Garth Brooks was known as a country singer, but his
style was heavily influenced by songwriters of the
1970’s, particularly James Taylor, Bruce Spring-
steen, and Dan Fogelberg. Brooks’s first, self-titled
album was released in 1989. A traditional country
music album, it received critical and popular ac-
claim, peaking at number two on the U.S. country
album chart. It was an early indication of the success
he had yet to enjoy, for Brooks’s second album,No
Fences(1990), spent twenty-three weeks in first place
on theBillboardcountry music charts.
Early Albums No Fencesturned Garth Brooks into a
musical superstar and contained what would be-
come Brooks’s signature song, “Friends in Low
Places.” A working-class solidarity song, the single
reached number one on the country music charts.
Later, Country Music Television (CMT) named it
one of the top ten country songs of all time. A sec-
ond single fromNo Fences, “Unanswered Prayers,”
reached number one for two weeks, and CMT
named it one of the top ten love songs of all time. It is
a sweet, ironic ballad about how things work out
even when they do not appear that way.
No Fenceswas almost an instant hit and sold more
than five million copies in the first year of its re-
lease. It went on to score as the best-selling country
album by a male artist, with sixteen million copies
sold in the United States by the end of 2006. InNo
Fences, Brooks was polishing his style of pop country
music, a style that would propel him to super-
stardom.
In 1991, Brooks’s third album,Ropin’ the Wind,
was released to advance orders of four million cop-
ies. A mixture of pop country and honky-tonk, songs
included “The River,” “What She’s Doing Now,” and
a cover of Billy Joel’s “Shameless.” Trumped in sales
only byNo Fences, this third album prompted the
sales of his previous albums as well, a phenomenon
that made Brooks the first country music singer to
have three albums in the Pop Top 20 in one week.
Ropin’ the Windwon Brooks his first Grammy Award
for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (1992).
He was also awarded the Academy of Country Music
Award for Entertainer of the Year for 1990, 1991,
1992.
The Chase(1992), Brooks’s next album, included
the single “We Shall Be Free,” a stylistic combina-
tion of gospel, country, and rock. The song was in-
fluenced by the 1992 Los Angeles riots. With its
message of cultural tolerance, it was received with
resistance by country music disc jockeys and their
culturally conservative audiences. Still, when he
sang “We Shall Be Free” at concerts, he often re-
ceived standing ovations. In 1993, Brooks recorded
In Pieces, an instant number one success that eventu-
ally sold more than ten million copies internation-
ally.International Stardom Brooks set out on a British
tour to publicizeIn Piecesin 1994. His public appear-
ances sold out, and he appeared in many television
talk shows and radio interviews. Although he was of-
ten belittled by British pundits and celebrities who
did not understand American country music tradi-
tions, he returned to Britain in 1996 to star in more
sold-out concerts. This time he restricted his media
appearances to country radio and magazine inter-
views. He toured many countries, including Spain,The Nineties in America Brooks, Garth 121
Garth Brooks holds six awards he won at the 1991 Academy
of Country Music Awards. His awards included Top Male Vocal-
ist and Album of the Year, forNo Fences.(AP/Wide World
Photos)