Garth Brooks, born February 7, 1962, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a country music icon whose unique blend of traditional country with pop and rock elements propelled him to unprecedented fame. He holds the record as the only artist in history with nine Diamond-certified albums (surpassing The Beatles' six) and has sold over 170 million records worldwide, making him the best-selling solo albums artist in U.S. history. After retiring from recording and performing between 2001 and 2005 to focus on family, Brooks made a successful comeback with Las Vegas residencies (starting in 2009) and major world tours, releasing his latest album, Time Traveler, in November 2023. His accolades include two Grammy Awards, 17 American Music Awards, and the RIAA's best-selling solo artist of the century, along with inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame (2012) and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2011). In 2020, he became the youngest recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and he was also inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2016. Growing up in Yukon, Oklahoma, as the youngest of six children, Brooks initially focused on athletics, earning a track scholarship to Oklahoma State University before turning to music.