Garth Fights For Firefighters
Country superstar Garth Brooks is coming out of semi-retirement this weekend.
He's headlining five Los Angeles concerts in just two days in an effort to raise $10 million for a good cause.
As Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman reports, "More Than a Memory" isn't only the title of Brooks' latest chart-topping single. It also describes how thousands of Southern Californians feel about last year's devastating wildfires.
Says Brooks, "I have never seen anything like what I saw on TV. I've never seen flames that high. I've never seen wind that hard."
So, he's doing the concerts hoping to raise the money for local firefighters and fire victims. And all five concerts sold out in just an hour.
"It's gonna be great," Brooks told Kauffman,"just the chance to play. I don't get to play that much anymore. So, just the chance to play is what I'm looking forward to. And then the fact that it's going to do some GOOD. That's the cherry on top."
Kauffman says firefighters are extraordinarily grateful.
If you want to contribute, log on to mccormicktribune.org/2008firerelief.
Capt. Julie Hutchinson of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says, "More than anything, I thank him for taking time out of HIS life, to come and make a difference for people. As fire service professionals, that's what we do a lot. We are here for the people."
Brooks couldn't agree more, saying,"The love that these guys have for people they don't even know, KILLS me. ... And they don't have any hesitation. Their first thing is to GO. My first thing is to get the hell out!"
Brooks concedes he'll be a bit nervous at the shows, "And I carry my 'TV weight' with me!" he said, patting his belly and laughing. "You always want to represent yourself the best you can.
"It's our job to make it different. So, we're bringing in a new stage, we're bringing in a new light rig, and playing new music we've never played before, with some special guests. We're excited -- c'mon, you've gotta keep reinventing yourself. Or, you know, nobody's going to tune in just to see the same old, grey haired, balding fat guy play his music! So, it's just have fun, and do your thing!"
Brooks might be semi-retired but, Kaufmann, he's definitely NOT the "retiring" type: He's working with children's charities, selling "special edition" CDs to fight breast cancer, and now, raising millions for fire relief.
"I'm just happy that under this umbrella of 'retirement,' you can pick and choose what you do," Brooks observes. "And this weekend is going to be nothing but a labor of love for nothing but a great cause.
"So," he smiled, "how do you lose?!"