Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood’s Relationship Timeline

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were friends before they were husband and wife.

The couple first met in 1987 during a demo-recording session when both were unsigned artists struggling to find a foothold in Nashville. Yearwood later recalled to CMT that Brooks promised her she could open his shows once he got a record deal. Brooks kept his word, and the two spent the next 13 years as best friends and collaborators, frequently sharing the stage and appearing on each other’s albums.

When Yearwood’s self-titled debut arrived in 1991 — preceded by the single and her signature hit, “She’s in Love with the Boy” — the album contained backing vocals from none other than Brooks. She returned the favor later that year by singing harmony on Brooks’ Ropin’ the Wind, which made history as the first-ever country album to debut atop the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2000, Brooks announced that he was taking a break from music to focus on raising his three daughters — Taylor, August and Allie — from his first marriage to college girlfriend Sandy Mahl. Brooks and Mahl divorced in 2001 after 15 years together, and the country star began dating Yearwood.

When Brooks and Yearwood married in 2005, she supported his decision to prioritize parenting over his music career and embraced her own role as a “Bonus Mom” to the three girls (in addition to cookbook author, TV chef and country star).

When Brooks emerged from his semi-retirement, first via a Vegas residency and later with a record-smashing world tour, Yearwood was by his side through it all.

“I think you got to treat it like a duet,” Brooks said of building a lasting marriage when the pair co-hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2021. “You got to harmonize, you got to make your partner feel like they’re a star. If not, you’re gonna turn into a solo act pretty damn quick, if you know what I mean.”

From a chance meeting in an attic studio to touring the world together as husband and wife, here’s everything to know about Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood’s relationship.

1987: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood meet during a demo recording

When Brooks and Yearwood met in songwriter Kent Blazy’s attic studio in 1987, both stars were years away from their respective music industry breakthroughs.

“We hit it off,” Yearwood told CMT in 2009. “But I had no idea he would turn out to be Garth Brooks!”

Brooks had married Mahl a year before his fateful first meeting with Yearwood — a meeting that was confusing for the singer at the time.

“It’s strange because I felt that feeling like when you just meet your wife, but I’ve been married for 13 months,” Brooks said during a 2013 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He added that Yearwood was someone he “always enjoyed being around.” 

“We had a lot more in common than I ever dreamed we did,” he said.

February 25, 1998: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood win a Grammy together

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At the 40th annual Grammy Awards in 1998, Brooks and Yearwood won the award for best country collaboration with vocals for “In Another’s Eyes,” a duet that appeared on Yearwood’s 1997 album (Songbook) A Collection of Hits. The song marked the duo’s first major collaboration, though they had frequently sung harmony on each other’s albums.

June 13, 2002: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood make their red carpet debut at the Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Brooks and Yearwood appeared as a couple for the first time at the 33rd annual Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York City, where Brooks received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award.

May 25, 2005: Garth Brooks proposes to Trisha Yearwood

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In May 2005, Brooks proposed to Yearwood at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California, per The Bakersfield Californian. The two attended the “Legends in Bronze” event, where larger-than-life bronze statues of Brooks and nine other country icons were displayed.

Brooks popped the question after his own statue, featuring a conspicuous wedding band on the left ring finger, was unveiled, PEOPLE reported.

“All I can say is that I am so happy,” Yearwood said at the time. “What I’m feeling right now, I would wish on anyone.”

December 10, 2005: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood get married

Seven months later, Brooks and Yearwood tied the knot at a private ceremony at their home outside Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“It’s the perfect Christmas gift to each other. We could not be happier,” Brooks said in a statement.

November 20, 2007: Trisha Yearwood opens up about her relationship with Garth Brooks’ kids

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In an appearance on The View in November 2007, Yearwood told the show’s hosts that she was initially “really scared” of Brooks’ three children from his first marriage. Over time, however, she came to embrace her role as a “Bonus Mom” to Brooks’ daughters.

“It became, ‘Okay, I’m still scared, but it’s not as bad,’ and then it became, ‘I love having them all the time,’ ” she said. “You fall in love with them. You learn why people have kids.”

December 10, 2009: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood celebrate their fourth anniversary at McDonald’s

The country superstars kept things very simple for their fourth anniversary after a last-minute schedule change threw a wrench into their plans.

“We had a big night planned, and at the last minute, they moved the youngest one’s Christmas carol program to that night,” Brooks told PEOPLE. “I promised them a big, fancy dinner, but we went and grabbed McDonald’s fries and went home.”

December 11, 2009: Garth Brooks kicks off Las Vegas residency with Trisha Yearwood’s support

Larry Busacca/Getty

Brooks vowed not to emerge from semi-retirement until his daughters were fully grown, but casino owner Steve Wynn made an offer the country superstar couldn’t refuse, according to CNN. 

On Dec. 11, 2009, Brooks kicked off a five-year residency at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. Brooks would go on to play a staggering 187 shows at the Wynn between 2009 and 2014 (via The Tennessean), with Yearwood making frequent appearances.

April 6, 2010: Trisha Yearwood publishes a cookbook with some of Garth Brooks’ recipes

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

In April 2010, Yearwood published her second cookbook, Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood. True to the collaborative spirit of their marriage, the book includes a foreword by Brooks and a few of his creations, including a dish called “Garth’s Breakfast Bowl.”

“It’s not really a recipe. It’s more like a bunch of really great things thrown into a bowl,” Yearwood told Redbook magazine of the dish, which consists of eggs, cheese, bacon, tortellini, hash browns and — occasionally — French fries. “You really don’t need to eat again all day after you’ve had one. It’s pretty fantastic.”

September 4, 2014: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood embark on a world tour together

To call the Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood a massive endeavor would be an understatement. Spanning three years, 79 cities and 390 shows, it remains the highest-grossing country music tour of all time, Wide Open Country reported.

“You’re looking at the luckiest, most blessed guy on the planet,” Brooks told reporters before taking the stage at the Allstate Arena outside Chicago on the first night of the tour. “I’m madly in love with her, and I can’t stand to spend a day without her.”

September 10, 2015: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood receive stars on the Music City Walk of Fame

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When Brooks and Yearwood became the 64th and 65th celebrities honored with side-by-side stars on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville, the symbolism of their placement was not lost on them.

“If she does up and leave me some day, at least we’re still together that way,” Brooks joked to PEOPLE at a special ceremony honoring the duo. Yearwood added that the honor “definitely makes [their success] sweeter.”

“Getting to be on the same piece of pavement with this man is an honor as an artist and as a wife,” she said.

September 12, 2016: Garth Brooks says he scores “big points” cooking for Trisha Yearwood

Ahead of the release of his SiriusXM Channel, Brooks told PEOPLE that his marriage to Yearwood consists of “a lot of quiet dinners at the house.”

“She likes anything that you have prepped, things that are chopped up — stuff like this that takes time,” Brooks said of Yearwood, whose Food Network show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen debuted on April 14, 2012. He added that he may never “out-cook” her but scores “big points” by trying.

November 2, 2016: Garth Brooks kisses Trisha Yearwood onstage at the CMA Awards

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One of the most memorable moments of the 2016 CMA Awards didn’t come during Brooks and Yearwood’s medley of classic country duets but after it. In an apparently unrehearsed moment after the song ended, Brooks grabbed Yearwood’s face and kissed her, prompting delighted responses from the audience.

December 23, 2017: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood wrap their joint tour

After three years on the road, Brooks and Yearwood wrapped their record-setting North American tour with a seven-show run at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville in December 2017.

Brooks described the tour as an “emotional rollercoaster” during a Facebook Live interview for PEOPLE Country, adding that he was “proud” of his work on the tour and sad to see it end.

November 14, 2018: Garth Brooks sings an emotional tribute to Trisha Yearwood at the CMA Awards

When Brooks debuted the never-before-heard “Stronger Than Me” at the 2018 CMA Awards, Yearwood wasn’t the only one moved to tears by his performance — Brooks visibly broke down as he sang the final words of the love song.

Yearwood admitted to being “nervous” to first hearing the tune in front of a crowd during such a big event. 

“I have no idea what’s going to happen,” she told PEOPLE.

Brooks expected the song to connect with both Yearwood and those in the audience. 

“It’s so her,” he said to PEOPLE while on the red carpet. “Everybody that loves anybody in a couples situation, no matter which one is the leader of the family, it doesn’t matter. This song is going to hit home.”

February 15, 2019: Trisha Yearwood talks writing “For the Last Time” with Garth Brooks

Among the 12 tracks on Yearwood’s 2019 album, Let’s Be Frank, 11 were Frank Sinatra covers, and one was an original song co-written with Brooks: “For the Last Time.” The lyrics talk about the grace of — for the first time ever, finding love for the last time — and embracing lasting happiness despite losing faith.

“What it talks about is, kind of, forgiving yourself for all the mistakes you made in the past, and kind of understanding why nothing worked out because this is where I was supposed to be,” Yearwood told PEOPLE Now. “That’s us. That’s our story.”

“For the Last Time” was never originally intended to be on the album but found its way in because, according to Yearwood, “it seemed to fit,” per CMT.

May 28, 2021: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood share relationship secrets while co-hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.

While co-hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2021, Brooks and Yearwood gave some revealing responses to audience questions about their marriage. In one memorable segment, the couple joked about playing each other’s music to “set the mood” in the bedroom.

June 6, 2021: Trisha Yearwood congratulates Garth Brooks on Kennedy Center Honor

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No one was more excited than Yearwood when Brooks received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor in June 2021.

“Words cannot describe how proud I am of you. To watch you receive this honor was such a privilege. I will be forever grateful to stand by your side & do this life with you! For a moment, on this night, all the world was right,” Yearwood wrote on Twitter (now known as X).

August 17, 2021: Trisha Yearwood says Garth Brooks stayed by her side during bout with COVID

In an interview with PEOPLE (the TV Show!) Yearwood shared that Brooks “would not stay away” from her after she contracted COVID-19. According to Yearwood, she had to keep reminding Brooks to quarantine on his side of the house.

“He would not do it. He was really worried about me,” she said. “But he never got sick, and he was vaccinated. He took really good care of me, but he drove me crazy.”

October 30, 2021: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood celebrate the Grand Ole Opry’s 5,000th broadcast

Garth Brooks Instagram

In October 2021, Brooks and Yearwood joined other country stars to celebrate the Grand Ole Opry’s 5000th Saturday-night broadcast, which Brooks memorialized by posting a photo of the pair backstage on Instagram.

“Celebrating the greatest family to be part of #Opry5000 with my best friend!!!!” Brooks captioned the post.

December 10, 2021: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary

To commemorate 16 years of marriage, Yearwood shared a black-and-white photo of the couple kissing onstage. She captioned the sweet snap, “Happy Sweet Sixteen, Mr. Yearwood!”

February 14, 2022: Trisha Yearwood posts an adorable Valentine’s Day message for Garth Brooks

Yearwood shared a black-and-white photo of her and Brooks kissing on Instagram on Valentine’s Day, complete with a sparkle filter.

“Happy Valentine’s to the man of my dreams!! xo,” she wrote alongside the photo.

June 2023: Garth Brooks reveals Trisha Yearwood tried to legally change her name for their anniversary

During a press conference for his SEVENS Radio Network on TuneIn, Brooks said that Yearwood had documents drawn up for their anniversary the year before to officially change her last name to Brooks, Taste of Country reported.

“I declined it,” Brooks said.

“Jack Yearwood had two daughters: That Yearwood name is Trisha. I’d be fine changing my name to Yearwood,” he said, according to the outlet. “Tradition doesn’t count here. What counts is when you have two celebrities, don’t have one swallow the other.”

September 3, 2023: Trisha Yearwood joins Garth Brooks during his encore at the Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff

Brooks headlined the first-ever Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff, an inaugural Labor Day weekend event held in New Orleans to celebrate the college football season.

Much to the crowd’s surprise, Yearwood came out during Brooks’ encore at Caesars Superdome and joined him in a duet of “Shallow” from A Star Is Born, per Hello! magazine. They closed the show with a version of Yearwood’s “She’s in Love with the Boy” and Brooks’ “Standing Outside the Fire.”

Brooks posted several snaps from the concert on his Instagram, including some of Yearwood. He ended the caption with, “Thank you for tonight! Thank you for my life!!! love, g #garthatsugarbowl.”

October 18, 2023: Garth Brooks says he and Trisha Yearwood “bicker” like their pals Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter

Habitat for Humanity International/Jason Asteros

The couple got to know the former president and his wife through Habitat for Humanity.

“After Katrina in ’07, we fell in love with Habitat for Humanity. We knew we loved the Carters and we fell more in love with them just getting a chance to work alongside them,” Yearwood told PEOPLE.

Brooks chimed in: “They’ve inspired us in a lot of ways, in the ways you expect: humanity, humbleness, work ethic. But they’ve also inspired us by their example as husband and wife. We worked beside them for the last 15 years, and you notice right away they bicker back and forth about the right way to do things. That kind of works for us too!”

December 10, 2023: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood celebrate 18 years of marriage

After nearly two decades of marriage, Brooks and Yearwood have seemingly morphed into the same person.

“When your husband sends you flowers and you send him flowers and the card says exactly the same thing!” Yearwood joked on Instagram when sharing a photo of two very similar floral arrangements.

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Source: HIS Education