MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS THE
BEST SELLING SOLO ARTIST IN U.S.
HISTORY AND IS ABOUT TO START A
NATIONWIDE STADIUM TOUR.
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE
SHOW," GARTH BROOKS!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
( BAND PLAYING )
>> WOW, THAT'S SWEET!
I LIKE THIS BUNCH.
>> Stephen: WELCOME TO "THE
LATE SHOW."
>> YOU'VE GOT THE PERFECT GIG
RIGHT HERE.
>> Stephen: IT'S THE BEST
AUDIENCE IN THE WORLD.
>> AMEN.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
SO LET ME JUST START BASIC,
OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: GARTH BROOKS, WHY?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHY?
>> Stephen: WHY DID YOU BECOME
GARTH BROOKS?
YOU COULD HAVE BEEN JUST GARTH
BROOKS BUT YOU'RE GARTH BROOKS!
WERE YOU DES TEND TO BE A
MUSICIAN?
>> I WANTED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
ATHLETE AS A KID.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU WANT
TO DO?
>> BASEBALL, FOOTBALL.
THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED ME
WAS MY PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE
ABILITY.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: SO TALENT ASIDE,
YOU WERE SO READY.
>> YEAH, MAN.
>> Stephen: BUT YOU DID NOT --
WHERE DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE?
>> OKLAHOMA STATE.
>> Stephen: OKLAHOMA STATE.
YES, SIR.
>> Stephen: YOU THREW JAVELIN.
YES, I DID.
>> Stephen: AT OKLAHOMA STATE.
YEAH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: VERY DIFFICULT TO
GO PRO.
>> IT'S TOUGH TO GO PRO.
>> Stephen: IT'S A SMALL
CIRCUIT TO GO PRO.
>> I WAS HOPING SOMEBODY MAY PAY
ME UNDER THE TABLE BUT NO.
>> Stephen: I LOVE JAVELIN
BECAUSE THAT'S, LIKE, ORIGINAL
GREEK SPORTING EVENT.
>> IT'S FUN.
>> Stephen: YOU SHOULD
ACTUALLY BE BUCK NAKED, OILED
DOWN TO DO THIS?
WHY JAVELIN, GARTH BROOKS?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU YET.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: I THINK YOU ARE.
I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY SURE
ABOUT ME.
>> I WANT TO PARTY WITH YOU.
>> Stephen: GOOD, I WANT TO
PARTY WITH YOU, TOO.
>> PEOPLE CALL IT TRACK AND
FIELD.
NOT TRACK, NOT ME.
I'M FIELD.
>> Stephen: OH, NOT BACK THEN.
LOOK AT THAT.
LOOK AT THE SHANKS ON THAT GUY.
LOOK AT THOSE QUADS!
>> IT WAS FUN.
MY BROTHER, ALL-TIME HERO OF SIX
KIDS, A HURDLER IN OKLAHOMA
STATE, I WAS CENTER FIELD.
HE SAID WHY DON'T YOU THROW THE
JAVELIN, SEE IF YOU CAN COME UP
HERE AND RUN WITH THE TEAM.
I DID AND IT WAS GREAT.
INSTANT FAMILY.
BEST FOUR YEARS OF MY LIFE AT
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, GO
POKES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: IF I DROPPED YOU
INTO A PRIMITIVE SOCIETY COULD
YOU DEFEND YOURSELF BY THROWING
A SPEAR.
>> IS THIS OH, YEAH.
I WOULDN'T HIT ANYTHING.
>> Stephen: BUT SCARE THE HELL
OUT OF PEOPLE.
HOW DID THE MUSIC START?
IF YOU WERE GOING TO BE A
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE, WHERE DID
THE GUITAR MUSICIAN COME FROM?
>> I WENT TO SCHOOL, DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT TO STUDY, LOVED SPORTS, GOT
INTO ADVERTISING AND WROTE
JINGLES.
I GOT MY DEGREE, FOUND OUT I
DIDN'T GET IT, AND I WAS AN HOUR
SHORT.
>> Stephen: WHEN DID YOU FIND
OUT?
>> AFTER I WALKED.
I WONDER WHY THE THING WAS
BLANKED.
I GOT HOME, THEY SAID I WAS AN
HOUR SHORT.
I SAID HOW ABOUT ELECTIST?
THEY SAID, NO, YOU USED THOSE
WHEN YOU WERE HERE FIRST YEAR.
SO I HAD TO GO BACK.
WE DIDN'T HAVE MONEY AND THE
TRACK SCHOLARSHIP WAS GONE.
SO I WENT TO WILLIE'S SALOON
WITH MY GUITAR.
DOLLY LET ME PLAY ONE NIGHT,
TURNED INTO TWO OR THREE NIGHTS,
THEN I WAS PLAYING MONDAY
THROUGH FRIDAY ALL OVER TOWN.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I THOUGHT,
MAYBE THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO BE DOING SNIEM DING
BEING PAID FOR IT.
IT MIGHT BE MY OCCUPATION FOR IT
NOW.
>> THE GREAT THICK WAS, YOU
WEREN'T WORKING.
I SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, I CAN
FEED MYSELF AND SOMEBODY I LOVE
DOING SOMETHING THAT ISN'T A
JOB?
COUNT ME IN ON THIS ONE.
( LAUGHTER )
LAST TIME I WORKED FOR A LIVING
I WAS 23, ROOFING HOUSES.
EVER SINCE I GOT INTO MUSIC,
I'VE NEVER WORKED A DAY AGAIN IN
MY LIFE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: DID YOU LITERALLY
HAVE NOTHING WHEN YOU GOT UP
THERE?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: LITERALLY NOTHING
IN THE LITTLE FOLDER?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: SAME THING
HAPPENED TO ME.
NOT JOKING.
I WAS ONE CREDIT SHY BECAUSE I
DIDN'T TURN IN A FINAL PROJECT
FROM THE CLASS BUT I THOUGHT I
WAS SO GREAT THEY WOULD JUST
GIVE ME THE GRADE.
I WALKED UP THERE, AND THERE WAS
A TORN PIECE OF PAPER THAT SAID
SEE ME, FROM THE DEAN, AND I HAD
TO SHOW THAT TO MY FAMILY FOR
ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS AFTERWARDS.
( LAUGHTER )
HOW DO YOU BECOME A MEGA STAR?
IS IT THE WIRELESS HEAD MIC
RIGHT HERE?
BECAUSE YOU BECAME FAMOUS AND
FAMOUS FOR HAVING A WEERLS HEAD
MIC.
>> THAT'S LIKE TAKING A LEASH
OFF A DOG RIGHT THERE, MAN.
YOU JUST GET TO RUN NOW.
IT'S SO MUCH FUN.
YOU CAN BE ANYWHERE IN THE ARENA
AT ANYTIME.
>> Stephen: AND PEOPLE OFTEN
CALL IT THE BRITTANY MIC.
THERE'S THE BRITTANY MIC RIGHT
THERE.
>> OOOH!
>> Stephen: BUT YOU WORE IT
FIRST.
>> YEAH, BUT SHE WORE IT BETTER.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW, I
DON'T KNOW.
SEE, THIS IS THE SORT OF THING
YOU SHOULD BE WEARING WHEN YOU
THROW THE JAVELIN.
THAT'S WHAT THE GREEKS WOULD
HAVE DONE.
( LAUGHTER )
YOU WERE ON THE TOP OF -- WILL
( LAUGHTER )
>> WE'RE GOING TO END UP
PARTYING TOGETHER, ME AND YOU.
>> Stephen: I HOPE SO.
YOU WERE ON TOP OF THE COUNTRY
MUSIC WORLD, A PHENOM LIKE
NOBODY HAD EVER SEEN, PLAYING
GIANT ARENAS, STADIUMS, STUFF
LIKE THAT, AND WALKED AWAY FROM
IT IN 2001 TO RAISE -- HELP
RAISE YOUR THREE GIRLS FOR OVER
TEN YEARS.
>> YOU KNOW, I DID THAT FOR ME
AND, IN THE COURSE, I HAPPENED
TO JUST RUN INTO THREE OF THE
STRONGEST HUMAN BEINGS I'VE EVER
MET IN MY LIFE, AND EVERY DAY
WITH THEM WAS A BLESSING TO ME.
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT, HEY, MAN,
HOW COOL IT WAS, YOU DID THAT
FOR THE KIDS.
I DID THAT FOR ME AND CAME OUT
THE BENEFACTOR.
I WAS AT DINNER WITH MY WIFE AND
THE THREE DAUGHTERS AND I LOOKED
AROUND THE TABLE AND THOUGHT I'M
THE WEAK LINK IN THE CHAIN.
THESE WOMEN ARE STRONG.
SO IT WAS NEAT.
IT WAS GREAT TO BE A PART OF
THAT AND WITNESS THAT.
I LEARNED PROBABLY MORE FROM
BEING A DAD THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS IT LIKE
TO COME AFTER?
>> WE STOPPED TOURING IN '98 AND
WENT BACK ON THE ROAD IN 2014.
>> Stephen: 16 YEARS.
IT HAD BEEN A WHILE.
THE BUSINESS, EVERYTHING HAD
DEFINITELY CHANGED.
>> Stephen: WHAT WERE THE
BIGGEST CHANGES?
>> I THINK PROBABLY HOW PEOPLE
CONSUME MUSIC WAS PROBABLY THE
BIGGEST THING.
WHEN WE LEFT, IT WAS EIGHT TRACK
TAPES.
>> Stephen: EIGHT TRACK TAPES
IN '98?
>> WHEN WE CAME BACK, IT WAS ALL
STREAMING.
DEFINITELY, THE LANDSCAPE
CHANGED.
>> Stephen: DID THAT CHANGE
THE KIND OF MUSIC YOU WANT TO
MAKE OR -- YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO
A WHOLE ALBUM ANYMORE.
>> NEVER LET THE TAIL WAG THE
DOG, MAN.
ALWAYS DO WHAT IT IS THAT GOD
PUT YOU DOWN HERE TO DO.
I'M SORRY, I'M AN ALBUM ARTIST.
I THINK THE ALBUM CUT IS THE
MOST IMPORTANT THING.
SINGLES ARE THE THINGS THAT PISS
THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OFF
BUT IT'S THE ALBUM CUTS THAT
SAVE SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
THEY'VE DONE IT TO ME.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU PISSED
PEOPLE OFF WITH YOUR MUSIC?
>> I TRY NOT TO.
IT'S FUNNY, SOME OF THE SONGS
YOU MEAN AS LOVE AND TENDERNESS
GET SOME OF THE MOST WEIRDEST
RESPONSES.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS, IT WAS
OVER 20 YEARS AGO WE RELEASED A
SONG CALLED "WE SHALL BE FREE"
AND IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVING ONE
ANOTHER, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE
MORE RELEVANT TODAY THAN IT WAS
20 YEARS AGO.
>> Stephen: FROM WHAT DO WE
NEED TO BE FREED, GARTH BROOKS?
( LAUGHTER )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
( PIANO RIFF )
>> I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TIME
FOR THIS ONE.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE ALL THE
TIME IN THE WORLD, GARTH BROOKS.
>> WE NEED TO BE FREED FROM
IGNORANCE, RACISM, FEAR, PRETTY
MUCH --
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I'LL BUY THAT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO MUCH
TO ASK IF IT'S 2:00 A.M. IN THE
MORNING HERE IN THE CITY AND I'M
WALKING DOWN AND YOU'RE WALKING
TOWARD ME TO EXPECT YOU TO BE A
GOOD PERSON.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT I SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO
EXPECT.
SO IT'S JUST THAT.
IT'S JUST FREEDOM FROM FEAR.
THE GREATEST WEAPON MAN EVER
BUILT WAS LOVE.
THAT'S IT.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO
SAVE THIS PLANET IF ANYONE IS
GOING TO.
>> Stephen: I'LL BUY THAT.
WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK.
DON'T GO AWAY.
BACK WITH MORE GARTH BROOKS!