Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Announce Celebration Show with Garth Brooks to Honor First-Ever Seven Diamond RIAA Certifications

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced today the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) has joined forces with Garth Brooks to host a free celebration show to commemorate Brooks' becoming the first recording artist in history to earn seven Diamond Certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

In a special ceremony at the State Capitol, Gov. Haslam named Brooks a Tennessee Ambassador of Goodwill in honor of the achievement, which brings the title of most Diamond-certified artist home to country music and the state of Tennessee. Brooks had previously been tied with The Beatles, who have six Diamond-certified recordings.

Haslam also announced the launch of a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Garth Brooks, which includes a special "thank you" performance for fans in the singer's adopted home state of Tennessee. Brooks will take the stage at Ascend Amphitheatre in Nashville on Monday, Oct. 24, at 7pm and the event is free. Additionally, there will be a viewing area at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville, where fans can watch the celebration live on giant video screens, enjoy refreshments from local vendors and receive special giveaways.

"Garth Brooks can live and make music anywhere he wants, and the fact that he has chosen to do that in Tennessee says a lot about our state," said Gov. Haslam. "We're grateful he is partnering with us because he represents our state so well and inspires people to visit Tennessee and experience, as we say, the soundtrack of America."

Free tickets for the celebration show will be available using codes issued on TDTD's new Snapchat account @Tennessee, which officially launches today. By following the account, fans can access these codes as well as exclusive Garth Brooks stories and surprise celebrity takeovers.

"I feel very lucky and blessed to get to team with the state of Tennessee to bring the seven Diamond Certifications to the home of country music.  The journey has truly been a genuine partnership," said Brooks.

The RIAA Diamond Certifications highlight the seven Garth Brooks albums, which were all recorded in Tennessee, that have individually sold over 10 million copies. The albums that have reached this achievement are Garth Brooks, No Fences, Ropin' The Wind, The Hits, Double-Live, Sevens, and The Ultimate Hits. The seven Diamonds celebration further supports the state's dedication to music and tourism initiatives as part of "The Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee" program.

Tennessee has long been known as a global music destination, where the genres of blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly and rock 'n' roll originated and has more musicians per capita than any other place in the world. It is the state where artists come to create and perform their music. Tennessee is home to world-renowned music attractions like Graceland, Beale Street, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Bluebird, Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Grand Ole Opry and the famous Ryman Auditorium.   

For more information, visit tnvacation.com and follow @Tennessee on Snapchat.

About Garth Brooks:

Garth Brooks is certified by the RIAA as the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history with over 138 million albums. He has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist. Garth has been inducted into the International Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame and most recently, the Musicians Hall of Fame.

Garth is currently on the three-year Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood. The tour began with 11 sold out shows at the Allstate Arena in Chicago. The tour is smashing records previously held by such acts as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and even Garth Brooks.  In just over a year and a half, the tour is approaching 5 MILLION tickets sold making it the biggest tour in the world. He also just received his 11th nomination for Entertainer of the Year from the CMA Awards. 

Recently Garth launched Inside Studio G, a weekly Facebook Live series that will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his next album. It airs every Monday on Garth's Facebook page at 7:00 PM EDT.

About the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development:

The mission of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is to motivate travel to and within Tennessee by inspiring enjoyment, creating memories, producing a desire to return, and establishing key long-term relationships that result in visitors becoming residents. Tennessee's tourism industry generates $18.4 billion annually in economic impact, more than $1.6 billion in state and local sales tax revenue and more than 157,400 tourism-related jobs.  The promise of Tennessee—the birthplace of the blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly, and rock 'n' roll—is to be the global music destination of choice. To deliver an unparalleled experience of beauty, history, and family adventure, infused with music that creates a vacation that is the "Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee."

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SOURCE Tennessee Department of Tourist Development