Garth Brooks talks about being nervous on visit to OSU to play concerts for scholarships

STILLWATER — Even before he arrived at his alma mater, Garth Brooks saw the sign that always says "home" to him.

"Other than just being lost as hell coming out here — I couldn't figure out where we were coming into town because it's just built up so much — it's just always great to be here. Got to see Willie's on the way here, which is my home. It's the birthplace of Garth stuff," Brooks said, referring to the venerable saloon on Stillwater's iconic "The Strip."

"When we passed there today, they have done nothing with the sign: It's the same sign that was there. And I'm sure the inside probably looks the same, too. ... Nothing's really changed for me: I still feel like the goofball that I was here in college."

A 1984 Oklahoma State University graduate, Brooks, 61, returned to OSU's Stillwater campus this weekend to play two benefit concerts at the university's McKnight Center for the Performing Arts.

"Garth Brooks personifies the Cowboy code that we live by here at Oklahoma State University. As a student, he dreamed as big as the sky, he faced challenges and persisted, and today he is one of the most recognized artists in the world," said OSU President Kayse Shrum at a Friday press conference featuring Brooks.

"While he's a world-renowned artist, here at OSU, he's family, and we are so proud of him. You won't be surprised to hear that when I told him that we had set an ambitious goal last year to increase student access in scholarships ... the first thing he said is, 'Miss Kayse, how can I help?' And here we are today."

Superstar's concerts raise $2 million for OSU scholarships

The Country Music Hall of Famer was to play two concerts this weekend at the McKnight Center. On Friday night, Brooks was to perform for an audience of OSU students, and on Saturday, his audience is slated to be alumni and donors.

"This is probably the most nervous I've ever been, just simply 'cause I think it's probably stated somewhere in the Bible that a prophet is least respected in his own hometown or something like that," said Brooks, who was born in Tulsa and raised in Yukon.

"It's funny how the people that you want to impress the most aren't people in the industry, aren't people who vote on awards. The people you want to impress the most are the people you're raised with and raised around."

The concerts are raising funds for a scholarship program directly benefiting students pursuing degrees at OSU.

"By increasing scholarship dollars, maybe we can ease that burden on our students, and provide more access to students in the future who may not otherwise be able to come to Oklahoma State University without a scholarship," Shrum said. "We set a goal to raise a million dollars. I'm happy to say that we have raised $2 million towards scholarships this weekend."

As an undergraduate working toward an advertising degree, Brooks attended OSU on a track scholarship.

"I wanted to be a professional athlete, but how many professional javelin throwers do you see?" said Brooks, who listed hanging out with his fellow athletes in the track and wrestling programs among his favorite college memories.

"I couldn't read or write music, so I came here to do jingles. ... But in that four years, I learned a lot about me. That's a beautiful thing."

Although he grew up the youngest of six children, Brooks said he and his siblings all got the chance to go to college through a mix of student loans, grants and athletic scholarships.

"My federal grant ... was done in 2012, if I would have just paid it off when I was supposed to. But after 'No Fences,' I could just go ahead and pay it off, which was very sweet," he said, referring to his seminal 1990 album, which included his hits "Unanswered Prayers," "The Thunder Rolls" and "Friends in Low Places."

Student request brings superstar to OSU in concert

Although Shrum said it was Brooks' idea to perform a show just for OSU students, the country music superstar said he was especially nervous to play for that audience.

"It will probably be the biggest (age) difference I've seen. They bring children at the stadium tour all the time, but they're there with their parents, so I'm comfortable with that," he said at Friday's press conference. "(Saturday) night, I know what to do, because I'll be among the people that I went to school with. But tonight I'm a little nervous, and I just hope they have a good time."

The idea for the student concert came from a series of fall master classes Brooks, his wife and fellow hitmaker Trisha Yearwood, songwriter Bryan Kennedy and other hand-picked entertainment industry experts taught at the McKnight Center.

During one of the September sessions, an OSU student asked Brooks if he would consider playing a concert at his alma mater. The music icon promised he'd think about it — and if he decided to do it, that student would get a front-row seat.

"We've got his seat waiting for him," Brooks said with a grin.

To attend the Friday concert, OSU students had to contribute a nonperishable food item to benefit Pete’s Pantry or a hygiene product for the Red Pantry during a two-day donation drive. The first 900 students to donate automatically received a ticket to the show, while the rest were entered in a lottery for the remaining 200 seats.

"What I love about that is ... the greatest thing that you'll ever teach your kids and the greatest thing you will ever be taught is to do something for somebody you'll never meet," Brooks said. "I love that the effort was helping somebody who needs help. That's what we're all here for."

Hitmaker considers OSU concerts preparation for Vegas residency

Although the OSU concerts weren't open to the general public, the Songwriters Hall of Famer told The Oklahoman he hoped the weekend shows would get him warmed up for his eagerly awaited return to Las Vegas. In May, the Oklahoma native will embark on a new residency, "Garth Brooks/Plus ONE," at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

"This is going to be my first look at going back to the one-man show since 2010, so that's another reason why I'm nervous, because when you just have a stadium show, you have so many things going on, they don't even care if you're there. They sell so much beer. ... They're having a party. It's fun," Brooks said.

"Now, each word matters, and that's scary, especially for guy who's out of shape. ... And we haven't played since September. So, it's gonna be rusty, but hopefully, it's going to be fun."

Although it's been almost 40 years since he earned his bachelor's degree in Stillwater, Brooks' OSU ties have only gotten stronger. He received his master's of business administration from Oklahoma State in 2011. The oldest of his three daughters, Taylor, played soccer for OSU and graduated with her bachelor's degree in history in 2017, and his middle daughter, August Anna, attended classes at his alma mater.

While his youngest daughter, Allie Colleen, never attended OSU, she has her own Stillwater connections: A singer-songwriter in her own right, she was to play Friday night at the Tumbleweed Dancehall, where her father famously worked as a bouncer while he was in college.

"What I learned at Willie's, I still use it every day. I'll use it tonight ... and then at the Tumbleweed, the place where I worked forever ... it's my baby. I can't believe it," Brooks said with tears in his eyes.

"It's pretty cool for me to know that while I'm playing, she's gonna be playing, too. It's good because I know what this town does for dreamers, and they're gonna treat her fantastic."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Garth Brooks' Oklahoma State trip to play scholarship shows raises $2M