On Saturday, April 16, Garth Brooks made a young fan’s dream come true during his concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. It was his second night performing there, and he noticed a 7-year-old boy named Charles Engel in the front row. Charles was wearing a black cowboy hat and holding a sign that said “my first concert ever.” The sign also mentioned one of Garth’s songs, “Standing Outside The Fire,” which Charles really wanted to hear.
Garth didn’t just play the song for Charles—he invited him to sing it with him! Charles had been practicing the song all week, and when Garth asked if he could sing, Charles nodded and took the microphone. Garth told the crowd to cheer for Charles, saying, “You’re going to be a real big-time singer, okay? You already look fantastic!” Then, with Garth on stage and Charles in the front row, they sang “Standing Outside The Fire” together. The huge crowd even started chanting Charles’ name, and he sang with all his heart right alongside Garth.
@garthbrooks Saturday Nashville- Unbelievable! 🤩🔥 #WINS
I thought Friday was awesome – & then Saturday happened! 🤩 My favorite stadium show so far.
From the Opry to Charles -an unforgettable night!
THANK YOU!!!! #thanksfortheview 🙏🏻🙏🏻#AskGarth @ThatSamOlson @BryanMMoore pic.twitter.com/Q6sRfTfMii
— “Awesome Aunt” Ali (@ctf20) April 17, 2022
When they finished, Garth shouted, “Charles, you’re a rock star!” It was a special moment that Charles and the fans will never forget. Garth also signed Charles’ sign to make his first concert extra memorable.
“Standing Outside The Fire” is a song Garth wrote with his friend Jenny Yates back in 1992. It came out in 1993 on his album In Pieces and is still a favorite for many fans. Garth once said the song idea came from a talk with Jenny, and they wrote it in just an hour and a half. He called Jenny a big dreamer who inspires him.
That same night, Garth had more surprises. The Grand Ole Opry opened the show with singers like Chris Young, Trisha Yearwood, Jeannie Seely, Chase Rice, and Lauren Alaina. Garth even joined Chris Young to sing “Papa Loved Mama” together, which Chris said was one of the best moments of his career.
Garth is also working on something exciting outside of concerts. He’s opening a new bar in Downtown Nashville on Lower Broadway called Friends In Low Places. He bought the building, which is over 40,000 square feet and has three floors, in December 2021. Garth wants it to be a fun, welcoming place with great country music. He’s teaming up with a Nashville company owned by brothers Benjamin and Max Goldberg to make it happen. Garth said he’s lucky to be part of such a popular spot in Nashville, and the Goldbergs are thrilled to help him because he’s done so much for the city.
