Garth Brooks wasn't an overnight sensation. It took him years to break through in the country music scene and he recently recounted his early days working in a Nashville boot shop in the late '80s.
"I remember fitting this guy for boots," Brooks told Broadway's Electric Barnyard (via The Boot). "I'm down on the floor, he's sitting in the chair, and 'Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old)' came on. And I went, 'Holy cow, that's me!' And this guy goes, 'Yeah, right ... It feels a little tight on the left one there.'"
In a nostalgic mood, Brooks was adamant that those were the glory days, despite the fact that he'll rake in millions from the massive comeback tour he's currently on.
"Scotty McCreery was at the show last night," Brooks said last weekend. "He's in that wonderful stage where you're out there, you know, banging it out from club to club. I told him, 'Bro, you don't have a clue yet that those are the greatest times, right there.'"
Asked to share advice for up-and-coming performers, Brooks had a positive message.
"It's starting out," he said. "It's doing your thing. And I got to tell you, it might be rough right now, but those are going to be the best memories in your life. For those people who dream, this is getting to live it, and I never take it for granted. It's fun. Everything's new again, which is fantastic, and the shows are kind of reflecting that."
The 52-year-old is currently between shows in North Carolina and St. Louis. He'll play Missouri's Scottrade Center from Dec. 4 to Dec. 7 before heading to Little Rock on Dec. 11 for a trio of shows.
