During a press conference for his new bar on Monday, Garth Brooks reflects on the death of former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter.
On Monday (Nov 20), Garth Brooks was hosting a preview for his “Friends In Low Places” bar which is set to have a soft opening on Nashville’s famous Broadway strip on Friday, November 24th. However, in light of the news of the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the conversation veered away from cocktails and cover bands.
Rosalynn Carter, the wife of former President Jimmy Carter, died on Sunday, November 19th at the age of 96. The Carter Center released a statement on behalf of the family sharing the news and adding that she passed away peacefully with family by her side at her home in Plains, Georgia.
Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, were close friends with the Carters. They often worked together at Habitat for Humanity’s yearly Carter Work Project. Brooks revealed that former President Carter even calls Ms. Yearwood his “second-favorite Georgia peach.”
“This is going to be tough,” says Garth Brooks as he responds to questions about Rosalynn Carter.
When asked about the news of Rosalynn Carter’s death, Brooks took a moment to find the words, then shared:
“It’s tough. Ms. Yearwood called [Rosalynn Carter] her private warrior. Because if you ever got to hang around her… President Carter always steals the show. And then when it comes time for her to speak, she’ll walk to the mic and if you watch her, she won’t say anything for a few seconds. That’s how she was. And you’d just watch the crowd start to lean in. And then what she says is very quiet yet very powerful.”
Brooks reflected on the lessons that the former First Lady shared with his wife, adding:
“What she taught Ms. Yearwood – who teaches us all – is that the lion doesn’t have to roar, and the statement doesn’t have to be more than a few words to get your point across. She was great at that. And everyone loved her for that.”
Finally, Brooks concluded:
“A light has gone out that shines on how we should treat each other. But if we all pick that light up, maybe that light can grow instead of disappear.”
See the video of Garth Brooks’s remarks below.