Garth Brooks Took A Break From Music To Be 'That Third Parent' For His Daughters

Apr 08, 2022 by apost team

Garth Brooks is known for the beautiful songs that he sings that are full of life and emotion. Brooks started his singing career back in 1985, and by sheer hard work and determination, he received a breakthrough four years later and became a country music icon with some of his best hits like 'The Thunder Rolls,' 'Friends in Low Places,' 'Unanswered Prayers' and 'The Dance.' He now has two Grammy's and 17 American Music Awards.

After over three decades in the entertainment industry, Brooks has grown to be one of the biggest icons in the history of country music. Back in 2000, however, fans of country music were heartbroken when he announced his retirement that fall. With divorce and three children in the singer's life— fans didn't know when he would return. On top of family matters, Brooks's mother passed away during this time. His reason for retiring was to spend more time raising his family since he had been away for shows and tours in recent years. According to Capitol Records, he had already sold more than 100 million records in the U.S. alone by then. 

Taking his three daughters to school, attending his daughter's sporting events, and being an all-around dad, Brooks spent his time away from music in Oklahoma for nearly 14 years. His time away wasn't all daddy duty; the star eventually took up a residency at Wynn Las Vegas in 2019, which lasted four years. It wasn't until his daughters started to leave the house that the country star thought about making a return to the music industry full-time. 

The country legend told Tennessean, "Here's the thing, if you're the captain of your ship, you know where it's going," while referencing downtime in his career. Having had a public divorce in 2001, Brooks isn't the same man he was before he put singing on pause. Just a few years into his career of raising his daughters, he married country star Trisha Yearwood. Yearwood told People Magazine:

"They let me learn my way and allowed me to be that third parent in their lives," she said. "They were a gift that I didn't know I needed. I didn't know how much children brought into your life until I got a chance to be a part of their lives."

After becoming empty nesters, Brooks said it was a bitter-sweet time, "I worship my girls," he said. "I just didn't know what I was gonna do with myself. The love of my life figured out it was hurting me. She said, 'Did you ever think about touring again?'"

While the A-list country star is currently on tour, he isn't the only one in the family these days making music. At the behest of her father, Allie, Brook's youngest daughter, decided to graduate before entering the field, according to Classic Country Music. After attaining her Songwriting and Music Business degree from Nashville's Belmont University, she decided it was time to enter the studio as a solo artist. The Oklahoma native clearly has big plans in the industry, and her relocation to Tennessee indicates the true seriousness of her aspirations. 

apost.com

Going to college was a smart move, which is evidenced by a line straight from the chorus: "You can't expect me to learn from something I ain't even tried." The legendary superstar's daughter, Allie Colleen Brooks, is fiercely following in his footsteps, and the up-and-coming performer just scored her first hit in the Top 40. With "Ain't The Only Hell (My Momma Raised)" ranking at No. 30, she's clearly on the road towards fame and acclaim. At the young age of 25, she is already making waves with her distinctive recordings. As it stands, this is obviously only the beginning of a long and storied career.

Before going mainstream on her own, Allie served as a backup singer during her dad's concerts. These gigs may have been quaint family outings for her, but they apparently imbued a thirst for the spotlight. Still, the singer retains surprisingly humble origins. In a podcast quoted on Fox News, she unexpectedly declared, "I don't know what it's like to have celebrity parents. My dad was there every night." 

Speaking to Larry King, the country icon said, "You want to better yourself. You want to be a better person. You know, ten years down the line, you can have all these things up on your wall, these plaques, all these awards, but if you're not a better musician and a better singer, songwriter, and a better people after that ten years, are you really a success?" If you take a step back— you can see that Brooks made an admirable decision to step away from his music career to be a full-time dad. 

Do you think if Garth Brooks hadn't stepped away from singing to raise his daughters— they would be as close as they are now? If you enjoyed this article, make sure to pass it along to others who will feel the same!