Garth Brooks | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Troyal Garth Brooks |
Born | February 7, 1962 |
Origin | Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar (primary instruments) Piano Saxophone |
Years active | 1985-2001 2005-present |
Labels | Capitol Records, Liberty Records, Pearl Records, RCA Nashville |
Website | www |
Troyal Garth Brooks, commonly known as Garth Brooks, (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He uses rock elements in his recordings and live performances. Brooks was successful in the country singles and country album charts and later also proved popular in the mainstream pop arena, exposing country music to a larger audience.[1]
Brooks has had one of the most successful careers in popular music history, with over 70 hit singles and 15 charted albums to his credit. Throughout the 1990s he broke records for both sales and concert attendance. In 1999, looking to expand his career boundaries, Brooks began a multimedia project involving a fictitious alter ego known as Chris Gaines.
He started performing at bars while studying advertising in college and also working as a bouncer.[2] In 2001, Brooks officially retired from recording and performing, after having conflicts between his career and family.[1] During this time he has sold millions of albums through an exclusive distribution deal with Walmart and has released new singles from time to time.[3][4]
On November 6, 2007, The Ultimate Hits was released. Brooks came out of retirement in 2007 when he opened a new arena in Kansas City, Missouri.[5] He left retirement again in 2013 to play at the Encore Casino in Las Vegas.[5]