After selling more than 150 million albums, filling stadiums for decades and earning highfalutin accolades such as the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and Kennedy Center Honors, Garth Brooks shouldn’t be affected by much.

But as the country titan announces the final shows of his sold-out Garth Brooks/Plus One residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, he’s legitimately going to miss it.

“If there was a guy who said I’ll do this the rest of my life, it would be me,” Brooks says in an exclusive phone interview with USA TODAY.

His spirited shows, packed with barnburners (“Callin' Baton Rouge,” “Papa Loved Mama”), tearjerkers (“Unanswered Prayers,” “The Dance”), covers of Billy Joel, George Strait, Wynonna Judd and Bob Seger and frequent appearances from fellow superstar wife Trisha Yearwood, will end in March.

Brooks' last batch of dates are Feb. 21-23 and 28 and March 1-2 and 7-9.

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Tickets for the final shows go on sale at 1 p.m. EDT on Sept. 19 at ticketmaster.com/GarthVegas.

Citi cardmembers will have access to a presale starting at 1 p.m. on Sept. 16. Those who have previously purchased tickets to Brooks’ residency will be able to buy tickets at 1 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17, while Caesars Rewards members and Live Nation customers are granted access at 1 p.m. EDT Sept. 18.

Brooks, 62, also recently announced an end to Inside Studio G, the weekly online series he’s hosted since 2016 as a direct fan interaction, later this year.

“It’s time to figure out what’s next,” Brooks says. “We just launched the Garth Channel (on digital platform TuneIn) again, so we’re gonna funnel our stuff there.”

The ever-industrious Brooks talked more about saying goodbye to his Caesars residency – a live album is planned from the final shows – spending time with his band in Vegas and why it’s time to be the “plus one” for Yearwood.

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Question: Now are these dates for next year really going to be the end?

Answer: (Laughs) Yes, they are. We signed a one-year deal and I didn’t want Caesars to lose their shirts so the second year was their option and they picked that up. I’m gonna miss it. The crowds are that great. I’ll put a Garth crowd around anyone, but bagging the phones (during shows) has made a huge difference because every show is a surprise to the fans. So it’s been fabulous. I hate to see the end of it.

We chatted the day of your opening night show in May 2023 and at that moment, you still weren’t sure what you would play first. You went with a Bob Seger song and have been opening with a cover almost every show since. How come?

I think it’s partially because I don’t want to give a Garth song away that early. But we have to soundcheck the room every night, so I pick a Seger or Keith Whitley or Randy Travis song to get a feel of the room, find which spots are hot. If it’s hot where you’re standing, when the band comes on, it’s twice as hot. I like to roam the stage, find the pockets. It’s my way of mapping the room.

What is it about Seger that makes you often play more than one of his songs in your set?

Seger is one of those people like the Eagles that if they had come out in the ‘90s, they’d be country, like James Taylor and the pedal steel player he used – that’s all country. Linda Ronstadt was country music and that was the era you kind of grew up in. I love their storytelling.  

What have you enjoyed most about being in Vegas?

I’m spending an unbelievable amount of time with the band and crew. We have team dinners, we usually go shopping or to Topgolf. It’s a good family full of good people. Around 40 years ago I said life it too short for (jerks), so if you’re around people you love, who care if you’re stuck in a traffic jam, you’re blessed. Of the 31 of us (who are part of the residency shows), 24 of us started in 1994. Thirty years. That’s a family.

How would you compare this residency to the first one you did at Wynn (2009-2014)?

The first one was sweet – 1,400 people, me and the guitar. As much as I loved the freedom, what I was missing was this band. The band has come to some other level after 391 arena and stadium shows. (At Wynn) it was just Garth and a guitar. But when people at this Vegas show realize it’s not just a Garth and guitar show, you see the guys in the crowd come out of their chairs. The guy-to-girl ratio is half to half, with even more guys now. If it’s just Garth and a guitar, it’s gonna be hard to get the guys there and I love the guys. I love to see them sing and we’re all horrible dancers.

You opened your Friends in Low Places bar in Nashville in March and there have been rumors you’re looking at a Vegas outpost. Any truth to the chatter?

I think there is only one other place on this planet for it and it would be Vegas. It would be fun. And if it’s supposed to happen, it will. But it has to be organic and focused on three main things: service, cleanliness and security. I live near (the Nashville location) and I don’t know how much my trust factor would be with another one that far away. You want to send the message that we’re here for each other.

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What do you think you’ll do performing-wise after this?

I think my job for 2025 is to be the plus one. My wife is sweet enough to be there for me every time I need her. I need to return that and we need to hear her more than two songs a night. I told her I’d front her. I’ll stay backstage and do whatever she needs.

And what about the last show in March. Any special plans yet?

I’d love to film it. There something magical happening within those walls. We’re also going to put an end to (availability) of the “Double Live” and “Triple Live” albums (released in 1998 and 2019, respectively) and launch “Killer Live.” It pays tribute to other artists and medleys from towns we’ve been in, like Tom Petty in Florida and James Taylor in North Carolina. But first, we’ll probably record those last three weekends (at Caesars) for a live album. I want you to hear what I’m hearing.

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