Unless you were living under a rock in the 1990s, you will know who Garth Brooks is. He is the biggest selling artist in American history. A legend of country music, he has sold over 100 million albums to date. And now with his documentaries series, Garth Brooks: The Road I'm On, we get a very intimate and detailed look at his rise to fame.
His story, a biography in which he participates fully, is documented over two episodes. Each is around an hour and a half long and features plenty of archive footage, interviews, and stories. All of which gives you a really well-rounded picture of his life – the good and the bad.
The first thing that comes across is that Garth Brooks is an incredibly grounded and likable guy. Heck, even his ex-wife, who features prominently, has nothing bad to say about him. His band has been with him for decades, his daughters adore him and at every crossroad, Brooks maintained his integrity and tried to the right thing.
So how did Garth Brooks achieve his fame and success? Well, that's an interesting story. As the youngest of six children, his mother was a singer who gave up her deal with Capital Records to raise her family. His father, an ex-soldier, instilled a sense of duty and hard work and even forced him to finish college even when he wanted to drop out.
His first trip to Nashville lasted less than 24hrs before he turned the car around, realising that it wasn't the right time to pursue his music career. When he returned, more prepared, it still required years of hard work and grafting to only then be rejected by seven different music labels.
And then it happened. One night in the Blue Bell, when he was due to go on seventh, he was asked to fill in for a guy who hadn't turned up. In the crowd was a music exec who had already passed on him. He was there to see the musician that hadn't shown. One look at Garth Brooks live and a meeting was arranged. Garth Brooks got his record contract. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Garth Brooks: The Road I'm On is a thoroughly engaging music documentary series. Even more so if you already happen to be a fan. It's a fantastic blast from the past that will have you digging out your old cd's and blasting out Friends In Low Places!
