Outside the Beltway

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood Engaged

James Joyner · Thursday, May 26, 2005 · 3 comments

Country stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood got engaged last night.

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood Engaged (AP)

Garth Brooks stole the show Wednesday night when he got down on one knee in front of 7,000 fans and proposed to fellow country music star Trisha Yearwood. She said yes — and the crowd went wild. The occasion was the “Legends in Bronze” event at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, where 10 larger-than-life bronze statues honoring country stars were unveiled, including one of Brooks. After his big moment, Brooks popped the question.

The marriage will be the second for Brooks, who has three children, and the third for Yearwood, said Brooks’ spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer. Brooks, 43, is credited with widening the genre’s appeal in the 1990s by merging traditional country with honky tonk, pop, folk and rock. His “Ropin’ the Wind” album was the first such country recording to debut at the top of the pop music charts. His latest album, “Scarecrow,” went triple platinum.

Yearwood, 40, was named the Country Music Awards female vocalist of the year in 1997 and 1998. Her latest album is “Jasper County.” Other musicians honored with bronze statues were Buck Owens, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, George Jones and George Strait.

Interesting. Brooks “discovered” Yearwood and romantic attraction between the two has been long rumored, including while both were married to other people.

PlanetGarth

As most fans know, Garth and Trisha were demo singers back in the late ’80s before either of them signed record deals. During this time, they became good friends and made plans to record together if they ever had the opportunity. Through the years, they had sung harmony vocals on each other’s albums, most notably Garth’s hit “Shameless” and Trisha’s hit “Like We Never Had a Broken Heart” (which Garth also co-wrote). They also made several attempts at recording duets, but never felt like they had reached their goal with the results. Finally in 1997, the two found the song they were looking for – “In Another’s Eyes.”

Trisha Yearwood on YahooMusic:

Yearwood’s first tour was with Garth Brooks; the two became fast friends and have remained close ever since. Yearwood says she often bounces ideas off Brooks, but she doesn’t always take his advice.

“In the beginning, he was such a big brother to me,” she says. “When I went on tour with him, I had never done it before, and he was so great…Most artists don’t get that kind of opportunity. But then I went through this rebellious little-sister phase where I didn’t want him to tell me what to do. I was like, ‘I don’t want your advice about my career, because you’re wrong and I don’t agree with you.’ I don’t agree with everything he says, but I do have great respect for him and his business sense.”