Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks: biography

Troyal Garth Brooks is an American country singer and songwriter. Brooks added rock music elements to his works and concerts what brought him enormous popularity. This progressive approach helped him to be at the first places on the country music and album charts and made his music understandable for a wide audience.

Garth Brooks's career became one of the most successful in the history of popular music, having broken a record of tickets selling and concerts attendance in the 1990s.

So, how did Brooks become such a famous and influencing person?

Childhood and youth

Garth Brooks was born February 7, 1962, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the youngest child of Troyal Raymond Brooks who worked at an oil company. His mother, Colleen McElroy Carroll, was a country music singer, she worked on the Capitol Records label and appeared on Ozark Jubilee show. For both Garth's parents, this marriage became the second, that's why he had four older half-siblings (Jim, Jerry, Mike, and Betsy). Troyal and Colleen had two children together - Kelly and Garth. The family arranged talent nights every week at their home. Every child had to take part, to sing songs or do skits. Garth learned to play the guitar and banjo.

In a childhood, Garth liked singing at home but was more focused on athletics while studying at school. Being a High School student, Brooks played football, baseball, ran track and field. In 1984 he graduated and got a degree in advertising. At the same year, Brooks started his professional music career – he played the guitar and sang in Oklahoma's clubs

Music career

In 1984 Rod Phelps, an entertainment attorney came from Dallas in order to listen to Garth's performance. He liked his singing, and he suggested the musician helping in his first demo-song's producing. Due to Phelps, Brooks met people who would help him and influence his career's development. Also, Brooks left for Nashville intending to conclude a contract but got back in a day. Phelps encouraged disappointed Brooks to come back to Nashville and try to succeed there.

Garth's debut album which was called merely – Garth Brooks – was released in 1989 and succeeded, critics appreciated it. It peaked at No. 2 on the Album Country-music Chart of the USA and No.1 on the main Album Chart Billboard 200. In general, the album consisted of traditional country music which Garth had created under the influence of George Strait's music.

Album's first single Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) was a country top 10 success. The next single of the album, If Tomorrow Never Comes, happened to be the first number one hit on the country music chart. The song called Not Counting You peaked at No,2, and The Dance also became a leader of the country music chart. The video clip for the song was popular what allowed Brooks to communicate by his music with a different audience. Garth Brooks himself admitted that the song The Dance is his favorite one among others.

Brooks released his second album in 1990. It was called “No Fences” and spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album also reached No. three on the Billboard 200 and became the highest-selling album. In the album, Brooks Garth included the songs which would become signature for him: the blue-collar anthem Friends in Low Places, The Thunder Rolls and Unanswered Prayers. These songs, as well as Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House peaked at No.1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Brooks's third album, "Ropin' the Wind", was released in September 1991. It had got more than 4 million preliminary orders until it was published. At once "Ropin' the Wind" reached No.1 of the Billboard 200, the first for a country artist. The album consisted of country-pop and honky-tonk compositions. The songs Shameless (the cover of Billy Joel's song), What She’s Doing Now and The River became the No. 1 hits on the chart. After such a successful work, the number of sells of previous albums raised hugely. It made Brooks the first country artist with three albums listed in the Billboard 200's top 20 simultaneously.

Being under the influence of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Garth Brooks and Stephanie Davis wrote a gospel-country-rock hybrid single ''We Shall Be Free''. In the composition, the singers expressed their desire for tolerance. This song became the first single of the 4th Brooks's album called "The Chase". ''We Shall Be Free'' happened to be the first single in three years which failed to be in the top 10. It reached 12th place. However, the audience at Garth's concerts has always done a standing ovation for the song; it peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Christian Songs charts and earned Brooks a 1993 GLAAD Media Award. One of the most popular songs from the album is ''All Day Long''.

“In Pieces", the next Garth's album, became the leader on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts. The album's selling was evaluated at $10 copies worldwide. For some reasons Brooks had to delay its worldwide release, but, when the problem was resolved, the album also peaked at No. 2 on the United Kingdom Albums Chart.

At the same year, the single ''The Red Strokes'' became the first Garth's song to make the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 13. It was followed by ''Standing Outside The Fire'' which peaked at No.23. Musician's previous albums, such as "Fences", "Ropin' The Wind" and "The Chase" remained in the top 30 on the UK Albums Chart.

In 1994 Garth Brooks toured Great Britain with the album. He gave the concerts at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre and London's Wembley Arena. He was invited to several TV-shows and radio programmes.

Garth Brooks became famous even among foreigners: his album's sellings remained high, his fans were from different continents.

In November 1995, Garth Brooks released his first album in 2 years and called it "Fresh Horses". Within six months more than 3 million of album's copies were sold, however, later the selling level reduced.

The album's first single ''She's Every Woman'' reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. However, the second song The Fever (the cover of the Aerosmith song) only managed to peak at No. 23. Nevertheless, other three songs from the album, including ''The Beaches of Cheyenne'', became the Country Chart hits.

The next, the 7th Garth's album was released in 1997. Initially, the musician planned to release it in August, but, for some reasons, the plans were changed. As a result, the album's release was in November. The album peaked at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts. Eventually, more than 10 million copies were sold. The first its single was the song ''In Another’s Eyes'' (the duo of Brooks and a famous country singer Trisha Yearwood ). The song reached No.2 on Hot Country Songs chart. Other three songs, released in 1997, became the hits of the County Chart.

In 1999 Garth Brooks starred in the film The Lamb. Brooks played his alter ego, Chris Gaines. Brooks released a new album which was dedicated to the film and called ''Garth Brooks in … The Life of Chris Gaines''. Brooks also appeared as Gaines in a television mockumentary for the VH1 series Behind the Music, and as the musical guest on an episode of Saturday Night Live, which he also hosted as himself.

The reviews of the album were not unambiguous. The work didn't bring popularity to Brooks

While the development of Garth's career, in the family he often had conflicts. Earlier, in 1992 and 1995, Brooks said about the possibility of taking a rest from music, but it wasn't serious.

On October 26, 2000, Garth officially announced what he would stop making music and giving concerts

Till his leaving, on November 13, 2001, Brooks had released the last album called "Scarecrow". Although it didn't bring a substantial commercial success like the previous ones, the collection was still sold well, reaching No. 1 on Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts

In 2007 Garth started the series of concerts at a newly opened Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri

On October 15, 2009, Garth Brooks announced his official return to the stage and the intention to perform every weekend in the ''Encore Las Vegas.'' This schedule allowed Brooks to do the routine and to dedicate weekends to music.

In 2017 Brooks started his biggest tour. He visited more than 30 states in the USA, started in Atlanta and finished in Nashville.

In 2018 Garth performed on the special TV-show Garth: Live At Notre Dame. At the Notre Dame concert, he sang 23 songs.

Personal life

On May 24, 1986, Garth Brooks married Sandy Mahl, a musician and songwriter. They met when Brooks worked as a security in a bar. The couple has three daughters: Taylor Mayne Pearl, August Anna, and Allie Colleen Brooks.

The couple started living apart in May 1999. They said about the plans to divorce on October 9, 2000, and filed for a divorce on November 6, 2000. The separation was executed on December 17, 2001.

Since the 1990s, many tabloids wrote articles about the affairs between Garth and his colleague Trisha Yearwood. Earlier they denied the information. After Garth's divorce, he started dating with Trisha. Later, on November 10, 2005, at their house in Oklahoma, there was a wedding. Trisha became the third Brooks' wife, he became the third husband for Yearwood. The couple has the townhouses in Tennesi, Malibu, and Florida, but lives on a ranch in Owasso, Oklahoma. The singer has dedicated to Trisha many songs, such as Stronger Than Me(2018) and Ask Me How I Know(2016).

Garth Brooks is an American country music star who has a net worth of $330 million.

Charity

In 1999, Garth Brooks and Bo Mitchell founded the Charitable Organization ''The Teammates for Kids Foundation'' aiming to support children in difficult financial situations. Nowadays the organization is working on four directions connected with one of the kinds of sports:

1. Baseball
2. Hockey
3. American football
4. Football

On the 25th-26th of January Brooks organized a benefit concert for victims of the fire in California.

In 2005 Garth Brooks donated $500,000 to ''Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital.''

Awards

Brooks has won a record 22 Academy of Country Music Awards and received a total of 47 overall nominations. His 13 Grammy Award nominations have resulted in 2 awards won, along with Billboard Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards, and many others. Brooks' work has earned awards and nominations in television and film as well, including the Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2010, he was inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame.

Musical style

Garth's elder brothers and sisters gave him a love for different music styles. Having heard the single Unwound by George Strait, Brooks decided to work in a country music style. Although Garth listened to country music from the very childhood, he also was a huge fan of rock. According to Garth's future confessions, the musicians James Vernon Taylor, Daniel Grayling Fogelberg, and John Townes Van Zandt influenced his identity hugely. Besides, he was influenced by rock-singers of the 1970s, such as Billy Joel, Bruce Frederick, Joseph Springsteen, Queen, and Freddie Mercury

In his music, Garth mixed country, honky-tonk, post-, and arena-rock what gave him an immense commercial success.

At the concerts, Brooks often used a wireless microphone which allowed him to move around the stage. It made the shows more theatrical and alive.

Discography:

• Garth Brooks (1989);
• No Fences (1990);
• Ropin' the Wind (1991);
• The Chase (1992);
• In Pieces (1993);
• Fresh Horses (1995);
• Sevens (1997);
• Scarecrow (2001);
• Man Against Machine (2014);
• Christmas Together (with Trisha Yearwood) (2016);
• Gunslinger (2016);
• Fun (2019).

Filmography

• Nasville Beat (1989);
• Hee Haw (1990);
• Empty Nest (1991);
• Mad About You (1994);
• Sesame Street (1995);
• Muppets Tonight (1996);
• Saturday Night Live (1998);
• Behind the Music (1999);
• The Voice (2016)