Garth Brooks: Viva Las Vegas!

How are you going to keep Garth Brooks down on the farm after he’s heard from Las Vegas? Well, evidently, you can’t: The country music superstar announced Thursday morning that he’s coming out of self-imposed retirement, after years of spending quality time with his three daughters and wife Trisha Yearwood at their 2,000-acre spread just northeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma. During press conferences in Nashville and Las Vegas, Brooks revealed that his first post-retirement gig will be “an extended engagement” at the Las Vegas’ Wynn Resort –- where, it’s safe to assume, the reservation-desk phones already are ringing off the wall. “We’re going to take the retirement roof off over our head,” Brooks promised. “And I already feel taller.” Even so, don’t be too quick to assume there’s a new Garth Brooks album in the offing. (There isn’t.) And there are no immediate plans for any cross-country tours. Indeed, during the Nashville press conference, Brooks sounded as though his Vegas gig might be his way of testing the waters before considering any future activity. "I know this is a young industry," he said, "so I'm not sure I'll be welcomed back. But, if the fans want me, I still want to pursue my music."