Garth Brooks is coming out of retirement [UDPATED]

Eight years after trading in his Stetson and pop music superstardom for domestic life raising his three young daughters, Garth Brooks, the biggest-selling solo performer of all time, has decided to dust off that hat and come out of retirement.

There has been widespread speculation that he will perform in Las Vegas, and there is a news conference scheduled at Wynn Las Vegas this afternoon.

Brooks has sold more than 128 million albums in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Assn. of America, second only to the Beatles’ 170 million albums.  Brooks has outsold the Fab Four -- more than 68 million, to the Beatles’ 58 million -- in the 18 years since Nielsen SoundScan began monitoring retail sales in 1991, two years after Brooks released his first single. The RIAA lists six of Brooks’ albums with sales of 10 million or more copies each.

During the 1990s he also was one of the most popular concert attractions in the world. Amusement Business magazine ranked his 1996 tour the biggest country music tour in history after he sold 1.8 million tickets that year.

“I think Garth is a huge attraction,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the concert tracking magazine Pollstar. “He could go headline arenas right now if he wanted to.”

Any lingering questions about Brooks’ ongoing drawing power were obliterated in 2007 when he played nine concerts in Kansas City, Mo., in conjunction with the release that fall of his compilation album “Ultimate Hits.” He initially planned one show at the 19,000-capacity Spring Center Arena as a thank-you to employees of Wal-Mart, but demand quickly led to the addition of eight more shows that were opened to the general public. All nine sold out in a matter of minutes.

Two months later he quickly sold out five shows at Staples Center in Los Angeles that were benefits for firefighters and victims of wildfires that had recently scorched broad swaths of Southern California. As he had done previously, Brooks insisted the tickets be affordable to rank-and-file music fans. Tickets for the Kansas City shows were $25, and for the Staples Center dates the face-value seats topped out at $45.

Several major life events preceded the announcement of Brooks’ retirement. His mother died in 1999, and the following year he and his wife of 14 years, Sandy, were divorced. The couple’s daughters were 8, 6 and 4 at the time. They’re now 17, 15 and 13 and live in Oklahoma with Brooks and singer Trisha Yearwood, who married in 2005.

Brooks, widely regarded as one of country music’s savviest businessmen, also was looking ahead, knowing that no act stays at the top forever and eyeing a new crop of young male stars such as Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban on the rise as the new millennium dawned. So he chose to bow out while he was still riding high.

"I have respect for artists who keep making music their entire life, but I don't want to ride that downside of the [sales] curve," he said in 1996. "You want to be remembered at your best."

Barbra Streisand sparked grumbling from some of her fans a few years after her highly touted -- and high-priced -- “farewell” concerts when the singer announced she would do some more concerts after all.

But few expect any backlash about Brooks’ change of heart.

“He has so much goodwill built up, he always put on outstanding live shows, nobody ever thought they got taken advantage of by Garth Brooks — those are all positives working in his favor,” Bongiovanni said. “I think fans all expect to [entertainers who retire] to come back sooner or later.”

-- Randy Lewis

RELATED:

PHOTO GALLERY: Retirements that weren't

Photo: Garth Brooks at Staples Center in 2008. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

UPDATED 4:46 P.M.: An earlier version of this post said a Kansas City concert in 2007 had started as a thank you to employees of Wal-mart, which exclusively handled his “Ultimate Hits” CD/DVD collection. His exclusive deal with Wal-Mart had ended before that set was released.

Comments

[Lucy]

Welcome back Garth!!!! I am beyond excited to see you perform again! I foresee many many road trips to Las Vegas in the near future!!!

[Mandy]

I'm so glad Garth is back. I've wanted to see him live for so long; I've watched so many of his taped concerts, and Garth is simply the best. He represents music at its best- when it wasn't about the money or the fame, but about entertaining and bringing a smile to the audience's face. I am happy to have Garth, the entertainer, back.

[Nicole]

I am so excited for Garth to come out of retirement! I was only 13 when he retired so I never got to see him in concert. I grew up listening to him and always said if he came out I would fly anywhere to see him. Vegas here I come!

[BR]

He was "retired?"

If so, why can't he leave well enough alone?

Geez.

[Angie]

Hello,

I am so happy about this news!!!

Can you please send me informations about concerts in Germany? Will he made a world tour or does he only concerts in USA?

Thanks for informations.

Bye - Angie

[Cindi Sisco]

I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!! :} :} :}

[TJ]

I have seen Garth twice and absoulutly love him and his show! It has been worth the wait for him to get resituated in his life and decide to come back! There are A LOT of us who look forward to seeing him in our hometowns or venturing to Vegas to see him, regardless, maybe DJ Scungilli should give his music a shot and be the only one he knows who has his music!!!! It might class DJ up some!!!!

[R B]

The world does not revolve around the musical tastes of DJ Scungili. Glad to see / hear that Garth is back. Saw him in concert in the late 90's. Great music that touches his fans

[Sassiegirl69]

YAY!!! I was soooo fortunate to see him at the Sprint Center (as well as a few other times) and he is AMAZING! I'll start saving now so that I can hit Vegas!! I bet it'll be AWESOME! I just can not say enough good things about Garth. He seems to be one of the GREATS that seem truly 'in it' for the passion of music. I'm sure the money is nice, but he seems to be genuinely appreciative of everything he has and of each one of his fans! He's in my Tops List with Reba & George Strait *swoon*!!

[Bopcat Bob]

Definitely up for seeing Ferlin Husky!
And if they could get that Simon Crum along, what a duo date that would be!

[J.T.]

Country Music needs the Shot in the Arm this will provide, A true entertainer. No backlash He always said he would come back when the kids grew up.

[Buck Jones]

GOD HELP US! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Please Garth, stay where you are, you already did enough damage to country music. We don;'t need your crappy UN-country music anymore.

[Ryan L]

I don't know what some of the people leaving the anti-Garth comments are talking about...saying no one owns his music and that he is not country. You can't tell the story of country music without several mentions of Brooks. The man dwarfed all other country music performances in his time and I don't see how you can't give credit where credit is due. Clearly you have never been to a Garth Brooks concert. Welcome back Garth! Hoping for a new album.

[legalchick]

Was he gone?

[Luke]

Christian Simmons should open up for him!!!

[Gerri]

Cant wait Garths the best Its been a Garthlishish day!! Seen Garth 15 times and looking forward to the next. Puts a BIG SMILE on MY FACE Thanks

[Jean]

I had the pleasure of doing a graduate music analysis of one of Garth's songs, it was quite fulfilling as a musician and quite enlightening to those who read it. I am always amazed at the music snobbery that goes on. The die hard jazz cats that say, oh he wouldn't like my chords, oh puleeze, all the excuses in the world won't cover the snootiness that takes place in the world of music. Garth is just a real singer/songwriter that appeals to the general masses. He's an amazingly savvy businessman, more musicians could learn from him. On a lighter note, the only time I got to see Garth perform was at the most recent concert at Staples Center. I couldn't afford to go see him while I was in college supporting my kid. And it was actually my daughter who scored me tickets. She's 18, and loves him just like me. So get off your high horses and get down in the dirt with us regular folk. Thanks for returning Garth!!!!

[xrystle tonga..... queesland in australia]

I AM IN LOVE WITH GARTH BROOKS I LOVE HIM SOOOO MUCH!!! EVERY DAY AFTER SCHOOL AT 3.30PM I WALK OUT TO THE BUSH NEXT TO MY HOUSE AN CLIMB A HUGE TREE AN I STOP JUST AFTER HALF WAY... AN I SING GARTH BROOKS SONGS UNTIL IT GETS DARK AT LIKE 6.30PM.... I WISH ONE DAY I COULD SING WITH GARTH.. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM TO.... LOVE YOU GARTH XOXOXOXO

[Amanda]

I can't wait!!!! I am so glad Garth is out of retirement, I have been waiting for 8 years for this but I thought I was going to have to wait for another 5 years. And I am so thrilled he chose to start in my town. I have grown up on his music and I am glad to get a chance to go to one of his concerts, and these wont be the Garth shows from a decade ago, these ones it's gonna feel like your sittin' at an open mic night with a couple dozen people but instead of someone who can't sing you get Garth Brooks. There is nothin' better than that.