992, Garth co-wrote "We Shall Be Free." This song was about wanting everyone to be treated fairly. It was the first song from his fourth album, The Chase. Even though it didn't reach the top 10 on country charts, it was popular on Christian music charts. The song also won him an award for promoting acceptance.

Brooks released his first Christmas album, Beyond the Season, in 1992. It included classic holiday songs and a new one. It was the best-selling Christmas album that year.

In 1993, Garth's album In Pieces was another big success, selling almost 10 million copies. It also did well in the United Kingdom. Garth started his first world tour in 1993, playing sold-out shows in the UK, which was a first for an American country artist. He also toured in Europe, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.

New Albums and Tours (1995–1998)

In 1995, Brooks released Fresh Horses. It sold over three million copies quickly. The album had hit singles like "She's Every Woman" and "The Beaches of Cheyenne."

After this album, Garth went on his second world tour. About 5.5 million people saw his shows, making it one of the biggest tours of the 1990s.

In 1997, his seventh album, Sevens, came out. It debuted at No. 1 and sold 10 million copies. It included a duet with his future wife, Trisha Yearwood, called "In Another's Eyes." He also had a huge concert in Central Park that year, with 980,000 fans attending!

Garth's first live album, Double Live, was released in 1998. It was recorded during his second world tour. This album became the best-selling live album of all time, selling 21 million copies!

Chris Gaines and Holiday Music (1999)

In 1999, Garth Brooks tried something different. He created a rock-and-roll character named "Chris Gaines." He released an album called Garth Brooks in...the Life of Chris Gaines as if it were Gaines' greatest hits. Garth even appeared as Chris Gaines on TV shows.

Many people were confused by this project, and the album didn't sell as well as his other albums. Even so, Garth got his only Top 40 pop song with "Lost in You" from this album.

Later in 1999, Garth released his second holiday album, Garth Brooks and the Magic of Christmas. It reached No. 1 on the country albums chart.

Taking a Break (2000–2004)

As his career grew, Garth felt it was hard to balance music and family life. On October 26, 2000, he announced he was taking a break from recording and performing. He said he would retire until his youngest daughter finished high school.

His last album before his break was Scarecrow, released in 2001. It still sold very well, reaching No. 1 on the charts.

Coming Back (2005–2013)

In 2005, Garth started to show interest in performing again. He made a deal with Walmart to sell his music. He released a new collection of his albums, The Limited Series, which sold over a million copies.

He also released a new song, "Good Ride Cowboy," as a tribute to his friend, country singer Chris LeDoux. In 2006, he released a duet with Trisha Yearwood, "Love Will Always Win," which was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In 2007, Garth released The Ultimate Hits, which included new songs. Its first single, "More Than a Memory," made history by debuting at No. 1 on the country charts.

In November 2007, Garth performed nine sold-out concerts in Kansas City. All 140,000 tickets sold out in under two hours! He also did five sold-out shows in Los Angeles in 2008 to raise money for victims of wildfires in California.

Brooks at the We Are One concert in 2009

In 2009, Garth performed at a concert for the President's inauguration in Washington, D.C. Later that year, he started a special concert series in Las Vegas called Garth at Wynn. He played acoustic shows, singing songs that had influenced him. This allowed him to perform while still having time for his family.

In 2013, Garth released Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences, an album of cover songs that inspired him. He also announced plans for a new world tour starting in 2014.

New Music and Tours (2014–Present)

Brooks' tour with Trisha Yearwood in 2014

In 2014, Garth announced a new album and a world tour. He also decided to release his music digitally for the first time. He created his own online music store called GhostTunes.

His comeback single, "People Loving People," came out in September 2014. His new album, Man Against Machine, was released in November 2014. GhostTunes later closed, and his music became available exclusively on Amazon Music.

In 2016, Garth released a new album called Gunslinger. He also released a holiday duet album with Trisha Yearwood, Christmas Together. After many years of not streaming his music, Garth made his entire collection available on Sirius XM Radio and Amazon Music.

Brooks performing in 2020

In 2018, Garth announced his Stadium Tour, where he would play in large football stadiums across North America. He performed a concert at the University of Notre Dame's football stadium, which was a big event.

In 2019, he released "Dive Bar," a duet with Blake Shelton. He also went on a special "Dive Bar Tour," playing in smaller, more intimate venues.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Garth and Trisha Yearwood performed concerts online for fans. One of their Facebook Live concerts crashed the website because so many people were watching! They later performed a concert on CBS, raising money for relief efforts.

Garth released his album Fun in November 2020. In January 2021, he sang "Amazing Grace" at the inauguration of President Joe Biden, saying it was a message of unity.

In April 2022, Garth performed at Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium. When he sang "Callin' Baton Rouge," the crowd cheered so loudly that the noise was picked up by the university's seismograph, like a small earthquake!

In November 2022, Garth announced another concert series in Las Vegas, called Garth Brooks/Plus ONE. His most recent album, Time Traveler, came out in November 2023.

The G-Men

Most of Garth Brooks' songs were recorded with the same group of studio musicians, known as the "G-Men." This band included Bruce Bouton (steel guitar), Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar), Mike Chapman (bass guitar), Rob Hajacos (fiddle), Milton Sledge (drums), and Bobby Wood (keyboards).

Other Ventures

Playing Baseball

In 1998, Garth started his Touch 'em All Foundation with Major League Baseball. He also tried playing professional baseball! He signed with the San Diego Padres for spring training in 1998 and 1999. He also played for the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals. In 2004, he got his first and only hit during a spring training game with the Royals. In 2019, he returned to spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates to promote his charity.

Pearl Records

In 2005, Garth Brooks started his own record label called Pearl Records. He has released many of his albums through Pearl Records.

Allentown Studios

In 2010, Garth bought a recording studio where many of his albums were made. In 2012, he renamed it Allentown Studios.

GhostTunes

In 2014, Brooks created GhostTunes, his own online music store. It sold his digital music and songs from other artists. GhostTunes was designed to give artists and songwriters fair payments. In 2017, GhostTunes closed and merged with Amazon Music.

Personal Life

Garth Brooks graduated from Oklahoma State University. He even got his MBA degree from there in 2011.

He married Sandy Mahl in 1986, and they had three daughters: Taylor (born 1992), August (born 1994), and Allie (born 1996). They divorced in 2001.

Garth married country singer and cookbook author Trisha Yearwood on December 10, 2005. Trisha has even included some of Garth's favorite recipes in her cookbooks! In 2013, Garth became a grandfather when his daughter August had a daughter named Karalynn.

Helping Others

In 1999, Garth Brooks started the Teammates for Kids Foundation. This organization helps charities that support children. It has different divisions for baseball, hockey, and football.

Garth also raises money for many other charities, including those that help children and provide food relief. With Trisha Yearwood, he performed at a telethon to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. He also did five sold-out concerts in Los Angeles in 2008 to raise money for people affected by the 2007 California wildfires. All 85,000 tickets sold out in less than an hour!

Garth and Trisha have also supported Habitat for Humanity, helping to build homes for people in need. In 2010, Garth played nine shows in Nashville to help victims of the May 2010 Nashville flood. These concerts raised $5 million!

In 2013, Garth joined Toby Keith for a concert to help victims of the 2013 Oklahoma tornadoes. Many other artists also performed.

Supporting Equality

Garth Brooks has spoken out in support of gay rights. In 1999, he said that people should follow their hearts when it comes to love. The lyrics to his song "We Shall Be Free" include the line, "When we're free to love anyone we choose," which many people see as supporting same-sex relationships. He won an award for this song in 1993.

In 2000, Garth performed at a concert called "Equality Rocks" to support gay rights. He even sang a duet with openly gay singer George Michael. Garth has said that his half-sister, Betsy Smittle, who was a musician and openly lesbian, inspired his support for same-sex marriage.

Awards and Records

Brooks receiving the "Grammy on the Hill Award" in the Oval Office in 2010

Garth Brooks has won many awards, including a record 22 Academy of Country Music Awards and two Grammy Awards. He has also won Billboard Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. He is also in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

In 2020, Garth received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. At 57, he was the youngest person to ever receive this award. In 2021, he was also honored at the Kennedy Center Honors.

Sales Records

Garth Brooks has set many sales records. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has changed how they count album sales over the years. At one point, Garth was named the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history, even surpassing Elvis Presley. Later, with new counting methods, Elvis took the top spot again.

However, as of 2016, Garth Brooks became the first and only artist in music history to have seven albums certified "Diamond" by the RIAA. This means each of those seven albums sold over 10 million copies! He surpassed The Beatles' previous record of six Diamond albums.

In 2021, Garth Brooks won the Pollstar award for being the "country touring artist of the decade" (2010s).

Discography

• Garth Brooks (1989)
• No Fences (1990)
• Ropin' the Wind (1991)
• Beyond the Season (1992)
• The Chase (1992)
• In Pieces (1993)
• Fresh Horses (1995)
• Sevens (1997)
• Garth Brooks in...the Life of Chris Gaines (1999)
• Garth Brooks & the Magic of Christmas (1999)
• Scarecrow (2001)
• Man Against Machine (2014)
• Christmas Together (with Trisha Yearwood) (2016)
• Gunslinger (2016)
• Fun (2020)
• Time Traveler (2023)

Television Appearances

Concert Tours and Residencies

• The Garth Brooks World Tour (1993–1994)
• The Garth Brooks World Tour (1996–1998)
• Garth at Wynn (2009–2014)
• The Garth Brooks World Tour (2014–2017)
• Dive Bar Tour (2019)
• The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour (2019–2022)
• Garth Brooks/Plus ONE (2023)

See also

In Spanish: Garth Brooks para niños

• List of best-selling music artists
• List of best-selling music artists in the United States
• List of highest-grossing concert tours