Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are country music’s reigning power couple.
Having met in 1981 while recording a demo at songwriter Kent Blazy’s studio, the pair immediately hit it off. Both were married at the time, but Brooks promised Yearwood she could open for him when he got his first record deal. Two years later, upon releasing his first album, Brooks stayed true to his word.
The two ultimately went on tour, collaborating on various duets. Later, when they split from their respective spouses, a romance blossomed behind the scenes. When Brooks proposed on stage in front of 7,000 people, Yearwood immediately said yes.
This year, Brooks revealed a special surprise song for his wife at the 2018 Country Music Awards (CMA).
Prior to Brooks’ return to the CMA stage, he had stated he only wanted to perform if he could sing a ballad he had written for Yearwood. “I won’t play it for anybody else because it’s a song you’re not going to believe was written by guys,” he said.
“It’s a song about the strength of a woman. And for me, that’s Trisha.”
“So, what I offered to the CMAs was, ‘Let me sing this to her that night. She hasn’t heard it and she won’t hear it until that moment. Nobody will. They’ve been very sweet. They kind of came back and said, ‘Hey look, something new that’s a ballad probably doesn’t work for us.’ So, cool. I’ll find some other way for her to hear it.”
However, the CMA executives quickly learned fans refused to take no for an answer. In the end, the CMAs caved on the decision, allowing Brooks to unveil his song during the awards show.
The couple was nervous before the performance.
Brooks was hoping Yearwood would like the song. Meanwhile, his wife was worried about what he was going to say. On the red carpet before the awards, she revealed: “I’m like, ‘Why am I so nervous? And I realized it’s because I really don’t like surprises, and I really have no idea what he’s going to sing.”
.@garthbrooks and @trishayearwood are live from Nashville on the #CMAawards Red Carpet thanks to ABC’s All Access, presented by @Google. We can’t wait to hear Garth perform tonight! pic.twitter.com/inyecTQDdJ
— CMA Country Music (@CountryMusic) November 15, 2018
During the performance, Brooks brought everyone to tears with the heartfelt, original song.
While he sang, Yearwood, illuminated by a spotlight, sat directly in front of him; seeing the performance is almost like getting a glimpse into their own private world. For the most part, Brooks keeps it together— but when he gets to the song’s most heartbreaking line, he can barely hold back the tears.
Watch the emotional moment below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
