Payne County Line Oklahoma Music News: Garth Brooks is honored for his service to the community

Oklahoma's new favorite son
by: JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
11/5/2007 1:16 AM

Garth Brooks is honored for his service to the community with the Will Rogers Spirit Award.

In 1989, John Wooley, Tulsa World music writer, predicted that this man would become the "next big thing" in country music.

He was right.

In those intervening years, Tulsa-born country musician Garth Brooks went on to be one of the highest-selling solo artists in music history and is easily one of the most popular live acts of all time.

Brooks was honored Sunday evening with the Will Rogers Spirit Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Will Rogers, at the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Tulsa.

The gala, which celebrates Rogers' birthday -- his 128th this year, to be exact -- also celebrates those who have served children and community much in the spirit of the famous politician, comedian and per former.

"Will had a passion for music and would have been absolutely thrilled to be here tonight," said Jim Hartz, chairman of the Will Rogers Memorial Commission. "Tonight's honoree embodies the spirit of the award."

Wooley agreed.

"You can look around you," he said to Brooks, who sat in the audience, "and you can see that your stardom is not just good for you -- it's good for us," he said of Brooks' generosity.

Brooks' passion for community earned him Sunday night's honor, in recognition of his work to support a variety of charitable organizations for children. Much of that work is done through the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation, which he helped establish in 1999.

"To have a night like this and you're not dead . . . well!" Brooks exclaimed with a hearty laugh and a hoist of the award, commenting that when he first learned of the honor, he didn't think he and Rogers had much in common, other than being Okies.

And, well, both of them first learned how to play music on the banjo.

"But neither of us let our lack of talent for singing stop us," he said as the capacity crowd of more than 700 peo ple laughed with him.

Indeed.

The superstar humbly signed autographs, met and spoke with fans, and was honored by guests including country musician Roy Clark and school friend, former band mate and country performer Ty England.

"I've seen a lot of stars and a people who go beyond stardom," said Clark.

"Will Rogers said he never met a man he didn't like -- he would have loved Garth," he said.

Attendees included former Oklahoma Governor George Nigh, author Michael Wallis, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chad Smith, Mayor Kathy Taylor, and Dfest founders Angie DeVore and Tom Green, to name a few.

In a pre-ceremony interview, Brooks spoke about his new home in Rogers County, retirement and the planned opening of the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa.

Of the arena, he set the record straight about earlier confusion on whether he'd been invited to be the arena's opening act.

"We have been reached out to," he said. There was no promise to perform, he said, but he promised to help in any way he could.

The artist recently built a new home with his wife, country music singer Trisha Yearwood, in Rogers County, as well.

Now in retirement almost 10 years, he said he still gets many offers to perform, but always declines, saying his family is -- and will be -- first.

With his children now closer to their biological mother and maternal grandparents, he said, "Oklahoma is my home and will always be my home."

"This is the first time we've had friends who are not in the music business," he said. "They treat you like the guy next door.

"All the kids play soccer together. . . . Trisha loves the sunsets and Braum's Ice Cream," he laughed.

He did say that once his children leave home, he hopes to tour with Yearwood.

"In 10 years, if Miss Yearwood says 'Sic 'em,' you better buy a helmet," he said with a laugh.

Old school friend Ty England paid a special tribute to Brooks at the ceremony, and performed parts from several James Taylor songs, including "Sweet Baby James," as Brooks is a Taylor fan, even naming a child after the singer / songwriter.

England also performed the first song he ever recorded with Brooks on a cheap tape recorder in a college dorm all those years ago -- Don Williams' "Listen to the Radio."

Afterward, Brooks shot to his feet, hat under arm, and rushed to hug his friend.

And Brooks set the record straight on one fact that had been presented by the media that evening, as well.

As he looked back at Wooley, who was sitting in the shadows, he said that Wooley wasn't actually the first person to predict that Brooks would become famous.

As Wooley leaned forward to listen, Brooks told a story about how, every day at lunch in grade school, he'd open his Batman lunch box to find a note nestled at the bottom.

"It said, 'Bear, you can be anything you want to be. Love, Mom.'

"But, John, you were the first to get paid to write it," he said, as he and Wooley shared a laugh with the crowd.

Jennifer Chancellor 581-8346
jennifer.chancellor@tulsaworld.com

Associate Images:

Country music artist Garth Brooks reacts after receiving the Will Rogers Spirit Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Will Rogers, at the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Tulsa on Sunday night.