Garth Brooks’ Nashville Concerts Dethrone Prince
Garth Brooks may be retired, but the dynamic country entertainer is certainly not hibernating after stepping away from the mainstream spotlight in 2001. In addition to juggling family life and his Las Vegas concert series, the dedicated father of three continues to set records with his live performance dates.
Garth ranked No. 1 with the highest-netting 'tour' of December 2010, a string of shows intended to benefit Nashville flood relief. The limited dates, held exclusively at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, brought in more than $4 million, with proceeds going to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Dates for Prince's Welcome 2 America tour generated nearly $2 million during the same month, placing the 'Purple Rain' singer in second.
After the initial announcement of a single concert event, which would be his first arena show in Nashville since 1998, Garth responded to overwhelming demand when the 17,000-seat venue sold out in less than three hours, leaving many willing ticket buyers empty-handed.
The Oklahoma native subsequently announced more dates, transforming the one night performance into a marathon of nine spectacular stage shows spanning seven days. Garth invited friends to join the celebration, enlisting good buddy Steve Wariner to help him with the smash hit 'Longneck Bottle,' while wife Trisha Yearwood took the stage to perform fan favorites 'In Another's Eyes' and 'Where Your Road Leads.'
Garth also spotlighted the men and women of the military, announcing he had taken advantage of a last minute opportunity to broadcast overseas on the Armed Forces Network. The crowd responded, enthusiastically chanting "U.S.A!"
The affordable ticket price of $25 (plus handling) not only appeased his legion of adoring fans who traveled from all corners of the world to attend the special event, but exponentially multiplied the funds directly aiding victims devastated by the flooding. "Tennessee has shown amazing character through all of this," says Garth, "it is an honor to get to be a part of the healing process."
To learn more about the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, click here.
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