9/28/2016 by Mary J. DiMeglio Billboard

Garth Brooks performs at Yankee Stadium on July 8, 2016 in New York City.

Already America’s best-selling solo artist, country superstar Garth Brooks is now the first musician with seven diamond albums.

The Recording Industry Association of America announced last Wednesday (Sept. 21) that Brooks' 2007 The Ultimate Hits has sold 10 million copies. The two-CD compilation with bonus DVD of music videos joins his six previous diamond albums: No Fences, Garth Brooks, Double Live, Sevens, The Hits and Ropin’ The World.

Brooks has surpassed The Beatles, who have six diamond releases, but the Fab Four outrank him in total number of certified units sold.

Brooks' wife, Trisha Yearwood, with whom he's been on tour since 2014, announced the accomplishment at his Sept. 23 show in Fresno, California.

The country icon said he will release a new single Oct. 13 from his in-the-works upcoming album.

So when is Chris Gaines going to make a new album?

Explains the country.

NorthC said:

Interesting how this man is huge in America, but a complete unknown in Europe. I can't even name one song of his. Most American superstars also have an audience here, but country... Maybe that's a little too American for us?

If that's the case, how did British acts like The Beatles & Rolling Stones have country elements in some of their songs? Ringo Starr did a duet with Buck Owens. The Eagles have toured worldwide and there's country influences in their music too. Without country & western, rock n roll probably wouldn't have existed or sounded different. Early rock often had both R&B and country in it, especially rockabilly.

European Country Music Association

The European Country Music Association (ECMA) was established in 1994 in the United Kingdom and Spain by people related to the European country music scene, including publishers, DJs and musicians. It originally consisted of less than 100 members. The first president was the UK's Harry E. Fenton.

After Fenton's death, Rafel Corbi--a DJ from Spain--was elected to the presidency, and he remains in charge of the organization, which is still a non-profit association. All members of the Board of Directors are volunteers. It was the first organization formed in Europe to promote country music at a general level, covering all of Europe. The objectives of the organization are to help promote country music in this continent and help as much as it can the value of the European artists and record labels; also to provide a proof of real airplay to the country music industry through its weekly national and pan-European charts. Its national Top-20 covers weekly Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Czech Republic, Swizertland, Malta, Poland and Austria.

ECMA membership is composed of those persons or organizations that are involved in country music throughout the world, having members in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia and many European countries. ECMA has over 150 stations and DJs reporting their playlists every week.

The ECMA also has its annual awards (votes comes only from members of the organization)

10 Cool Country Bands From Europe

Trigger Reviews 32 Comments

You talk to most any independent country, roots, or Americana artist, and to a man they will tell you their fortunes tend to be better in the European market. Whether it is because the competition is less, or the support for the arts in general is more, European tours are what allow many of your favorite artists to make it in the music business. With so many European tours and the continued spread of American country music, it was only a matter of time before country began to rub off on the locals and American roots music spread like wildfire throughout the Old World.

This is in no way a complete list or compendium of the dozens upon dozens of country and roots artists and bands that call Europe home. It’s simply a cross section of some cool examples of how Europeans from many different countries, and in many different disciplines from traditional country to bluegrass have taken up the country cause. You’re encouraged to leave your own lists and examples below.

My Darling Clementine

If you’ve been wondering whatever happened to the classic, beautiful sound of the country music duet, look no further than the UK’s My Darling Clementine. Spellbinding voices mixed with a 50’s-60’s golden era styling make this English pairing something the whole world can enjoy.

G-runs ‘n Roses

You may chuckle at the name, but G-runs ‘n Roses from the Czech Republic are an energetic, high-octane bluegrass band that can bring the roots as deep as any of their transcontinental counterparts. Language and cultural barriers be damned, once they launch into song, you might as well be in Kentucky.

First Aid Kit

Maybe the most commercially-successful band on this list, this pair of Swedish sisters offer succulent harmonies and stellar songwriting in music that is inspired heavily from the Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris camp. Born into a house where folk and country was ever-present, and not hindered whatsoever by barriers of language or culture, the only thing giving these girls away as not being from the US is their lack of pretentiousness. First Aid Kit gives many American singing duos a run for their money.

The Rip Roaring Success

A super fun band from the UK featuring guitar player Russ Williams sandwiched between two hot girls in Wild Lucy Williams slapping on double bass and Nicole Terry on a sweet, smokin’ fidddle. The Rip Roaring Success have a distinct, stripped-down Western-swing style that’s hard to not start moving to when they get going.

Dad Horse Experience

One of the most unique performers you will ever see or hear, Dad Horse Experience from Germany is a banjo-playing one man band accompanying himself on bass organ with his feet and sometimes sporting a kazoo. His songs serenade a bereft world with cautionary wisdom, while the music is not afraid to work in fun and whimsy.

Rattleshack

From Celtic jigs and folksy tales, to the legacy of the American storytelling song and Southern anthems, UK’s Rattleshack traces a nexus between English-speaking country and folk music, and marks a guidepost for the listener to see how the roots of the music all intertwine and share the same origin. It’s not that this hasn’t been done before, but it’s not been done nearly enough, and never with the fun, underground country twist Rattleshack displays.

The Dinosaur Truckers

Possibly the pinnacle of new-school punk-infused bluegrass from Europe, the Dinosaur Truckers can be as fast and precise as any, regardless of continent. But music is not a skills competition, and the best part about this band is that they know how to slow it down and make it about the song as well. Their recent, self-titled album was awarded a full two gun up review by Saving Country Music.

Crooks & Straights

One of Europe’s oldest country bands originally formed in 1999, Crooks & Straights from Rijeka, Croatia might be the most straightforward country, honky tonk style band on this list. Known for excellent musicianship and players, aside from a slight Croatian accent to the lyrics, you would never know this band didn’t originate in North America.

Heinrich XIII & The Devilgrass Pickers

From the underground/hellbilly side of country, Henrich Steuernagel from Wölfersheim, Germany brings a hellish take to country and bluegrass in self-penned songs. Germany is one of the epicenters for underground country in Europe, and Heinrich is also known for being an ambassador/tour guide/liasion for American bands touring through locally.

The Kruger Brothers

Maybe one of the most familiar bands stateside since they have been based in the US for many years, the Swiss-born Kruger Brothers consisting of brothers Jens, Uwe, and Joel are considered one of the top folk and bluegrass trios in the entire discipline. They have released a total of 16 albums, and banjo player Jens Kruger just won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Music.

NorthC said:

I don't have a huge Country & Westen collection of music, but I've always enjoyed Brooks music. I have most of Brooks albums. I had a chance to see and meet Brooks in Vegas several years ago... genuine, polite, and funny .

purplethunder3121 said:

So when is Chris Gaines going to make a new album?

He's waiting for Bruno Radolini to collab with.

JoeBala said:

She was on the Tonight Show yesterday, sitting in with The Roots

purplethunder3121 said:

So when is Chris Gaines going to make a new album?

I dont mean to hijack...I'm serious, I always wanted to know...was "Chris Gaines" somehow inspired by Prince?

to sell 10-Million units of a Double CD @ $13 a Pop, in the States is a feat indeed....Country Music Fans support their Artists like no other...Even unknown Country acts sell out major venues...It's unreal...

MickyDolenz said:

JoeBala said:

She was on the Tonight Show yesterday, sitting in with The Roots

Yeah I saw that. Rude that he didn't interview her or let her sing her new song.

JoeBala said:

Yeah I saw that. Rude that he didn't interview her or let her sing her new song.

He never interviews the sit in performers other than mentioning they're there and a quick thank you. Jimmy generally doesn't interview the musical acts at all unless they're someone like Sting, Madonna, Neil Young, or Bruce Springsteen who he sometimes dedicate an entire show to or a entire week with the Rolling Stones. But neither did Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, or David Letterman. The musical acts just perform at the end of the show.

[Edited 10/6/16 8:21am]

Chancellor said:

to sell 10-Million units of a Double CD @ $13 a Pop, in the States is a feat indeed....Country Music Fans support their Artists like no other...Even unknown Country acts sell out major venues...It's unreal...

Its my understanding, fans of the genre are more likely to purchase CD's. than digital file.

TD3 said:

Chancellor said:

to sell 10-Million units of a Double CD @ $13 a Pop, in the States is a feat indeed....Country Music Fans support their Artists like no other...Even unknown Country acts sell out major venues...It's unreal...

Its my understanding, fans of the genre are more likely to purchase CD's. than digital file.

George Strait has 85 Top 10 songs on the Billboard country singles charts, which is more than anyone else on any other chart. A little more than half were #1, also more than anyone else.

go head now Garth.

UncleJam said:

purplethunder3121 said:

So when is Chris Gaines going to make a new album?

I dont mean to hijack...I'm serious, I always wanted to know...was "Chris Gaines" somehow inspired by Prince?

I don't think so. I remember when it came out--I and a lot of other people thought Garth Brooks' ego had run amuck or he had lost his mind. Here's an article on the background of the Chris Gaines album:

Remembering Garth Brooks' Alter-Ego Chris Gaines

Posted By Jaime Lees on Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 3:00 am

• Alter-ego Chris Gaines on the left, original persona Garth Brooks on the right.

Inspired by Garth Brooks' recent announcement of his world tour, we thought we'd take a minute to look back on our favorite era of Garth-ness: the invention of Brooks' alter-ego, Chris Gaines.

Alter-egos help an artist feel free to express sides of their persona that might make their fans uncomfortable otherwise. When we see an artist as just a ballad singer or just a rapper or just a pretty pop star, the artist often feels the need to rebel in the form of an alter-ego.

David Bowie had multiple alter-egos. Most notably, he posed as Ziggy Stardust, space-age rock superstar. (Not really a stretch.) Bono from U2, ever the overachiever, had three alter-egos: the Fly, Mephisto and the Mirrorball Man. Prince had Camille. Beyonce was briefly evil Illuminati super goddess Sasha Fierce. Gaga did Jo Calderone. Mariah Carey releasedMimi.

Janet Jackson was Damita Jo and Strawberry. Eminem was Slim Shady. Mary J. Blige's rap persona is called Brook Lynn, a move revived by Justin Bieber when he rapped under Shawty Mane. The Beatles, heroes of reinvention, found freedom from expectations while posing (and recording) asSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. And the most current (and extreme) example of the artist/alter-ego divide is Miley Cyrus / Hannah Montana.

• This was a wig... right?

Taking on a full alter-ego isn't the only way to put on a new face. Many artists have flirted with this method to a lesser degree, insisting on being called other names for (usually) brief amounts of time. For example, Snoop Dogg becameSnoop Lion, Sean Combs has been everything from Puff Daddy to Puffy to P. Diddy to Diddy. Paul McCartney was briefly going as Gladys Jenkins. David Johansen of the New York Dolls released music under the name Buster Poindexter. Jack White tried to go by Three Quid while touring Europe. Even Hank Williams recorded other song styles under the name Luke the Drifter.

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While some stars have varied levels of intensity and commitment when it comes to their alter-egos, Garth Brooks embraced the character of Chris Gaines with an intensity that was weird, off-putting and kind of thrilling. It was one of the greatest train-wreck moments in pop-culture history, right up there withBald Britney and Michael Jackson dangling "Blanket" over a...ny railing.

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In the 1990s, Garth Brooks had been riding an unprecedented wave of success. His first album was released in 1989 and he broke nearly every music record out there for the next ten years solid. He set concert attendance records, was a best-selling artist worldwide, every album he released went platinum multiple times and he won nearly every major music award available.

And then, inexplicably, in 1999 at the tail end of a decade that he just flatowned, Brooks decided to mess with the formula. In one of the most perplexing events to ever happen in pop music, Garth Brooks invented Chris Gaines.

Maybe Brooks was rebelling against his success or maybe he just needed a change. But most likely, he was sick of the confines of country music.

• Which obnoxious shirts? These obnoxious shirts.

Country, like any good subculture, has its own unwritten rules about how a person should speak, what words they should use, where they should go, who they should interact with and -- especially -- what they should wear.

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Every genre has a uniform and conformity is demanded. Rappers wear gold chains and bling just like country stars wear pointed boots and cowboy hats. Brooks wore all of that plus those nut-exploding painted-on jeans and a whole series of bad rodeo wear. Maybe he was just sick of having to wear those damn obnoxious shirts?

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Particularly in country music, conformity is demanded and artists are expected to acquiesce or be promptly smacked down by Nashville executives. The idea of a "country crossover artist" -- now presented so perfectly by Taylor Swift -- was looked down upon in 1990s country music. At the time, artists like the Dixie Chicks had been labeled with the "crossover" tag, but that's because the members didn't dress classically country. They sure sounded country, though.

So while artists and potential label signees were being told they weren't "country" enough, Garth Brooks, the absolute King of Modern Country, threw his cowboy hat out the tractor window and went digging in his dress-up trunk. Confined by his own specific success, Brooks couldn't just go make a pop album, he had to invent a character.

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Seemingly overnight, Brooks morphed into Chris Gaines, the fabricated pop singer with an invented background and an entirely different musical style and singing voice. Supposedly built as a character for a never-completed movie s...rth Brooks, the character of Chris Gaines soon took on a life of its own, with Brooks performing, doing interviews as and even staring in a VH1Behind the Music "documentary" as Gaines.

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Gaines had flat-ironed angular black hair (a wig), a severe soul patch and terrible Eurotrash clothes. Gaines also had his own elaborate back-story with a whole big fake history of family troubles and personal problems. He was pensive, deep guy who was also supposed to be from Australia.

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The from Australia part was the worst decision of them all (now Brooks had to attempt to pull off an accent, too), but Brooks later said that the hardest part of being Chris Gaines was not trying on a brand-new personality, but trying to look thinner. Brooks designed Gaines to be 40 pounds lighter than him, meaning that Brooks was constantly making Zoolander's "Blue Steel" face in Gaines photos because he was always sucking in his cheeks.

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Just like his inventor, eventually Gaines cracked the Billboard charts. His Babyface-esque "Lost in You" made it all the way to the Top 5. Brooks' time as Gaines was largely seen as some symptom of a mid-life crisis or a full-fledged freak-out, but he definitely had enough talent for two artists.

It was odd from top to bottom -- he came off like a total nutter, and it essentially marked the end of his career as a major player in the music industry. But Brooks took the biggest risk of his career with Gaines and cheers to him for that. His rebellion wasn't even Gaines, his rebellion was refusing tonot rebel. Basically, this country guy dressing up and posing like a gothic MySpace teenager was somehow totally punk. Go Garth.

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Brooks retired from recording and performing for almost a decade after the Gaines Disaster but has since released a few singles, done a residency in Las Vegas and dropped a rare performance here and there. But now Brooks has put his hat back on and has scheduled a world tour.

Will it be the biggest comeback of all time? Probably. Brooks already has the future of entire cities hanging on his stirrups like he's the gosh-darn Olympic games.

Garth Brooks to Cover Randy Travis, Skynyrd on New Box Set

By Rolling Stone October 24, 2016

Garth Brooks' forthcoming 10-disc box set Garth Brooks: The Ultimate Collection spans a lot of territory, from his early hits at the dawn of the Nineties to his globally-revered live performances in the years that followed and influences that shaped him. But the collection, available November 11th exclusively at Target, also includes a handful of unreleased and rare tracks, such as a new all-star recording of his classic "Friends in Low Places" and a live performance of the enduring "American Pie" with Don McLean, among others.

Cover songs figure prominently into the mix, with Brooks' own hits like "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" and "If Tomorrow Never Comes" mingling with his interpretations of Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses" and George Strait's "Unwound" on one disc. Elsewhere, he shows his affinity for classic rock by tackling Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama." Most of these covers are either available on the sprawling 2013 box set Blame It All on My Roots, but The Ultimate Collection pools those covers with the singer's hits and covers from his albums, like Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" and Little Feat's "Dixie Chicken."

Songs are grouped thematically by disc, with subtitles like "Anthems," "RPMs" and "Turn It Up" noting the overall feeling of that group of tracks. Two live discs – subtitled "The Road" – in the box set boast previously unreleased recordings of Randy Travis' "1982" and a live cover of "American Pie" with its originator Don McLean, along with a duet on "New York State of Mind" with Billy Joel and "In Another's Eyes" with Trisha Yearwood.

Target is bundling seven discs of themed songs, the two-disc live set and the new album Gunslinger – which won't be available at retailers or through his new digital streaming partner Amazon until after November 25th. Gunslinger, which features the lead single "Baby, Let's Lay Down and Dance" (watch Brooks singing it on Ellen above), will include two exclusive bonus tracks on the Target box set version: "Cowboys and Friends" and an all-star new version of "Friends in Low Places" with George Strait, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and Keith Urban.

Tonight (October 24th), Brooks will give a free performance at Nashville's Ascend Amphitheater to celebrate his recent seventh diamond certification, which makes him the first artist in history to hit that mark. The performance, given in conjunction with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, will feature Brooks performing one song from each of his seven diamond-certified albums.

Garth Brooks: The Ultimate Collection track listing:

Old School

1. "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)"
2. "If Tomorrow Never Comes"
3. "1982"
4. "Unwound"
5. "Longneck Bottle"
6. "Two of A Kind, Workin’ on a Full House"
7. "Good Ol’ Boys Like Me"
8. "Amos Moses"
9. "That Ol’ Wind"
10. "Alabama Clay"
11. "White Lightning"
12. "Don’t Close Your Eyes"

Midnight Fire

1. "Shameless"
2. "The Red Strokes"
3. "She’s Every Woman"
4. "What She’s Doing Now"
5. "In Another’s Eyes" (duet with Trisha Yearwood)
6. "One Night a Day"
7. "A Friend to Me"
8. "Anonymous"
9. "Victim of the Game"
10. "Which One of Them"
11. "More Than a Memory"
12. "To Make You Feel My Love"

Cowboys

1. "Good Ride Cowboy"
2. "Rodeo"
3. "That Girl Is a Cowboy"
4. "Rodeo or Mexico"
5. "Night Rider’s Lament"
6. "My Baby No Esta Aqui"
7. "Cowgirl’s Saddle"
8. "Cowboy Bill"
9. "Midnight Sun"
10. "Rodeo and Juliet"
11. "In Lonesome Dove"
12. "The Cowboy Song"

The Road (Disc One)

1. "Standing Outside the Fire"
2. "Rodeo"
3. "Shameless"
4. "If Tomorrow Never Comes"
5. "That Summer"
6. "In Another’s Eyes" (duet with Trisha Yearwood)
7. "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)"
8. "Unanswered Prayers"
9. "Longneck Bottle"
10. "One Night a Day"
11. "To Make You Feel My Love"
12. "Wrapped Up in You" (featuring Keb Mo)
13. "The River"
14. "American Pie" (featuring Don McLean)

The Road (Disc Two)

1. "The Thunder Rolls" (the Long Version)
2. "Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House"
3. "Two Piña Coladas"
4. "More Than a Memory"
5. "Good Ride Cowboy"
6. "Wild as the Wind" (duet with Trisha Yearwood)
7. "Working for a Living" (duet with Huey Lewis in Los Angeles)
8. "It’s Your Song"
9. "New York State of Mind" (duet with Billy Joel)
10. "Midnight Sun"
11. "The Dance"

Anthems

1. "The Dance"
2. "Standing Outside the Fire"
3. "Unanswered Prayers"
4. "Thicker Than Blood"
5. "How You Ever Gonna Know"
6. "The Change"
7. "Belleau Wood"
8. "People Loving People"
9. "The River"
10. "Mom"
11. "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream"
12. "When You Come Back to Me Again"

The Covers

1. "Against the Wind"
2. "Sweet Home Alabama"
3. "Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me"
4. "Mrs. Robinson"
5. "Midnight Train to Georgia"
6. "(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay"
7. "Hard Luck Woman" (with Kiss)
8. "Who’ll Stop the Rain"
9. "Wild World"
10. "All Right Now"
11. "Drift Away"
12. "Goodnight Saigon"

RPMs

1. "Against the Grain"
2. "She’s Tired of Boys"
3. "Rollin'"
4. "Addicted to Love"
5. "Cold Like That"
6. "You Move Me"
7. "Ireland"
8. "Don’t Cross the River"
9. "I’ll Be the Wind"
10. "Doctor My Eyes"
11. "Working for a Living" (duet with Huey Lewis)
12. "Do What You Gotta Do"

Turn It Up

1. "The Thunder Rolls"
2. "That Summer"
3. "You Wreck Me"
4. "Why Ain’t I Running"
5. "Wrapped Up In You"
6. "I’d Rather Have Nothing"
7. "Allison Miranda"
8. "Black Water"
9. "Midnight Train"
10. "Dixie Chicken"
11. "Man Against Machine"
12. "Two Piña Coladas"

Gunslinger

1. "Honky-Tonk Somewhere"
2. "Weekend"
3. "Ask Me How I Know"
4. "Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance"
5. "He Really Loves You"
6. "Whiskey to Wine"
7. "BANG! BANG!"
8. "Pure Adrenaline"
9. "8teen"
10. "SugarCane"
11. "Cowboys and Friends" (Target exclusive track)
12. "Friends In Low Places – 25th Anniversary Edition" (Target exclusive track)