MAIN Pop Culture Country Music   Garth Brooks

Back in the news in 2009 with a surprise comeback to the live Las Vegas stage, country singer Garth Brooks was born Troyal Garth Brooks on February 7, 1962.

Widely regarded as a leader in a generation of singers to mix elements of country with pop and rock, Garth Brooks is one of the most successful artists in country and pop music history.

Growing up as the youngest of six children in a musical household headed by father Troyal Brooks and country music recording artists mother Colleen Carroll, a young Garth Brooks later went on to attend Oklahoma State University in Stillwater on a track scholarship as a javelin thrower.

Later graduating with a degree in advertising, Brooks began his musical career singing and performing in Oklahoma clubs, and after a failed attempt at a recording contract in Nashville, returned home to marry his college sweetheart, Oklahoma native Sandy Mahl. The following year the couple moved permanently to Nashville where Brooks landed his first recording contract and released his first self-titled album in 1989.

"Garth Brooks" was an immediate success, spinning off such hit singles as "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)," and a favorite No. 1 chartbuster, "The Dance" helped along by the advent of the music video age. With his integration of rock into traditional country music Brooks helped to bring country music to a much wider audience than ever before and secured his place as an early country-rock fusion maverick.

Since then, Brooks has released 15 albums in total. In addition to "Garth Brooks" going platinum his subsequent releases including "No Fences", "Ropin' the Wind","The Hits", "Sevens" and "Double Live" have also achieved diamond status, or multiple platinum sales.

For his early success, Brooks was awarded Top Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year at the 1990 Academy of Country Music Awards, and went on win the first ever Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1992. Throughout the decade he would enjoy record-breaking sales as well as numbers in the thousands of fans who attended his live tour dates.

Then, with the close of the 90's, Brooks was about to embark on yet another career with an entirely new persona - that of rock star Chris Gaines. The marketing ploy for an upcoming movie in which Brooks would star, however, fell flat with audience. Although intrigued by the stunt, many didn't know what to make of Brooks' alter ego and some protested his total abandonment of country music. The movie, entitled The Lamb, was scuttled. The album nevertheless, went double platinum.

About the same time, Brooks' home life was headed for a major change as divorce proceedings began in 2000 with his wife of 12 years, Sandy Mahl. By the time the divorce was finalized the following year, Brooks had announced his planned retirement from show business to spend more time with his three daughters - Taylor, August, and Allie.

Rumors of a years-long affair between Brooks and country music singer Tricia Yearwood were the reported reason for the marriage breakup, although the couple only began publicly dating following his divorce. Brooks and Yearwood later married in 2005.

"Scarecrow", Brooks' final album, was released in November 2001 and not unexpectedy debuted at No. 1 on the pop and country charts.

Since then, the country music superstar's comeback has included an exclusive deal with nationwide retailer Wal-Mart in 2005 to distribute special CD box sets of his past hits, and he has occasionally appeared to perform at favorite charity events.

In late 2007, he also performed in a two-week stint at the Sprint Center in Kansas City and made a national TV appearance at the 2008 ACM Awards when he was honored with the Crystal Milestone Award as the top selling country music artist in history.

Las Vegas - The big comeback

Now back in the saddle in terms of live performance dates, Garth Brooks announced his return in 2009 at a planned Las Vegas venue, and at the time wondered if his fans might have forgotten him. Brooks was proven wrong without a doubt when tickets went on sale in October, selling out in a matter of hours for his Sin City debut in December.

Brooks, who remains the best selling solo act in history, is scheduled for 20 shows at the Wynn Las Vegas resort with appearances at its Encore theater on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays of select weeks beginning December 11, 2009.

Garth Brooks on the Web:

The Official Garth Brooks Website - Check out the latest news & updates, complete biography, discography, photo gallery, online store.

Planet Garth.com - Huge fan site featuring photo galleries, an extensive database of songs and lyrics, busy fan forum.

Garth Brooks - IMDb - Complete information on Brooks' TV performances and guest appearances dating back to 1990 with related photos, videos and biography.

Garth Brooks - Bio & career highlights with photo gallery, videos, downloadable wallpapers, trivia challenge.

All Garth - More major fan love in busy community forums and news updates, photo gallery, music clips, song lyrics, related links & resources.