Garth Brooks, who turned 49 on Monday, got a really big belated birthday gift on Wednesday--when he discovered that his charitable Nashville concert series raised a whopping $5 million.
The series, which was held in December and consisted of nine sold-out shows at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, was earmarked to fund disaster relief for the city. Tennessee experienced record flooding in May of 2010, which resulted in billions of dollars worth of damage, as well the deaths of more than 20 people and displacement of hundreds more.
The total sum raised from the concerts was announced by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which says it already has most of the funds (about $4.35 million) in hand.
It's not too surprising that Brooks was able to raise such an impressive sum. The series netted a record 140,000 tickets sold, which is the highest amount ever in the state of Tennessee (and that's a state known for its music lovers, folks!). If you're curious, Michael Jackson held the previous record (72,000 tickets in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville) before Brooks busted that number.
But anyway. Five million bucks for flood victims. Awesome! All I can say is: I can't think of a better way to celebrate a birthday, can you?
Brooks expressed pride and happiness at his ability to help. "Playing music has never felt better or ever felt more right," he said. "I am really honored to have been a part of this happening."
Brooks already delighted his fanbase last month by announcing a string of new concert dates at the Wynn Las Vegas, where he's been playing periodically since 2009. The shows will start March 25 and run through July 23.
Will you be buying a ticket? Let me know!
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