Garth Brooks is a name that resonates among country music lovers. Having sold almost 200 million records worldwide, Garth Brooks is one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. He has bagged an endless list of awards in the process including 2 Grammys and 17 American Music Awards. Brooks is an inductee of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Follow us as we take you through the highlights of his enviable career as well as facts about his personal life.
Garth Brooks Wiki/Bio
Born on February 7, 1962, in Tulsa Oklahoma, a young Brooks developed a passion for music and began to learn to play the guitar. In school, Brooks was highly athletic, playing in the baseball and football teams, as well as running track. Lon after his career had kicked off, Brooks made some time-out to play pro-baseball, something he would’ve probably been doing full-time had music not worked out. He has had brief stints with the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and the Kansas City Royals.
Despite his huge involvement with extracurricular activities, Brooks earned a scholarship to study at Oklahoma State University. Combining music with academics, Brooks managed to graduate with an advertising degree. Brooks launched his music career professionally in 1984. During his early days, he sang at clubs and bars and was particularly known for playing at Wild Willie’s Saloon.
Four years was what it took before the big labels came calling. Brooks inked a recording deal with Capitol records in 1989, releasing his debut self-titled album the same year. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and was proceeded with the release of the hit single “If Tomorrow Never Comes.”
Brooks continued to surprise with his subsequent albums. His sophomore endeavor No Fences remains his best-selling record to date, having pushed at least 17 million units. His hit song from the album was The Dance which became his signature song.
And then came 1991 and Garth Brooks broke records in the music world when his Ropin’ the Wind album became the first-ever country album to peak atop the coveted Billboard 200 list. It shot his fame over the roof and Brooks did well to capitalize on it, embarking on his first world tour. The success of the tour inspired the second one which grossed at least $105 million.
Brooks proved that his first Billboard no 1 album was no fluke when his three subsequent albums accomplished the same feat. His Double Live (1998) remains the best-selling live album of all time. Brooks went on a rather prolonged hiatus from 2000 to 2009, however, when he did come back, he showed he still had it in him. He released “Man Against Machine” in 2014 and continues to make new music as he tours the world.
Mom
Garth Brooks got his singing DNA from his mom Colleen Carol who was also a force to reckon with in her prime. Brooks was very fond of her and spoke about her often. Unfortunately, Carol died in August 1999 after losing her bout with throat cancer. Despite her death, Brooks never stops talking about his mom. No mother’s day goes by without Brooks dedicating a tribute to her. The most indelible one would be that of 2015 when he shared a video clip of photos he had snapped with his mom in the past. RIP Colleen Carol, the world appreciates you for birthing and grooming a star.
Garth Brooks Net Worth, House
Garth Brooks is filthy rich! His net worth stands at over $300 million. After coming out of that prolonged retirement, Garth Brooks has been making even more money than he did during his early years. He has since been a regular on the Forbes list banking high eight figures within a 12 month period.
He made $90 million in 2014/2015, and $70 million in 2016, making him the highest-paid country singer of that year. Like most music stars, the bulk of Garth’s earnings come from touring and his’ couldn’t be more successful. His comeback tour with his wife Trisha Yearwood is the highest contributor to his fat paychecks. Brooks plays multiple arena shows on the same day… all that energy!
A man like Garth Brooks has all it takes to live in the house of his dreams. Over the years, the world has watched him buy and trade properties. Back in 2008, he bought a house in Malibu for $4 million and after living in it for years, he listed it in 2016 for $7.5 million. According to Variety, the buyer was internet entrepreneur Adam Bernhard. Prior to that sale, Brooks in 2014 put up his 14,089 square foot French country style Oklahoma mansion for sale for $3.5 million.
Brook’s other properties include an 18,000-square-foot mansion sitting on about 2,000 rural acres just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Another one is a 300-acre country compound in Nashville and more.
Family: Wife, Divorce, Children
Garth Brooks has been married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage was to his college sweetheart Sandy Mahl on May 24, 1986. Their marriage produced three daughters namely; Taylor Mayne Pearl (born 1992), August Anna (born 1994), and Allie Colleen Brooks (born 1996).
Unfortunately, their marriage became sour in 1999 when they separated. They filed for divorce in 2001 and it was finalized on December 17, 2001. According to reports, Brooks shelled out about $124 million as a divorce settlement. The divorce took its toll on Garth’s career as he went into early retirement in 2000.
A few years passed and Brooks found love again, this time, in the eyes of fellow country singer Trisha Yearwood. They began dating and Yearwood also took a break from her career. Brooks popped the question to her on May 25, 2005, in Bakersfield, California with 7,000 fans present. She said Yes! and they got married on December 10, 2005. It was Yearwood’s third marriage after being previously married to musician Chris Latham (1987 – 1991) and The Mavericks bass guitarist Robert “Bobby” Reynolds (1994 – 1999).
