Garth Brooks inks Vegas deal

garth22 By Jim Hagerty, Staff Writer

Garth Brooks, one of the biggest entertainers of all time, announced today he is coming out of retirement. Brooks retired from performing in 2000 and said he would not return to the music business as a touring act until his kids were grown.

His decision was slightly modified this afternoon when Brooks and Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Hotels, announced a partnership that will land the singer in Las Vegas for the next five years. Under the agreement, Brooks will play weekend-only (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) shows at the Encore Theater inside the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel. The first shows is scheduled for Dec. 11.

Tickets are $125 and will go on sale Oct. 24.

Brooks said his decision to perform in Vegas was the result of Wynn’s willingness to consider the well-being of his family, including his ex-wife and mother of his three daughters, Sandy. Wynn will reportedly fly Brooks in a private jet between Las Vegas and his home in Oklahoma according to his performance schedule.

While no new music or a tour will likely happen until his youngest daughter, Allie, 13, goes to college, fans can see Brooks perform in Vegas with the occasional guest, including his wife, Trisha Yearwood.

Brooks scored 24 No. 1 singles since his 1989 debut. All but two of is nine studio albums reached No. 1 in the U.S.

Garth Brooks has sold more nearly 130 million albums worldwide, second to only the Beatles. The single, “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” No. 1 in 1989, was followed by other chart-toppers like “The Dance,” “Friends in Low Places,” “Unanswered Prayers” and “That Summer.”

His most recent No. 1 single, 2007’s “More Than a Memory,” was off The Ultimate Hits package.