{"id":20140,"date":"2019-11-15T08:10:53","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T15:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/?p=1814734"},"modified":"2019-11-15T08:10:53","modified_gmt":"2019-11-15T15:10:53","slug":"backstage-and-upfront-garth-brooks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/music-news\/backstage-and-upfront-garth-brooks\/","title":{"rendered":"BACKSTAGE AND UPFRONT: Garth Brooks"},"content":{"rendered":"
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by Alison Bonaguro<\/a><\/span>
\n10m ago<\/span>
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

Just how important is the CMA Award for entertainer of the year anyway? Here\u2019s what it means to Garth Brooks. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf Keith Urban\u2019s name is on an award, it\u2019s one you want,\u201d Brooks said backstage after he picked up the coveted grand prize on Wednesday night (Nov. 13). \u201cIt\u2019s one that\u2019s cool to have.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also shared the pact that he and his wife Trisha Yearwood had made earlier that day: no matter what, have fun. Do not let the nerves and the butterflies get to you. Because as he explained, he made it to that arena stage on Wednesday by playing bars when only 12 people were in the crowd. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you played these dive bars in \u201989, there was twelve people there. And you had one single that you played five times a night, each night, and they made it sound like it was a first time you played it. You know, now you get to go in these little packed dive bars and they know every word to any song you want to play. And it doesn\u2019t have to be yours. We play George Strait, we play Nitty Gritty, you can play anything you want there and they will know it. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo that love that you get from the stage is irreplaceable. This is a symbol for that. If this ride ever does have to end, this would be a good one to end it on,\u201d he said of his seventh entertainer of the year CMA Award. <\/p>\n

But Brooks was quick to concede that there are new country singers who might easily break that record. Kelsea Ballerini is one, and Luke Combs is the other. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you watch Luke Combs, he\u2019s a natural. He\u2019s gonna he\u2019s gonna have eight of these,\u201d Brooks said after watching Combs perform. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s good because country music \u2014 the future \u2014 is in great hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

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