Trisha Yearwood Biography

Trisha Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is a three-time Grammy-winning American country music singer. She was born in Monticello, Georgia, to Jack and Gwen Yearwood, and developed her musical talent in Nashville, Tennessee, where she was a student at Belmont University. Her first number one single was "She's in Love with the Boy" (released 1991).

She married her first husband, Christopher Latham, in 1987 but the two divorced in 1991. Trisha married Robert Reynolds, the bass player for The Mavericks, on May 21, 1994, and they divorced in 1999.

On May 25, 2005, Yearwood became engaged to fellow country superstar and longtime friend Garth Brooks in front of 7,000 fans. On December 10, 2005, they were married in a private ceremony at the couple's home in Owasso, Oklahoma. It was Brooks' second marriage and Yearwood's third. Brooks has three daughters from his first marriage--Taylor, August, and Allie.

Brooks and Yearwood first met in October 1987 recording demos for songwriter Kent Blazy. The two immediately hit it off as friends, with Garth saying he thought Trisha was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The friends pledged whoever made it big first would help the other out; when Garth landed a major tour in 1991, he brought Trisha along to open all of his shows. Even when they became two of the biggest country stars of the 1990s, they remained close friends.

Musically, Yearwood cites Linda Ronstadt as her biggest influence, and Ronstadt's sound and vocal stylings are clearly apparent in Yearwood's music. Other influences include Emmylou Harris, Patsy Cline, and Elvis Presley.

In addition to her 11 smash albums, Yearwood has also provided harmony vocals for some of Nashville's most prominent stars, including Garth Brooks (he has given Yearwood much credit for playing a role in his success), Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris, John Mellencamp and Vince Gill.

As a songwriter, Yearwood has never recorded one of her own songs, but husband Brooks' alter ego, Chris Gaines, recorded the Yearwood-penned tune "Main Street."

In 1996, while flying from Nevada to New York, Yearwood saved a man's life. Francesco Maccarrone, a baggage handler, was trapped in the belly of the plane. When the plane left the gate, Yearwood heard pounding and screaming from under her seat and insisted the pilot stop the plane. After he emerged from the plane a shaken but relieved Francesco said, "I was a big Reba fan, but now I'm an even bigger Trisha fan."

After taking a four-year hiatus from touring and recording to take a break and enjoy her new relationship with Garth Brooks, Yearwood released a new album, "Jasper County" on September 13, 2005. The album is a return to a more country sound than her last several CDs. The first single, "Georgia Rain," set the tone for the album, with Yearwood altering the lyrics to pay homage to her home, singing about "the Georgia rain on the Jasper County clay."

Yearwood has won three Grammy Awards among several nominations. She has also won the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards for Best Female Performer (CMA: 1997, 1998; ACM: 1997).

Yearwood was inducted into the famed and historic Grand Ole Opry in 1999, cementing her status as a true icon in country music. She cites this, along with appearing on Sesame Street and being a puzzle on Wheel of Fortune, as the signs that she's "made it."

Trisha's latest single was a duet with Garth called "Love Will Always Win". It is the fifth duet the couple has recorded; the others were "In Another's Eyes," "Where Your Road Leads," "Wild as the Wind," and "Squeeze Me In."

Yearwood lives on a ranch in Owasso, Oklahoma with husband Brooks and his three daughters. When she's not touring, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and reading.

Yearwood recently announced plans to head back into the studio to begin recording her 12th album.