Garth Brooks' Surprising Reaction to an Unforgettable Tribute From One of Country Music's Biggest Stars
Garth Brooks was overcome with emotion during a 2020 flashback tribute performance that left the country superstar visibly moved as he revisited the most defining moments of his career.
The event honored the hitmaker when he received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Brooks was the youngest recipient of this prize, per PBS, which "recognizes a living musical artist's lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding."
Prior recipients of this prestigious honor included Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett, and Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
Upon learning he won the honor, Brooks stated, "An award is only as good as the names on it. First off, for any musician, the name Gershwin says it all. Add to Ira's and George's names the names of the past recipients, and you have an award of the highest honor. I am truly humbled."
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The event, which occurred just weeks before the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in March 2020, featured performances from Keith Urban, Ricky Skaggs, Trisha Yearwood, Keb' Mo' and Lee Brice. However, while all of the tributes truly moved the country superstar, one in particular brought Brooks to tears.
Chris Stapleton performed a rendition of Brooks' 1991 hit "Shameless," reported Whiskey Riff. His emotional delivery brought Brooks to tears during the performance.
That wasn't the only Garth Brooks song Stapleton highlighted that unforgettable evening. He also delivered a rendition of "Rodeo," the first single from Brooks' Ropin' the Wind album.
Brooks is particularly connected to the Billy Joel song, as it was his seventh No. 1 hit.
The country superstar's version of "Shameless" reached the top of the Billboard Country Charts in November, 1991. It remained at the top position for two weeks and on the charts for 20 weeks.
Brooks explained his connection to the tune in the liner notes of his compilation album The Hits. He admitted he was unaware of the song before receiving a series of CD's after subscribing to a mail-order music club in the 1990s.
He said, "I was on the road for six months with no one to check the mail, and came home to find six compact discs in my mailbox. Storm Front by Billy Joel was one of them."
"One of his songs really captured me, a song called ‘Shameless.' I kept watching it, and when he did not release it as a single, we contacted his people in the hopes that we could cut it. His people sent us a letter acknowledging that he knew who I was and was very honored that I was cutting it. That was quite a compliment for me then, as it is now."
Garth Brooks is scheduled to perform on June 16 and 17, 2026, in Milwaukee, WI, at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater (Summerfest). Following is a headline stop on June 27, 2026, in London, at Hyde Park.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM.