Local DJ has unforgettable experience with Garth Brooks
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IDAHO FALLS — A local country radio disc jockey hoped to shake Garth Brooks’ hand and say a few words when he went backstage Saturday night. He had no idea that the singing megastar had other plans.
Cory Daniels, afternoon personality on 105.5/105.9 The Hawk, traveled to Billings, Montana, to see Brooks perform with his wife, Trisha Yearwood.
“I had a meet-and-greet pass, but wasn’t quite sure how much time I’d get with them,” Daniels tells EastIdahoNews.com. “Garth is one of my favorite singers, so I was really looking forward to it.”
Daniels says he and five other fans were invited backstage where Brooks and Yearwood were seated on barstools.
For 20 minutes, the performers answered questions and posed for photographs.
“I had a poster I asked them to sign and as we were chatting, I congratulated Garth for winning the CMA (Country Music Association) Entertainer of the Year award,” Daniels recalls. “All of a sudden, he dropped the pen and ran to his dressing room.”
A few minutes later, Brooks returned with a belt buckle he received when he won the award last November.
“The CMA awards gave him 10 of the same buckle,” Daniels says. “Garth told me he gave some to his kids and others in the industry, but he planned to wear that specific buckle on stage that night.”
Brooks then insisted that Daniels try the belt buckle on and pose in a photo with Brooks and Yearwood.
“I was thinking, ‘Is this is a joke? Do I have to take my pants off in front of Garth Brooks?'” Daniels says with a laugh. “Fortunately my pants didn’t fall off, but I put the buckle on and felt like a million bucks.”
After taking a photo, Daniels gave the buckle back to Brooks and the two continued chatting for a few minutes.
An hour later, Brooks took the stage wearing the buckle in a concert Daniels say he’ll never forget.
“It was such a surreal moment,” Daniels says. “Here’s one of the biggest music stars in history, and he was just like a regular guy talking about his belt buckle. He made you feel like a real person.”