These are garth Facts Everyone Should Know Who Loves Garth!
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Garth has the two biggest selling albums in country music history,
No Fences (13.1 million) and Ropin' the Wind (11.3 Million), with
total domestic album sales exceeding 50 million.
He is the only male solo artist in music history to have two albums
top the 10 million sales mark.
His debut album, Garth Brooks, was the best selling country album of the
1980's.
No Fences and the soundtrack The Bodyguard are the top selling albums in
any music form to date in the 1990's.
Ropin' the Wind, Garth's third album, made Billboard history on September 28, 1991,
as the first album to enter the Billboard Top 200 chart and the Billboard
Country chart at #1. When The Chase was released the following year, that
album became the second album to enter at #1 on both charts, and 1993's In Pieces
became the third.
Although Garth considers himself a country artist, and has made no efforts to move into
the pop charts, he has often surpassed pop artists in national polls. In 1992, Entertainment
Weekly readers proclaimed him Top Male Singer, over Michael Bolton, Bruce Springsteen and
Axl Rose of Guns & Roses. The 1992, 1993 and 1994 People's Choice Awards named him Top Male
Musical Performer, in addition to top Country Music Performer in '92 and '93 (People's Choice
did not give a country award in '94.) In 1992 and 1993, Billboard named him Top Pop and Country
performer. The pop recognition extends to other countries, too. For example, In Pieces topped the
Australian pop charts this year, and Canada named him International Entertainer of the Year in
1991. In Pieces debuted at #2 in the U.K.'s pop album charts, and his singles, "Ain't Goin' Down
(Till the Sun Comes Up)" and "The Red Strokes" hit #13 and #14, respectively, in the U.K.'s pop
singles charts in 1994.
The landmark 1992 television special, This is Garth Brooks, attracted 28 million viewers,
was #9 in the week's ratings, and was NBC's best Friday night rating in over two years.
The Brooks ratings helped NBC grab the top ratings spot for the night, the first time the
network had done so in over a year.
His high impact video for the controversial song, "We Shall Be Free," was first aired at
Super Bowl '93's pre-game show, and featured public figures including: Michael Bolton,
John Elway, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno, Marlee Matlin, Warren Moon, Eddie Murphy, Martina
Navratilova, Patrick Swayze, Elizabeth Taylor, General Colin Powell and Kristi Yamaguchi.
"We Shall Be Free," which espoused racial, religious and sexual tolerance, received an
Outstanding Recording Artist Award from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/Los
Angeles.
He sold over 4 million CD's for the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities, raising over $4
millions for the organization. The Garth Brooks Collection featured selected cuts from Garth's
recordings. Artists also participating and raising additional funds in the campaign were: Tina
Turner, Elton John and Roxette.
He raised over $1 million for "One Voice," the Los Angeles based organization that assists low
income families with food, shelter, job training and scholarship opportunities. The "One Voice"
benefit concert was held at the Hollywood Bowl, and sold out in 21 minutes. Hollywood Bowl Special
Events Manager Mark Ferber said: "I can't remember, since the Beatles, a longer box office line than
this morning for Garth Brooks. It was really impressive to see."
He donated $1.00 of every copy sold for his 1992 Christmas album, Beyond the Season, raising
approximately $2.5 million for Feed the Children during 1992.
He has performed as a guest artist on recordings for artists ranging from George Jones to Eddie
Murphy to KISS.
Brooks was the subject of two Barbara Walters Specials (one with Denzel Washington and Sharon Stone,
and one with Whitney Houston and Elton John), a Magic Johnson Special, a David Frost interview and
a Playboy interview. He has been on the cover of every magazine from Rolling Stone to Time to People
to Forbes.
He sang the National Anthem to over 1 billion people in over 87 countries at Super Bowl '93.
He has performed attendance record-setting concerts throughout the world. (His traveling show
is huge, usually including four buses, seven semis, and a road crew of 35.)
On January 29, 1993, he performed two benefit concerts at the 36,000 seat Great Western Forum in
Los Angeles. Both shows sold out in a record setting 34 minutes. (He raised over $1 million for the
Youth Education Town in Gateway Plaza in South Central L.A. at the concerts.)
He fronted the biggest and fastest selling concert tour ever fronted by a country act in the U.S.
The announcement of an NBC television special to be filmed at Texas Stadium preceded a ticket-buying
frenzy on the part of the Texas fans. He sold out Texas Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys) in 92
minutes, selling over 65,000 tickets to the first show, and breaking the previous records held by Paul
McCartney. Dallas fans demanded and got more shows. A second show sold 65,000 tickets in 93 minutes,
as did a third.
He holds the record for the Houston Livestock Show, playing two sold-out shows for over 62,000 people per
show.
During Garth's 1994 trip to Ireland, the Irish press noted that he sold tickets faster than Bruce Springsteen,
Bob Dylan and even U2 on their homeground.
His 1994 World Tour traveled to 11 countries and played to over a half million fans. The tour was important to
country music in that many country stars wait until their careers have cooled somewhat to play extensively
outside the United States. Garth's commitment beginning during peak years of his career has encouraged many
promoters worldwide to book more country acts than normal, tremendously benefiting the entire industry.
©Copyright 1994 Liberty Records. All rights reserved.
