Although quarantine has been a difficult time for all of us, some have found ways to stay positive and hopeful, even finding new routines or hobbies that we otherwise never would have done. One of the sweetest quarantine stories I've heard is that of Garth Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, who have supported each other through the darkest days of the pandemic.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Tough Times in Covid
Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks have been open about the anxiety they've experienced since coronavirus lockdowns began last spring. "I don't know if it's like this way at your house, but Ms. Yearwood is the one that wants to save the world from the virus," Brooks said in Facebook video. "So she's scared to death of everything ... she's like, Mom."
Trisha Yearwood has searched for ways to distract herself from what's happening in the world, like household chores and lawn work. "I've made myself a goal of trying to do something productive every day," she said. "It doesn't have to be big. I mean, if get the laundry done, I'm like, 'I did that!'"
"I used to love to mow the grass as a kid! I used to beg my dad to let me mow the grass, so I've gotten back on that. I've got to say that's been really good therapy," she said. "Very zen."
It's the Little Things
Although immersing herself in mowing her giant yard and finding other productive chores is a great coping skill to being stuck at home, Trisha Yearwood also has Garth Brook's sweetness and support to help her through.
It turns out the country singer is great at more than just singing and songwriting, he's also a wonderful and loving husband to his wife Trisha Yearwood. She told Entertainment Tonight that Garth has been "a really wonderful source of strength" for her, adding that her husband is always one to see the bright side in life.
The cutest part of their quarantine routine is Garth Brook's insistence on waking up before her every morning to have coffee ready for his wife, AKA "the Queen."
"That's what he does in the mornings," Yearwood told her fans on CMT News. "But when I got up, I walked into the kitchen, the dishes were done and coffee was made. He's the best!"
Garth Brooks' Marriages
Brooks and Yearwood have supported each other through 15 years of marriage. However, before the couple found each other, Garth Brooks was with his first wife Sandy Mahl. The two met at Oklahoma State where Brooks was working as a bouncer at a college bar. They were college sweethearts, marrying in 1986 and then proceeding to have three daughters, Taylor Mayne Pearl, August Anna, and Allie Colleen.
While he was married to Mahl and raising their children, he began to rise to fame in the country music world. Back in 1987, he had met Trisha Yearwood in Nashville, Tennessee. Yearwood is also an American singer, songwriter, entertainer and TV personality in her own right, whose career took off with her debut single "She's in Love with the Boy" and corresponding debut album.
Brooks felt an immediate connection with Yearwood, as he told Ellen DeGeneres, "I felt that feeling like when you just meet your wife," However, the country superstar had committed to his marriage and continued trying to make it work for many years to come.
"Being married, it's gotta be right. This is who you went to college with and you were married in front of God and your family and everybody." However, "There comes that time where you're looking at the rest of your life and going, 'How do you want to live it?,'" Brooks said.
"I Never Knew It Could Be Like This"
Although the country music legend tried his best to make his first marriage work, his feelings for Yearwood and busy schedule caused a rift, and the two divorced in 2001. His ex-wife Sandy has never remarried, and is doing well as a businesswoman and wildlife rehabilitator in Oklahoma.
After his marriage ended, the country star finally started dating Yearwood, almost fifteen years after their first meeting. Trisha Yearwood felt the connection as well, from the very first time they sang together in a duet.
"It felt like we'd sung together forever," she says.
After their many years of friendship and then courtship, Brooks proposed to Yearwood on stage at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace before 7,000 cheering fans in 2005. The rest is history. About his current marriage, Garth says "I never knew it could be like this," he says with a smile. "I never knew that every day you could feel like this."
The couple is still going strong, and last year Garth Brooks suggested Trisha Yearwood for the American Music Awards (ACM). Yearwood honored members of the country music community who died last year with her song "I'll Carry You Home."
