Huge music news out of Nashville today as Sony Music Entertainment CEO Doug Morris welcomed Garth Brooks to the stage at a press conference where it was announced that Garth has signed a record deal with Sony and will be releasing an all-new solo album later this year! While a specific date wasn’t announced, it was revealed that the album will be released on or about Black Friday in November. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

• Garth’s new music via Sony will carry the imprint of Brooks’ label, Pearl, as well as Sony’s RCA Nashville, with releases bearing the Pearl/RCA Nashville name. Sony will provide distribution and collaborate on marketing, with RCA Nashville bringing the music to country radio.
• It’s a First! Garth also announced that for the first time ever, his catalog of music — including his upcoming album — will be released digitally and available exclusively on GarthBrooks.com. You can start watching for Garth’s catalog within the next few weeks!
• Garth also confirmed his upcoming world tour! The first city is set to be announced on July 15th, the same day that his official website, GarthBrooks.com, will be re-launched.

  Garth Brooks talks about signing a recording contract with Sony. (1:10)
“Today I feel very lucky to be joining Sony Music, and very lucky to be working with the guys at RCA Nashville, that’ll be handling radio and retail for us. Scared, yeah. Old, yes. See what the second half is; first of all, I want to thank God and everybody that’s given me the chance to actually look at a second half of a career. I don’t know too many artists that get this chance, so I have to thank Doug Morris for personally flying to me – which I thought was totally upside down, but very sweet of him to come seek out this artist, and see what the future was. He did it twice. So if anybody… if any question is, ‘Why Sony, why RCA Nashville,’ it’s because Doug Morris took the time to come find me at my convenience – which is crazy – and it was very humbling. You kinda know when you shake somebody’s hand that way, that, here we go.”

  Garth Brooks jokes about launching this new chapter in his recording career. (:13)
“Everybody loves everybody when it gets started. (audience laughter) We’ll see in a year, and my hope is that you don’t regret this day, and my bigger hope is I don’t (audience laughter) regret this day, but I think we’re gonna be fine.”

  Garth Brooks answers a question about being on a label as storied as RCA, the longtime home to Elvis. (:58)
“You can’t deny its past, its history. I was also born on Capitol Records. You can’t deny that past and history. So, I feel very lucky to get to fly the flag of RCA and Sony. Truthfully, all things are always based on the music. So how good this day is, is all gonna be reflective of how that music is accepted or not. So, that’s my job. That’s all I know, and I don’t think the label makes the artist, or the artist makes the label – I think the music is what makes everything work or not. And I do have to tell you, though – not offending anybody whatsoever – there was plenty opportunity for anyone to come and find Garth Brooks, but Doug Morris again, did it twice, and to reach up and shake a man’s hand like that, I want to work with a guy that’s runnin’ a company like that.”

  Garth Brooks talks about making new music. (:51)
“So we’re off and runnin’ – same players, we’re lucky enough to have the same players. The world has changed. We know that. But all we can be is ourselves. So, new music is coming – I can’t tell you when because truthfully we don’t know. At this point, the guys at RCA have a better picture of that than me. My job at this point is just to create, have fun, write, record, seek out songs. I do want to say thank you to the Nashville songwriting community, as well as L.A. and New York – they have been priceless. They have kinda taken this on as their own mission – this album. And I just hope for all of them, that I don’t let them down, ‘cause they have spent 24 hours a day for the last three months making sure that I got to hear everything possible that they had to offer, so my love and thanks goes out to them.”

  Garth Brooks says that his new album will arrive around Black Friday in November. (:18)
“The album of course is gonna, hopefully if we do our job right and everything – somewhere around Black Friday is usually we do our thing. Now, truth is, Black Friday’s moving now, you know, left and right, so it might be a week before what we traditionally know as Black Friday – whatever. Retail will probably make, I think, that decision probably.”

  Garth Brooks announces that his music will be available for the first time digitally. (:50)
“I guess the big question of today will be the digital music. We’ve never allowed ourself to go digital. That will begin within the next two or three weeks. It’s a pretty big step; it’s pretty scary. It’s a cool form, and when it’s used right, it can do wonders for the artist, and even better, it can do wonders for the songwriters. When you do it right, we’ll all succeed. And so we will be doing our digital the best that we can – the only way we know how – because we’re the only ones that kinda play our own way. So digital will be handled at GarthBrooks.com. It’ll be the only place you can get Garth Brooks music.”

  Garth Brooks says that when he makes his catalog available digitally, fans will be able to get in on a very good deal. (:30)
“What’s coming – I’m gonna tell you right now – people are going to mistake for giving it away, but I’m not. There’s gonna be a window coming with this digital era, for anyone who’s waited for Garth Brooks to go digital – to get it all at a stupid price. But that’s what it’s all about is now we’ve waited for however many years to go digital, this first digital push should come out and the people that have waited, should be rewarded – and hopefully that’s what we’re gonna do.”

  Garth Brooks says that there’s one person who’ll get a tip about the first city on his upcoming world tour. (1:23)
“We’ve got a lot on our plate, right now. We’ll be announcing the opening city soon. A weird situation kinda came up in Vegas. In Vegas, January 2nd and 3rd I think, we were playin’ the New Year’s shows out there, and we opened it up for questions. There was a kid named Andy, and I think he was from Atlanta – that’s all I know. Andy said, ‘What’s the opening city of the world tour?’ Now I’m screwed, right? I hear somebody in the front row go, ‘Tonight! Vegas! It’s the beginning of the world tour,’ and that’s what I told the crowd – and the crowd graciously, and was very happy about that, except Andy. Andy just kinda had this look on his face – and so I told Andy, I said right there, ‘Andy, if you really want to, leave your information here, I’ll call you, and you’ll be the first guy to know the opening city.’ I’m gonna call Andy, and what Andy chooses to do with that information is up to Andy. So July 14th, we’ll make our announcement to Andy, and then shortly after, we’ll make our announcement if Andy decides just to keep the information to himself – it’s whatever he wants to do with it. But we made a deal that night in front of the Vegas crowd, so I’m gonna hold up my end. And I might get a message machine, I don’t know. But he was a nice guy, seemed like a nice guy, and so we’ll find each other.”

  Garth Brooks gets a little input from his team as he answers a question about the timing of his upcoming album’s first single. (:18)
“Well, I know that, but I can’t tell you that. The guys are tellin’ me just kinda keep it vague, so I’m gonna say sometime around the end of this month. Is that vague enough? No. Sometime in the next two months? (audience laughter) Yes! Sometime in the next two months.”

  Garth Brooks says that he has a lot that he wants to express in his songwriting, but it’s been the songs from other writers that have really been winning him over as he works on his new album. (1:03)
“I’m kinda all pent up, you know, if that’s the right word, because it’s been awhile since you got to express yourself. So the new record I think is going to be what we traditionally would know as a double album – just because there’s a lot to say. Now here’s the kicker: I’m gettin’ my ass kicked by these songwriters today. We’re cuttin’ everything but Garth stuff it seems right now – just as we’re going down. I told [my manager] Bob Doyle – who knows music better than anybody in this town, I said the level of songwriting stunned me. These kids got it together, they got great groves, they got great messages. I’m really, really impressed. So, I’m havin’ a great time playing and writing again, but I’m not sure that my writing is up to the level that the town is right now. I’m hopin’ it’s because I’m rusty, not because I suck, you know? (audience laughter) But, you go back to work, and you start workin’ that muscle again, but right now, most of the stuff we’ve been cuttin’ have been outside songs, and you just make them yours, and I’m very impressed with this town at this point.”

  Garth Brooks talks about walking away from his career — and coming back. (1:15)
“My baby’s here somewhere in the room, so I should look at her when I say this. The hardest thing that I find to let go of was purpose. I knew what my job was, you know? My job was eatin’ Taco Bell at three in the morning and sleepin’ in late, gettin’ up and goin’, and starting songs but not finishing ’em because they’re gonna finish ’em for me. That was my job. Luckiest guy on the planet, easiest gig on the planet. When I got home, I’m starin’ at three children that I don’t know. Right? And I gotta tell you what happened to me in the last 14 years – greatest gift you could ever give somebody. I found my purpose. I found my purpose for the rest of my life. And now the luckiest guy on the planet has three, thank God, healthy baby girls that are off on their own, chasin’ their own dreams, and I’m gonna be the guy that gets to eat Taco Bell at three in the morning and get to go tour again. It’s fantastic. So again, I can’t thank God enough, I can’t think the people enough because I don’t think any of us in here realize a second half of a career is not granted, and I’m not sayin’ we’re gonna have one, but you have given me a shot to have one, and so that’s where we’re takin’ it from today.”