garth-brooks-thanks-first-responders-and-families-in-post-from-ellen-degeneres-show

Garth Brooks Thanks First Responders and Families in Post from Ellen Degeneres Show

Garth Brooks took over hosting duties for The Ellen Degeneres Show and helped surprise one firefighter and his wife with $20,000.

Brooks, whose new album Fun will be released on Nov. 20, hosted the Friday episode of Ellen, which was part of “Ellen’s Month of Giving Thanks.” The country megastar interviewed Glendale firefighter Steve Pettit and his wife Misty. They discussed the couple’s 5-month-old baby and Steve’s work with the fire department during the California wildfires and pandemic.

“Thank you to all the first responders. Please tell every guy and every girl down there that,” he said. “You guys are the first ones in but you put yourself last. That is so sweet.”

At the end of the segment, Brooks surprised the couple with $20,000 from photography company Shutterfly.

Brooks tweeted a photo of himself with the couple on stage shortly after the segment aired.

Garth Brooks Explains Why ‘Fun’ Album Was Delayed

Garth Brooks will release his long-awaited 12th studio album Fun on Nov. 20. He’s been teasing it for a very long time but held off on releasing the full album until now.

“The whole reason why FUN hasn’t been released was hesitation of having fun or celebrating FUN’s release in the midst of a pandemic when people are struggling,” he said, according to ABC radio.

The album features a duet with wife and fellow country music legend Trisha Yearwood on the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper song Shallow. It also includes Dive Bar, a song with Blake Shelton.

“The pandemic has gone on so long, [the question became] ‘Could we just have a little fun? Toward the end of the year, can we just celebrate a little bit of the healing through music?’” Brooks continued. “And when an artist gets a chance to be part of the healing through his or her or their music, that’s the greatest honor of getting to be a music or an entertainer or an artist.”