What Garth Brooks Did For Work Before Country Music

It’s hard to picture Garth Brooks doing anything except making country music, but the “Friends in Low Places” singer had several jobs before becoming famous, and one of them is truly surprising. On a 2023 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Brooks revealed that he used to keep the peace at an Oklahoma bar.

“For three years,” Brooks said when Clarkson asked about him being a bouncer. The “American Idol” winner was incredulous, saying her guest seemed far too nice to have held such a position. “I pretty much just danced with every beautiful woman in the place,” Brooks explained of his college job. “The big boys did the work, but it was fun. You got to wear the badge and all that stuff.” Of course, Brooks was soon bound for bigger and better things.

Brooks Also Formed a Band in College

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Although working as a bouncer kept him busy many nights, Brooks also made time for music in college. As PBS shared, the singer put together a band called Santa Fe and cut his teeth playing for fellow college students. For Brooks, the experience of playing in small venues let him hone his craft. “The greatest thing about clubs is there’s no one in between you and the people you’re playing for,” he explained. “There’s no ‘yes men’ between you and them; it’s just honesty.”

After college, Brooks left Oklahoma behind for the bright lights of Nashville. Once there, he took on yet another unexpected job: managing a store that sold cowboy boots. As Taste of Country reported, young Brooks put downtime between customers to good use by writing songs, such as the 1990 classic “Not Counting You.”

The Singer Has Set Many Impressive Records in His Career

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Brooks has come a long way since his days of playing clubs and selling boots. As of this publication, the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee holds some jaw-dropping records. As his official bio notes, the RIAA has deemed him the top-selling U.S. solo artist of all time, with 162 million records sold and counting. He was also the first artist to receive nine diamond awards from the RIAA, an honor given to albums that sell over 10 million units.

The singer also has an impressive array of industry awards under his belt, including seven CMA Entertainer of the Year awards. Even his songwriting skills have earned him numerous accolades, making him a true force to be reckoned with in the music world. In 2021, he told CBS News that his genre of choice has some of the best fans around. “Country is the best place to be because, one, you have the most loyal audience there can possibly be. And they will wait for you,” he said.