Garth Brooks – marriages, wife, children

Garth Brooks was born on July 2, 1962, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Music has always been present in their home, as his father, troyal taught Brooks his first guitar chord and when asked about his mother, Colleen Carroll, he said she had the best female voice he ever heard.

Brooks loved music, but he didn’t pursue a career in it initially because he wanted to become an athlete. After earning a track and field scholarship for javelin, he went to study at Oklahoma State University.

Brooks told Stephen Colbert in 2018, “I wanted to be a professional athlete. That was my dream when I was a kid. The only thing that stopped me was my professional athlete ability.”

Brooks only realized he could pursue a career in music after playing in  Willie’s, a local salon, from going there to pay a night to make money, it turned to a part-time job.

Garth recalled to Colbert, “One night turned into two nights, three nights, and pretty soon I was playing Monday through Friday all over town. The great thing was, it wasn’t working … I could feed myself and somebody I loved doing something that isn’t a job!”

Brooks decided to pursue a career in music and moved to Nashville in 1985. After moving to Nashville he was hoping things were going to get better, but the gigs weren’t forthcoming.

Brooks was only discovered after taking part in a writer’s round at the famous Bluebird Café and Capitol Records label head Lynn Shults was in attendance.

He soon was signed to the record label and started releasing singles and went on to become one of the biggest country music stars in the US.

Before his career took off, he was already married to Sandy, his first wife in 1989. They welcomed their first child in 1992, Taylor Mayne Pearl, August Anna, 1994, Allie Colleen, 1996.

On December 17, 2001, Garth Brooks and Sandy Mahl finalized their divorce and Sandy got a settlement worth $125 million.

In 2005, Brooks married his second wife, Trisha Yearwood.

Brooks explained, “I will say, I’d never wished divorce on anybody, but [for us,] three children and three parents worked well, especially since the three girls were all tomboys. So they were all at soccer, track and field, softball, and never did one of those kids take the field where at least one parent wasn’t in the stands.”

Looking back at his life and his achievements so far, he believes he is proud of all he has achieved.