Garth Brooks came from a talented family of six kids, including his brother Kelly and four half-siblings.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Oklahoma-born country singer's brother, half-brothers and half-sister have hardly lived in the limelight (though who really does, compared to Garth?). Only Betsy Smittle joined Garth in chasing their mother Colleen Carroll's musical dreams, and she can be heard on Garth's albums dating back to Ropin' the Wind. That's not to demean the others or imply that they've been left behind by Garthmania, as they served their communities as educators, a banker and a special investigator. Their mom (or step-mom, in Jim's case) was surely just as proud to brag about their accomplishments.
Read on to learn more about one of the biggest pop culture superstars of the past 30 years' family.
Jim Smittle
Per a 1996 article by The Oklahoman, Jim Smittle was a teacher and coach at Tulsa's East Central High School around the time his half-brother Garth hit the big time. Jim's wife Terri headed the English Department at Rogers High School in Tulsa. Jim's the oldest son of Garth's mother, former singer Colleen Carroll.
Mike Brooks
Garth and Mike share a father, Troyal Raymond Brooks. Mike was born in 1951 and worked as a principal and educator in Newburg, Missouri.
"Jerry" Jerome Smittle
Not much is known about Jerry, a former special investigator for Tulsa's Public Defenders office. He passed away in 2006 at age 56. His obituary from Ninde Funeral Home does not specify a cause of death.
Betsy Smittle
Besty is Garth Brooks' half-sister and the former bass guitar player in Brooks' band, Stillwater. She also recorded a solo album of her own: 1994's Rough Around the Edges. It features the final recorded appearance of her and Garth's mother. Mother-daughter duet "This House" makes us wonder if, with a few lucky breaks, the whole family might've been regulars on the CMA red carpet alongside Brooks and future in-law Trisha Yearwood.
Betsy was also a gay rights advocate and sang backup vocals for Gus Hardin and other country music stars.
Betsy died at age 60 on Nov. 2, 2013 following a two-year battle with ovarian cancer.
Read More: Garth Brooks' Daughter Allie Colleen Talks Family, Musical Roots and Being a 'Work in Progress'
Kelly Shane Brooks
Troyal and Colleen had two children together, Garth and his brother Kelly Shane Brooks. Kelly worked at the First National Bank of Bethany and for GB Management.
Kelly Shane Brooks isn't Google search friendly because it's also the full name of the '90s recording artist billed as Shane Stockton.
