It’s been 25 years this month since Garth Brooks released Double Live, his first collection of recordings captured from the stage. During a November 20 press conference in Nashville, the country star described how the project has had a prolonged and unexpected impact on his career.
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“Some things happened in this world that [are] just serendipitous,” he told reporters. “You don’t plan it. One was finishing a tour in 1998, retiring in 2000, and raising babies till 2014. At that moment, the only way to get Garth live was [by listening to] the Double Live record.
“We did a thank you concert for Walmart in Kansas City that turned into multiple nights,” Brooks continued. “But the first night, you go out there, and you’ve been a soccer dad for ten years, you’re way overweight. You can’t even breathe, right? Then, it comes to a song called ‘Callin’ Baton Rouge.’”
He went on to describe how the crowd of fans sang along, loudly emphasizing the word “Louisiana” in the way that Brooks only sang in a live setting.
“It hit me at that moment—that’s how all these people know this stuff,” he says. “A lot of them weren’t born yet when we were touring last or weren’t able to buy a ticket last time. So when you see that happen, you realize that Double Live record is crazy.”
[RELATED: Garth Brooks’ Record-Breaking Double Live Turns 25]
Brooks revealed plans to take Double Live, which became the top-selling live album by any artist in history, off the shelves.
“We’ll kill the Double Live record here in just a little bit; Triple Live will be gone too,” said Brooks, referencing his 2019 album documenting his extensive world tour. “It’ll never be out again because we are making way for a thing called Killer Live.”
Although the country hitmaker didn’t share details of that project, he said it could be “five years from now” before Killer Live becomes a reality. It’s also still unclear when exactly Double Live will leave store shelves. Still, the importance of the project is still at the forefront of Brooks’ mind.
“I’ll put it right next to No Fences of what it’s done for my career,” he shared thoughtfully. “I love that record.”
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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