Garth Brooks Un-Retires; Signs 5-Year Deal with Wynn's Encore Casino in Las Vegas

Richer Than Most, Garth Brooks Said Steve Wynn Couldn't Afford Him; He was Wrong

According to Live Daily, Garth Brooks announced this week that he would be coming out of retirement to do shows for 16 weekends per year for the next five years at Wynn's Encore Casino in Las Vegas. The country singer has been in retirement for nearly ten years, promising that he would stay retired until his children were grown. And he almost made it. They're teenagers and part of his deal with Wynn's Encore Casino provides Garth Brooks with a private jet to take him home to his daughters after each weekend engagement.

Garth Brooks said, "[Wynn has] taken care of my children, he's taken care of my wife. My life is not going to change, except that I'm going to get to play live music."

Garth Brooks would more than likely have stayed retired if Steve Wynn hadn't given him the oft heard about "offer he couldn't refuse." Brooks told the Associated Press that Wynn, who had approached the bestselling solo artist in history (US sales) with the idea to play regularly at his casino, didn't have enough money to get him to do a regular show. "I told him he couldn't afford me," Brooks explained. "I was wrong. Wow."

Steve Wynn told the gathering of reporters and fans that the first show would be on December 11. Garth Brooks will perform four shows during each weekend engagement -- one Friday, two Saturday, one Sunday -- and they are to be spread out over the course of a year. Tickets will sell for $125 each.

Neither Garth Brooks nor Steve Wynn would discuss the financial agreement that Brooks couldn't turn down. Wynn joked, "If I were to tell you that, I would probably be fired by my stockholders."

Garth Brooks, although staying out of the spotlight for the most part of the last decade, has a huge fan base to draw from, so Wynn's investment will no doubt pay off. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Brooks has sold over 128 albums in the U. S. during his career. His sales are second only to the Beatles in the U. S., and since 1991, according to Nielsen Soundscan, through September 2008, Brooks had sold over 11 million more albums in the U. S. than the Beatles.