Country music superstar Garth Brooks recently opened up about his life during his music hiatus that started back in 2000 including his life as a single dad. According to Us Weekly , Brooks detailed that time in his life in a recent question and answer session in New York.
“I just said goodbye to music, got divorced, moved back to Oklahoma and left Nashville. I was living with three strange women that I did not know. They were 8, 6 and 4. And I was about to get a crash course in females and my best friend showed up, ” Brooks said during the interview. At the time, Brooks left his super successful music career behind to focus on his three daughters.
Of course, his best friend that he is referring to is fellow country singer Trisha Yearwood . The two first met back in 1988 when they were both starting out in their music careers. At the time, both Brooks and Yearwood were married to other people. Despite being married, when meeting Yearwood for the first time, Brooks said he felt like he had “just met his wife.”
Following Brooks’ split from wife Sandy Mahl in 2000, he and Yearwood began dating and he admitted he was thankful for her help when it came to raising his daughters. He noted that Yearwood didn’t have children of her own so it was like the “blind leading the blind.”
“I’d never wished divorce on anybody, but three children and three parents worked really well,” Brooks explained. He revealed that his three daughters, Taylor, August, and Allie were tomboys and were involved in different sports including soccer and softball. By having three people involved in parenting, the girls always had someone in the stands for them, he explained.
Even though Brooks felt strongly about Yearwood when they first met, he revealed that he had “no regrets” with the way things turned out. He believes that had he and Yearwood married back then, things might have turned out much differently.
“Either the career wouldn’t have been what it was in the ’90s or our marriage wouldn’t have lasted,” Brooks said. He added that he believes things “happen when they happen.” He also acknowledged that his daughters are the “perfect blend” of both their mother and himself along with Yearwood’s influence.
A&E recently unveiled an all-new documentary about Brooks, who was named Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards this year, titled The Road I’m On . The documentary includes interviews with Brooks, Yearwood, and his ex-wife Mahl.