Garth Brooks is the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history. But even icons have to start somewhere.
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His Wikipedia page says it all. With 157 million units sold, the "Shameless" singer surpasses Elvis Presley, the "King" of rock and roll, and ranks second only to The Beatles in total global sales.
Nine of Brooks' albums have reached Diamond certification (that's over 10 million sold). That's the most by any artist. He's even estimated to be worth around $400 million.
All this success didn't happen all at once, of course. When Kelly Clarkson found out on her talk show, even she was taken aback.
Garth Brooks Broke Up Fights For Three Years
Clarkson's realization about Brooks came when he appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2023.
At one point, Clarkson took questions from the audience. One Brooks' fan asked him if he had broken up any crazy fights when he worked as a bouncer. Clarkson was shocked at this realization. She then had some questions of her own.
"You were a bouncer?" she asked.
"For three years," Brooks replied.
"You're so nice," Clarkson exclaimed. "What were you, like, 'Scuse me, sir?' I can't even picture you angry."
"I am the meanest person you've ever met," joked Brooks.
"You're so full of s——," said Clarkson with a laugh.
This wasn't the first time Brooks discussed his time behind the rope. He also talked about working at a club in Oklahoma called Tumbleweed during an appearance on Good Morning America in 2018. He described it as a "weird job."
"There were about 12 of us, all of us were big, wrestlers and football players, so I basically just got to dance all night long," Brooks said. "It was the greatest gig to have."
We guess this is what he means when having friends in low places.
Brooks Was Also a College Athlete
Brooks' employment history wasn't the only surprising revelation for Clarkson. The singer also revealed that he was a college athlete.
"I was a javelin thrower," Brooks said. "So you got to hang out with all the wrestlers and football players."
"You were a javelin thrower?" asked Clarkson.
"Freshman, sophomore, first two years, you have to catch it," he joked. "If you survive that, then you get to throw it. Javelin jokes!"
"They just keep coming," she laughed.
If there's one thing you can say about Brooks, it's that it's never a dull moment when talking to him.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
