Any fan of megastar Garth Brooks will tell you he does things a little differently than his country counterparts.
While most hitmakers populate their YouTube channels with music videos of songs on albums that haven’t even dropped yet, Brooks doesn’t make his work as readily available.
That’s why die-hard Garth Brooks fans are celebrating the singer’s news that he has opened his “vault” on seven of his longtime hits.
Brooks has posted seven music videos for classic hits, including “Red Strokes,” “We Shall Be Free,” “More Than a Memory,” “Dive Bar,” “I Don’t Have to Wonder,” “Midnight Sun” and his controversial 1991 video for his hit song, “The Thunder Rolls.”
You can watch all seven on his website at garthbrooks.com/the-vault.
Garth Surprises Fans Closing Out Stagecoach with Luke Combs
Garth Brooks posted a video on Instagram chronicling his journey to country music festival Stagecoach. There he surprised fans by joining Luke Combs on stage Sunday, April 27, to close out the festival.
In the caption, he wrote, “When @lukecombs plays @stagecoach, you show up! Hoss, you are a gift to country music…thanks for making last night too much fun! love, g”
The pair sang a duet of Brooks’ biggest hit, “Friends in Low Places,” with the audience joining in on the chorus.
Garth Brooks “The Thunder Rolls” Video Was Originally Banned
While “Friends in Low Places” is undoubtedly Garth’s signature song, “The Thunder Rolls” is also one of his biggest hits.
According to American Songwriter, the live version Brooks sings in concerts features an extra verse that tells of a wife getting revenge on her abusive, cheating husband.
That storyline is also featured in the video for the song, which got it banned on TNN (The Nashville Network) the day of its release. TNN offered to play the video if Brooks would record a disclaimer to play before it, but he refused.
CMT also pulled the song from its rotation less than a week after its release.
In the video, Brooks plays the role of the cheating, violent husband who pays the ultimate price for his betrayal.
The lack of airtime on TNN and CMT didn’t stop “The Thunder Rolls” from winning Video of the Year at the 1991 CMA Awards. It was also nominated for Best Music Video–Short Form at the Grammys.
Garth Brooks Says Vault Release Was Inspired By His Anthology Series
On Brooks’ “vault” webpage it reads, “Inspired by recent conversations about the Anthology series, Garth is restocking the Vault on garthbrooks.com with seven of his classic music videos. Spanning the years 1991-2019, these videos won awards, introduced Garth as an actor and director, and sparked national dialogue about important social issues.”
Brooks just released “The Anthology Part V” which features songs from the first five years of his “comeback.”
The singer had been retired for 14-years when he launched his comeback in September 2014.
“The comeback tour had started . . . and the ‘crazy’ started with it,” Brooks writes in the opening pages of The Anthology, Part V: The Comeback, The First Five Years.
The “crazy” came in the form of a music industry that had changed dramatically since Garth stepped away. But the superstar singer embraced new technology and reinvented his music, continuing his comeback tour through 2017.
The collection features six CDs, 66 songs, (including seven live recordings,) and more than 150 never before seen photos.
Garth Brooks Honored By ‘Austin City Limits’ Hall of Fame
Brooks’ latest Anthology release isn’t the only thing on his calendar right now.
Saturday, May 3, Austin City Limits caps off its 50th Anniversary celebrations with the broadcast premiere of “Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Honors Garth Brooks.”
Brooks brings his live show to the ACL stage, playing fan-favorites and telling the stories behind his hits.
The special was recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin as part of Austin City Limits’ 50th anniversary. ACL premiered on PBS in 1975, making it the longest-running music series in television history.
Brooks first performed on ACL on season 15 in 1990.
The special airs Saturday, May 3 at 8:00p.m. ET. It will then stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits for four weeks.
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Garth Brooks Opens His ‘Vault’ to the Thrill of Fans