Garth Brooks
#
27
Ranking
Hall of Famer
BIRTHDATE
BIRTHPLACE
Tulsa
,
OK
,
USA
64
6
'
0
"
Garth Brooks is an Oklahoma-raised country legend who went from working as a bar bouncer at Oklahoma State to becoming the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history, with over 170 million albums sold, nine Diamond-certified records, an estimtated $400 million net worth, and a career that single-handedly fused arena-rock energy with traditional country to reshape the genre for a generation.
Current Tour & Setlist
Brooks has confirmed 2026 concert dates including two nights at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater at Milwaukee's Summerfest on June 16 and 17, and a headline slot at the American Express Presents BST Hyde Park festival in London on June 27. No support acts have been announced for these dates, but based on his recent "Garth Brooks/Plus ONE" Las Vegas residency setlists, fans can expect a mix of his signature hits including "Friends in Low Places," "The Dance," "If Tomorrow Never Comes," and "Unanswered Prayers," along with a guest segment from Trisha Yearwood performing her own classics.
Early Life
Born the youngest of six children in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Brooks grew up in Yukon with music embedded in his household from the start: his mother Colleen Carroll had recorded for Capitol Records in the 1950s and appeared on the early country television show Ozark Jubilee, while his father taught him his first guitar chords and the whole family was required to participate in regular talent nights at home. As a kid, Brooks was far more focused on athletics than music, playing baseball, basketball, football, and running track, and he went on to attend Oklahoma State University on a partial javelin scholarship, majoring in advertising while moonlighting as a bouncer at a local bar and performing cover songs at campus clubs like Willie's Saloon on the Stillwater Strip.
Career Highlights
Brooks made his first run at Nashville in 1985 after graduation, but returned to Oklahoma within 24 hours, discouraged by the city's indifference; he moved back permanently with his new wife Sandy in 1987, cleaning churches and working odd jobs while building contacts in the industry. His fortunes turned when Capitol Records executive Lynn Shults caught him performing at the Bluebird Cafe in 1988 after the act Shults came to see failed to show, leading to a record deal and his self-titled debut album in April 1989. From there his rise was historic. His 1991 album Ropin' the Wind became the first album in music history to debut at number one on both the country and pop Billboard charts simultaneously, and Brooks went on to become the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history with over 170 million albums sold, nine Diamond-certified albums, and a record-breaking 1997 Central Park concert that drew the largest crowd in park history.
Family & Personal Life
Brooks married Sandy Mahl on May 24, 1986, and the couple had three daughters: Taylor Mayne Pearl (born 1992), August Anna (born 1994), and Allie Colleen (born 1996). The marriage ended in divorce on December 17, 2001. He remarried on December 10, 2005, to country singer Trisha Yearwood, whom he had first befriended in Nashville in the early 1990s when she sang backing vocals on his demos. His daughter Allie Colleen Brooks has also pursued a country music career as a singer-songwriter.
Awards
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