Enjoy an all-star tribute to Garth Brooks, the 2020 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, with performances by Garth Brooks, as well as Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Keb' Mo', Lee Brice, and the Howard Gospel Choir — hosted by Jay Leno.
Tune in Sat, Nov. 19 at 7pm on the WSIU stations: WSIU 8.1, WUSI 16.1, WSEC 14.1, WQEC 27.1 and WMEC 22.2 or access the WSIU local broadcast livestream online at pbs.org or via the PBS Video app. Get extended access to this program and more with WSIU Passport.
About the Program
Brooks is one of the major changemakers in the history of country music. His music weaves the beauty of poetry, the universality of the human experience and the inclusiveness of other musical genres, making him one of the most influential performers in country music today. He has combined the sound of traditional country music with the performance style of arena rock legends of the 1970s, creating a unique artistic vision (Library of Congress, 2019).
Bestowed in recognition of the legendary songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin, the Gershwin Prize recognizes a living musical artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding. Previous recipients are Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and the late Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett and Emilio and Gloria Estefan (Library of Congress, 2019).
About Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist, including several Grammy wins and nominations. He has been named the CMA Entertainer of the Year six times, a first for any performer. He is also the first artist in history to receive seven Diamond Awards for albums certified by the RIAA at more than 10 million album sales each. He remains the No. 1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, certified by the RIAA with more than 148 million album sales. Brooks has been inducted into the International Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame and, most recently, the Musicians Hall of Fame. His tour with Trisha Yearwood sold more than 6.3 million tickets, making it the biggest North American tour in history and the biggest American tour in the world (Library of Congress, 2019).
Information provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.
