Garth Brooks’ Parents Both Discouraged Him From Following in Their Footsteps
In the ’90s, Garth Brooks emerged as one of the most popular country music stars of all time. But his life could have gone down a very different path.
Initially, Brooks’ parents both discouraged him from following in their footsteps. However, the future superstar would ignore one of them and pursue a career in the music business anyway.
Garth Brooks came from humble beginnings to become an icon
In 1989 and throughout the ’90s, Brooks released several successful albums. A decade-plus string of hits cemented his status as one of country music’s biggest stars. Tracks like “The Dance” and “The Thunder Rolls” set him apart from his country counterparts. Even more recent album releases received strong sales and largely positive reviews.
But long before all of that, Brooks was the youngest of six children growing up in a small town in Oklahoma. As a young man, he sought his own path, looking to his mother and father for inspiration. However, when Brooks approached his parents, they each tried to convince him not to do as they did. In the end, only one of them succeeded.
Garth Brooks went against his parents’ advice in pursuing music
In a 2021 interview with CBS This Morning, Brooks revealed that he initially tried to pursue a military career like that of his father. But once the elder Brooks found out, he was quick to put a stop to his son’s decision as Garth explained:
“So I went to the recruiting office there in Stillwater for the Marine Corps. because my father was a Marine. And I thought I’d surprise my dad by telling him I went. His first words were, ‘Garth, you don’t want to do that.’ I think every parent wants something different for their child because every parent has seen the dark side of everything.”
Likewise, Brooks’ mother — who gave up her own music career to raise a family — “begged him not to” pursue singing and songwriting. Still, Brooks maintains that “if you knew [his] mom, [she’d be like] ‘Garth, don’t get in this business,’ the singer said with a wink.
Garth Brooks’ most recent album was released in 2020
Brooks has been married to fellow country singer Trisha Yearwood since 2005. The singer has kept plenty busy since returning to the world of making music. Since 2016, he’s released three albums, including a Christmas album with Yearwood. That makes it four if fans include the Triple Live album released in 2018.
In 2020, Brooks unleashed his eleventh studio album, titled Fun. It was finally released after facing production delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2018, Brooks has traveled on his Garth Brooks Stadium Tour. The tour concludes with five shows in Dublin in September 2022.
