Trisha Yearwood Reflects on Traditions Ahead of Holiday Special With Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood
Q&A
COURTESY OF CBS

They headlined at their home recording studio in April. Now country greats Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are back to take more requests in another live one-hour special, Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event. “There will be holiday songs, but other than that, I really have no idea!” Yearwood says of their plans. “Best of luck to us all!” We still quizzed her.

When do you start listening to holiday music?

Trisha Yearwood: I used to have the hard and fast rule about no Christmas anything until after Thanksgiving. But I got rid of that almost 10 years ago after my mom passed away. We start decorating and listening to music now every year on November 8, her birthday.

What song can’t you wait to sing first each year?

When Garth and I recorded our [2016 Christmas Together] duets album, we included some solo performances. One of my favorites that I love to sing is Dolly Parton’s “Hard Candy Christmas.”

Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event

(Credit: CBS)

Name a song so beautiful, it makes you tear up.

I wish I had been given the chance to tell Karen Carpenter how her vocal on “The Christmas Song” inspired me as a singer. It’s so conversational, and real. It gets me every time.

You’ve said a grocery cart, to wheel your groceries in from the garage, is the most romantic gift Garth has given you. How so?

My childhood grocery store was long gone, but he had Mom ask the owners if they had any left. The man said, “Miss Gwen, I couldn’t take a dime for it. Your husband, Jack, our local banker, gave me a loan on a handshake to start my business when nobody else would.” So yes, a grocery cart made me cry!

Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event, Sunday, December 20, 8:30/7:30c, CBS