Country Music Herald

Photo credit: Rusty Jarret / Getty Images for NASCAR

Coming out of retirement sure gets a guy a lot of gigs. Garth Brooks has released his Ultimate Hits album (including some new songs), had a string of 10 concerts in Kansas City, did his part to help with fundraising for the California wildfires, and now he’s going to be the face of NASCAR for 2008. The announcement was made this afternoon from Daytona by NASCAR President Mike Helton, along with Brooks. There is just no rest for a non-retired guy!

The year 2008 marks the fifth year for the NASCAR Foundation’s “NASCAR Day”. Over the past five years, the NASCAR Foundation has raised almost five million dollars on NASCAR Day, celebrated annually on the third Friday in May. The day finds fans all across the country donating $5 to The NASCAR Foundation and receiving a commemorative pin to raise funds for the NASCAR Family of Charities. This year’s NASCAR Day will take place on Friday, May 16th. If you would like to donate and become a part of a worthy cause, head on over to the Official NASCAR Day Website.

Garth Brooks will become the face of the campaign, appearing in print, radio, and television ads promoting NASCAR Day. The ads will begin at the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in February and run through May. Past celebrities involved with NASCAR Day include Will Farrell and Kelly Clarkson. Once I can get my hands on the print campaign ads and the video clips of the television commercials, I will be sure to post them here, so stay tuned for more information about Garth Brooks and NASCAR Day 2008.

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While I’ve been off stuffing myself with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, Nashville news kept on cranking out, so let’s take some time and see what I’ve missed in my tryptophan induced sleepiness.

File This Under “It’s About Time!”

Charlie Daniels has become the latest country superstar to be asked to join the Grand Ole Opry ranks. Current Opry member Martina McBride surprised him during one of his concerts on November 19th. He was performing a Christmas concert for children at the storied Ryman Theatre in Nashville when she extended the invitation. Daniels became emotional and was pleased with the offer. All I have to say to that is “it’s about time” considering the decades of country music classics the Charlie Daniels Band has been producing. Josh Turner was the most recent inductee into the Grand Ole Opry.

Grammy News

Country music’s teenage phenom Taylor Swift will be helping with the announcing duties for nomination ceremony for the 2008 Grammy Awards. Taylor will join other stars like Akon, Linkin Park, and Qunicy Jones at 8:30 am on December 6th to read the nominees. The 2008 Grammy Awards will be broadcast on February 10, 2008 on CBS.

Garth Brooks Concert to Help Fire Victims

Garth Brooks just finished up a string of 10 concerts in Kansas City with his wife Trisha Yearwood, and now the entertainer will be performing a show in Los Angeles to benefit the victims of the recent widespread fires in Southern California. Brooks will perform on January 26, 2008 at the Staples Center. More information, including how and when to purchase tickets, will be available on Monday November 26th.

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Is it really a comeback for Garth Brooks? He just wrapped up performing a string of shows in Kansas City that were completely sold out and also broadcasted live to theatres in several states (Garth’s real life wife Trisha Yearwood also performed). He also just released his Ultimate Hits album and has a new single that went all the way to number one on the country music singles charts. So in honor of Garth’s potential comeback, here are the lyrics for his current hit, “More than a Memory”:

More than a Memory by Garth Brooks

People say she’s only in my head
It’s gonna take time, but I’ll forget
They say I need to get on with my life
What they don’t realize

Is when you’re dialing 6 numbers just to hang up the phone
Driving cross town just to see if she’s home
Waking a friend in the dead of the night
Just to hear him say it’s going to be alright
When you’re finding things to do, not to fall asleep
‘Cause you know she’ll be there in your dreams
That’s when she’s
More than a memory

Took a match to everything she ever wrote
Watched her words go up in smoke
Tore all her pictures off the wall
That ain’t helping me at all

‘Cause when you’re talking out loud, but nobody’s there
You look like hell and you just don’t care
You’re drinking more than you ever drank
Sinking down lower than you ever sank
When you find yourself falling down upon your knees
Praying to God, begging “please”
That’s when she’s
More than a memory

She’s more
She’s more

‘Cause when you’re dialing her number just to hang up the phone
Driving cross town just to see if she’s home
Waking a friend in the dead of the night
Just to hear him say it’s going to be alright
When you’re finding things to do, not to fall asleep
Cause you know she’s waiting in your dreams
That’s when she’s
More than a memory

People say she’s only in my head
Gonna take time but I’ll forget

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It’s about to be a big weeks for the incomparable Garth Brooks. So in honor of Garth’s new album and “comeback” out of retirement, here is the video of his smash hit “The Dance”. It also includes some commentary by Garth about the lyrics and the meaning behind the song. Enjoy!

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It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that when Garth Brooks said he’d be retiring from country music that it would be temporary. After all, he was at the top of his game cranking out hits, winning entertainer of the year awards, and selling millions of albums. I mean, man can’t live on Dr. Pepper commercials alone. Of course, there was that little side project where he thought he was Chris Gaines that pretty much fell flat, but in the country music world he was seemingly unstoppable.

To be honest, his retirement lasted far longer than I ever imagined it would, but the time has come to resurrect his career and he’s doing it in a grand fashion. First of all, he’s got a greatest hits collecting getting ready to hit the shelves. The disk includes a new song, “More Than a Memory” that topped the country music singles charts a few weeks back and still lingers in the top ten. Garth is also currently on tour with real life love Trisha Yearwood in support of his disk. The duo are playing sold out shows in stadiums across the country.

Now he can add a couple more endeavors to his rapidly growing resume. First up, Garth will be featured on GAC’s “Off Stage with Lorianne Cook” this Saturday night. He is also taking over Sirius Satellite radio’s Prime Country channel 61 for two entire weeks beginning November 5th. The superstar entertainer will introduce his own songs and also tell about other country music artists that inspire him and play their songs as well.

Garth Brooks’ new CD, “The Ultimate Hits” will be released next Tuesday November 6th.

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