“LOOKING BACK . . .” GARTH BROOKS’ 100 MILLION PARTY CELEBRATED A MILESTONE AND POINTED THE WAY HOME

On October 26, 2000, Garth Brooks celebrated RIAA-certified sales of over 100 million albums at a formal gala in Nashville where more than 1,100 artists, songwriters, musicians, industry leaders, friends and family gathered to recognize him as the solo artist of the century and the biggest selling solo artist in the history of American music.

During the festivities, Garth was presented with four RIAA diamond awards, for albums certified in excess of 10 million, for No Fences, Ropin’ The Wind, The Hits, and Double Live.  

Before the party, Garth explained why he was looking forward to it.

“This night will mean so much for me because, finally, 99% of the people responsible for reaching this historical mark will be in one room together,” he said.  

The celebration took on a new tone when Garth made the shocking announcement of his retirement during a press conference that morning.

His decision to walk away at the height of his career and return to Oklahoma allowed him to become the dad he always wanted to be to his three children, and it’s a decision that still fills him with gratitude.

“ . . .Those fourteen years of my life are the ones I’ll always remember. It was life at its best,” Garth said.

When Garth returned to touring and recording, it was on his own terms, in his own time.  His record-setting arena comeback tour, followed by the Stadium Tour, set the stage for the Blame It All On My Roots Tour.  Thrilling audiences across the country since August, each show marks a full-scale return to the arenas where Garth redefined country music in the ‘90s.