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Garth Brooks is a legend...we all know that. But he cemented that title on March 4 when he was presented with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library of Congress.
To celebrate, DC's DAR Constitution Hall became the home of a star-studded concert that paid homage to all that Brooks has done for the music industry, with performances and tributes from Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Brice, Keb' Mo', Ricky Skaggs, Jay Leno and author Margaret George.
After a stellar duet of "Ain't Goin' Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)" between Brooks and Urban that opened up the show, the night's honoree temporarily took the spotlight off of himself to honor those who were affected by the devastating Nashville tornado.
“I’m going to request, humbly, a moment of silence for those who have fallen and those who are still missing,” Brooks said as he tipped his hat.
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Following the tribute, the show resumed with host Jay Leno spiking the hall with his humor and Stapleton giving his spin on Brooks' "Rodeo" and Billy Joel's "Shameless." While Stapleton's vocals were supreme, the highlight of his time on stage came when he admitted to scalping a ticket to see Brooks at age 17...but couldn't actually hear the show because the crowd's sing-a-long levels trumped what was coming through the venue's speakers.
Later in the evening, every one of our heart strings were pulled when Yearwood took the microphone to perform "For The Last Time," a song that she and Brooks wrote together, for each other. Next to his three daughters, Brooks stood for Yearwood's entire performance and was seen wiping a tear when she admitted that it was not easy to sing that song in front of him. After then singing "The Change," she walked off stage and stole a kiss from Brooks as he leaned down from the suite above the stage.
The evening was sprinkled with vignettes from Brooks' stadium show and tv appearances as well as performances from the other artists. Urban returned to sing "We Shall Be Free" with the Howard University Chorale, Brice delivered his version of "More Than A Memory" (a song he wrote with Brooks), Mo' showcased a bluesy take of "The River" and Skaggs kept the energy high with his tribute of "Callin' Baton Rouge."
And just when you thought the show couldn't get any better...it did. It was Brooks' turn to take the stage.
The Gershwin Prize is honored to artists whose contributions to the music industry idealize the standards set by George and Ira Gershwin, with previous recipients including Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett and Willie Nelson. Brooks acknowledged the star-power that he now stands beside by a recipient of this prestigious award and instead of going straight into songs that put him on the charts, he dedicated time to the songwriters that constructed him into the artist he became. He performed a medley of songs including Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love,” Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” and Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" before closing out with stadium caliber performances of "The Thunder Rolls," "Friends In Low Places," and "The Dance."
The night of celebration was one for the ages and will air on PBS on March 29 at 9 PM ET.