CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Country music star Garth Brooks says he didn’t think he could return to the stage with an even larger fan base compared to what he had in the 1990s.
“We didn’t think it could get bigger than it did in the ’90s, so to see people show up, we’re in awe, we’re flattered and just loving every minute of it,” Brooks told MetroNews following a Friday afternoon press conference in Charleston.
.@CarrieHodousek chats with #GarthBrooks pic.twitter.com/XooBdVJEBw
— Brad McElhinny (@BradMcElhinny) October 21, 2016
Brooks, one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, is in Charleston this weekend with his wife Trisha Yearwood to perform four shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Charleston Civic Center.
The first show is scheduled for Friday night. They’ll perform two show Saturday and one show Sunday.
“We enjoy each other’s company,” Yearwood said. “We’re that nerdy couple who really does like to be together and so I feel lucky that we both do the same thing because we can both understand the passion for what we do and we also can do it together.”
Fans can expect to hear a mix of new music and classic songs like “Friends In Low Places.”
“You want to play songs that people are coming to hear,” Yearwood said. “We firmly believe in giving people what they came to hear.”
Playing four shows in three days is a lot, but Brooks said he’s able to have the energy through “the people.”
“If you don’t match their energy, they’re going to trample you. You’re going to be left behind!” he said. “You’ve got to keep up with them and that’s the fun of it.”
Yearwood, who hosts a cooking show in the Food Network, said, thankfully, she’s able to balance touring and filming.
“We shoot every day that we’re not on the road,” she said. “It’s a good team too and they’re family also and they really work around my schedule so that I can do both.”
Being on the same stage together is special, both Brooks and Yearwood said. The couple has been married 11 years and said they love that the share the same passion for music.
“I couldn’t be married to him and go do this and him be at home,” she said. “We decided we didn’t want to be apart.”
Brooks stepped away from music for over a decade to raise his three daughters. He said returning to the stage with Yearwood is “where he wants to be.”
“People go, ‘Where’s home?’ My home is anywhere she’s at,” he said.
What’s the future look like for Garth? He said now that his kids are all grown, he plans on performing until he no longer can.
“I’m going to stay in the business until they throw me out,” he said. “I’d love to tour 100 more times, but we’ll see what ‘the queen’ wants to do and whatever it is, we’re going to do it.”
The last time Brooks’ performed in Charleston was 19 years ago.