Biography of Trisha Yearwood

One of the first artists to benefit by association with Garth Brooks, Yearwood probably would have made it big on her own anyway. The product of Monticello, GA (the self-proclaimed deer capital of the world), Yearwood came to Nashville to study the music business at a local college before graduating to record-company receptionist, demo singer, and backup singer (for Brooks, among others). Her first single, "She's in Love with the Boy," went straight to number one, her first album went platinum, and she's hardly slowed down since. ~ Brian Mansfield

Biography of Garth Brooks

In a word, phenomenal. After his first two albums went platinum (Garth Brooks and No Fences), Nashville knew that Garth was hot property. But no one would guess that this Oklahoma-born crooner with the big hat would sweep so many awards and end up the biggest crossover star in history. According to his press release (as of October 1991), his records were selling to the tune of 225,000 a week, making Tennessee Ernie Ford (and his smash "Sixteen Tons," in its time a huge crossover hit) look downright insignificant.Brooks's 1991 Ropin' the Wind was the first country album to debut at the top of Billboard's Pop Album chart. And that, country music fans, means money. When the pop fans think Brooks is one of theirs, and the country fans claim him as their own, he has the best of both worlds. His easy-to-listen-to style and content put him where Kenny Rogers was a decade earlier, though Brooks's fans are younger and in more of a record-buying mood. In the Music City News Top LPs chart of March 1992, Brooks's first three albums ranked one, two, and three, though in reverse order from when they were issued. The mind boggles when considering what he'll do for an encore. The good old days, when country fans would argue over whether a particular singer or song is real country, are just that -- good old days. In the DSG (days since Garth), such questions are irrelevant. This is a phenomenon we're dealing with. ~ David Vinopal