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Dublin Live
Entertainment
Amy Donohoe

Garth Brooks relationship history - from $125m divorce to worshipping wife Trisha Yearwood

Garth Brooks is half way through his Dublin shows, with three Croke Park gigs under his belt.

His wife Trisha Yearwood made a special appearance, leaving the crowds stunned by her incredible vocals. The country music star joined her husband on stage to sing Lady Gaga's song Shallow.

The pair sizzled on stage together and the audience joined them belting out the hit song. Hopefully Trisha will back again this week as Garth returns on September 16 and 17.

Read more: Garth Brooks delights fans as he joins sing-song at Dublin playground

While Trisha is famous in the country music scene, the Irish audience may not be very familiar with her work or her history with Brooks. Here is everything you need to know about their relationship from previous marriages to instant chemistry.

Garth and Trisha were both married when they first met

Garth and Trisha first met 35 years ago in 1987, however things didn't start off romantically. Both singers were married to other people at the time. Garth was married to songwriter Sandy Mahl, with whom he shares three children and Trisha had just married Chris Latham that year. Trisha and Chris divorced in 1991. In 1994, she married Robert Reynolds, a bassist for The Mavericks. She then divorced Robert in 1999.

Brooks split from wife Sandy in 2000 and their divorce was finalised in 2001. Sandy received $125 million in the divorce settlement.

Instant chemistry

Despite other romances, Garth and Trisha hit it off from the moment they met and began a long-lasting working relationship. The pair toured together and also collaborated in the studio throughout the 80s and 90s. Garth co-wrote Trisha’s 1991 song ‘Like We Never Had A Broken Heart’ and they joint-released ‘In Another’s Eyes’ six years later.

Garth admitted that there was instant chemistry between them when they met, despite being married to other people. He told Ellen DeGeneres on her chat show: “It’s strange because I felt that feeling like when you just meet your wife, but I’d been married (to Sandy) for 13 months.”

Read more: Garth Brooks breaks down in tears during first Croke Park gig

When did they finally get together?

Nearly two years after Garth’s divorce in 2001, he made his first public appearance with partner Trisha. They walked the red carpet at the 33rd Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards Induction in New York in 2002.

Garth said: “This was somebody I always enjoyed being around. And we had a lot more in common than I ever dreamed we did. And so we started seeing each other after the divorce.

“We’d known each other music-wise, but we got to see each other as people. And I’ve got to tell you, if you like her and don’t know her, you’ll love her. If you love her and don’t know her, you’ll worship her. She’s the real deal.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 18: Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks attend the "Garth Brooks: The Road I'm On" Biography Celebration at The Bowery Hotel on November 18, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Are they happy they were friends first?

Trisha firmly believes that their romantic relationship became so strong because they were friends first.

She told The Boot: “We had this strong base friendship that I think a lot of couples don’t get because – and I was guilty of that, too – you go straight into a romance with somebody, and a few years down the line, you’re like, 'I don’t like this guy. What was I thinking?'"

When did they get married?

Garth proposed to Trisha whilst performing on stage in California back in May 2005. They married six months later in a private ceremony with friends and family at their Oklahoma home - two decades after they first met and they’ve lived happily ever after since.

Garth Brooks on stage at Croke Park on September 9 (Collins Photo Agency)

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