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List Price: $24.99 | | Publisher: Center Street
Salesrank: 44349
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| Our Price: $11.84 |
| Used Price: $7.50 |
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| Media: Hardcover |
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Editorial Review:
Garth Brooks is certified by the RIAA as the #1 selling solo artist in US history. Since his debut in 1990, he has sold over 128 million albums. But success rarely comes without controversy, and Garth has had more than a share. Is he a media and market manipulator, a country music poseur, and a megalomaniac, or is he simply a brilliant businessman and marketing strategist?Industry insider Patsi Bale Cox, who generated all label material on Brooks throughout his career, examines the meteoric rise of the country star. Examining his career within the context of country music history, she takes readers behind closed doors at the labels, and delves into the inner sanctum of the Nashville music community. THE GARTH FACTOR will paint a portrait of how Brooks's friendship with Trisha Yearwood developed into love and marriage, explore the truth behind his "alter-ego" Chris Gaines, and update readers on what he has been up to since retirement.
The Garth Factor: The Career Behind Country's Big Boom Reviews:
Country Music Star - Book review 
2009-10-06 - Interesting facts and chronology of the success of Garth Brooks. Nothing controversial or for that matter, surprising. It is clear that Garth Brooks was not involved in this as most of his quotes are from public events or other sources. Not a lot of raw honesty, just written so as not to offend anybody...
Garth Factor
2009-09-14 - Boughtthe book for my wife she loves it. It is detailed it fills in a lot of blanks as to what Garth has been up to. I really hope he starts touring again but i cant blame him for settling down with out family the work well is just work
Could be a textbook
2009-08-06 - I think many in the Country Music Industry could benefit by reading this bio. In a time when country is turning into a business purely about marketing and what is "slick" and "hot," this book portrays the genre's biggest star as someone who succeeded purely because of the MUSIC.
"The Garth Factor" could be a textbook for youngsters wanting to get into the Country Music game. It shows the ins-and-outs of the business side, as well as what it takes to become truly GREAT as an entertainer.
I gladly recommend this!
A GREAT READ FOR FANS OF ANY COUNTRY ARTISTS
2009-07-14 - I was late to counry music, having spent most of my musical formative years listening to rock and roll and pop music. Like probably millions of rock/pop fans I got tired of the glam and postering in the music videos on MTV and even eventually VH1, I was looking for music more pure and songs and videos that actually told a story or at least seemed sincere and not just about who had the hottest chicks in their videos, or the biggest hair and loudest spandex. It was a sweet video on VH1 with Amy Grant and Vince Gill that sent me over to CMT for more Vince info and from watching CMT I discovered the amazing world of country music, singers, songwriters and videos that actually told the story or at least tried to match the meaning of the song. What a feast of songs and artist, from Vince to Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Hal Ketchum, all who taught me to honor the legends, thus my love for the Grand Ole Opry and the men and women who have been members for over 50 years.
I have to admit I didn't come to this musical wonderland early, and thus all the crap written about Garth Brooks and his "marketing major" fueling some kind of "only in it to make money and sell more records" hype was already out there and I fell for it a bit and never gave him his due when he was putting out his music. But I did come around and learned to appreciate him.
Patsi has written a great book, so easy to read and so sincere in showing how much Garth really has tried to honor the SONG and the songwriter his whole career. He was a good guy and still is and reading this book will show any fan what YOUR favorite artist has to deal with on the busnines end of making his music. The work and care that an artist puts into trying to put the best music he can, the music that moves him, onto a finished cd is a long tedious job and often that effort is just trashed by the stroke of the pen of some music critic who thinks they know what was inside the artist's head and heart when he was recording.
Read this book and if you already have been a Garth fan you will appreciate him more and if you as not a fan, you will at least appreciate the process involved in getting that music to your cd player or IPod.
Great job, Patsi, your writing is so flowing and you tell the story indeed of the rise of country music via Garth, a true music maverick.
Great for the Garth Fan
2009-07-09 - This is a great book for the dedicated Garth Brooks fan. It hits on all the big moments of his career but refrains from hashing out all of the details of these events which have been covered by other books. In the meantime, it gives new insight into the backdrop of the 90s and Garth's career and does a great job of showing why country music owes a great deal to him. It does not fail to address the criticism Garth has received throughout his career but does a good job of putting you in Garth's place so you understand the decisions he made. As a Garth fan, I had a hard time putting this book down and enjoyed the speculation of what to look for next from the King of Country.
