Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood will be seriously acquainted with Philips Arena the next week as they embark on a seven-show run at the venue.
But on Friday afternoon, a few hours before his kickoff show at 6:30 p.m., the couple visited The Zone at Children’s Heathcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite to talk to the press about the tour and their respective upcoming albums.
Brooks, by the way, and Troy Aikman started the Teammates for Kids foundation, which is a major donor to the 10 Zones around the country.
Before anything was said about music or entertainment, a misty-eyed Brooks noted that his proudest accomplishment “aside from being a father and husband,” was his affiliation with the children’s hospitals.
Brooks and Yearwood, a Georgia native and celebrant of her 50th birthday on Friday, ceded the spotlight to each other in a show of mutual respect and obvious affection between the pair.
Yearwood, who was born in Monticello, remarked that she was so happy to be in Georgia to celebrate her birthday because, “this is home.”
She mentioned the November release of her “Prize Fighter” album, while Brooks also had some album news of his own to share.
"11/11, all hell's breaking loose," he said. The Nov. 11 album release can be pre-ordered now through www.garthbrooks.com and the newly launched www.GhostTunes.com.
In his typically casual uniform on baggy jeans, baseball cap and a Garth Brooks hoodie sweatshirt, Brooks also talked a bit about what fans can expect from these live shows. He last played Atlanta 18 years ago.
“(If I’m a fan), I want to hear the old stuff. That’s what they came for. ‘Friends in Low Places,’ ‘The Thunder Rolls,’ ‘The Dance.’ You go to a Garth Brooks show and don’t hear those songs, you aren’t at a Garth Brooks show.”
Brooks also shared a piece of advice when asked about the key to his lengthy career.
“Never change who you are to fit in.”
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