Trisha Yearwood’s Country Career Led Her Straight To The Kitchen
When people hear the name "Trisha Yearwood," their minds will either go to country music or the Food Network. These days, Yearwood is recognized for her Emmy-award winning show Trisha's Southern Cooking and it's so successful that it's easy to forget her outstanding career as a country superstar.
For much of her life, Patricia Yearwood was set on making it as a singer, achieving that and more throughout the '90s. But after two divorces, the multi-platinum selling artist veered down a path that no one would've expected (and it started way before the Food Network offered her a show!). Read on to see how it all unfolded.
She Wanted To Sing, But Got An Education First
Growing up in Georgia, Trisha Yearwood was "obsessed" with music. "I thought, at 15 years old, I should go and get a record deal and drop out of school, and my parents would have had none of that," she said during a Q&A at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Indeed, Yearwood graduated high school and started working towards a business degree at University of Georgia. Miserable in the field, she transferred to Belmont University in Nashville, Tenessee. "I felt like this was the place where the music I wanted to make was being made," she said.
She Started Making Moves At Her First Job
Yearwood eventually landed an internship at MTM Records and after earning her degree, she was hired as a full-time receptionist. But she didn't want to stay in that position forever and began networking herself within the company.
"I got work based on the fact that I showed up on time, I worked cheap, I knew the songs when I got there, and I sounded good, and I did my own harmonies for free," she said. With the help of company resources, Yearwood was able to record a series of demos and sing as a backup vocalist for new artists.
Yearwood Didn't Know She Met The Love Of Her Life
One of the new artists that Yearwood sang backup for was Garth Brooks. The two met in 1987 to record a demo in songwriter Kent Blazy's attic studio. "I felt that feeling like when you just meet your wife, but I'd been married for 13 months," Brooks recalled on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
He had just married his college sweetheart Sandy Mahl, while Yearwood was already married to musician Chris Latham. Still, Brooks was impressed with Yearwood's vocal chops and promised her that she could open for him when he landed a record deal.
Garth Brooks Helped Launch Her Career
Maintaining their platonic friendship, Brooks helped jump-start Yearwood's career when he introduced her to his producer Allen Reynolds, who in turn brought her to producer Garth Fundis, with whom she recorded a demo tape. Yearwood sang backup for Brooks again on his second album, 1990's No Fences, and performed live at a label showcase.
MCA record producer Tony Brown was in attendance and was so impressed, he helped her sign a record deal with MCA Nashville Records. At that point, Brooks followed through on his promise and hired Yearwood as the opening act on his 1991 nationwide tour.
Her Debut Album Sold A Million Copies
1991 was a breakout year for Trisha Yearwood. Aside from going on tour with Garth Brooks, she also released her self-titled debut album that featured the lead single, "She's in Love with the Boy," which peaked at number one on the Billboard Country Chart.
Trisha Yearwood was certified Platinum and made Yearwood the first female country artist to sell one million copies of her first album. "Like We Never Had a Broken Heart," "The Woman Before Me," and "That's What I Like About You" also became top-ten singles off the album. While her career took off, Yearwood also ended up divorcing her first husband.
Her Second Album Had Some Unexpected Features
The emotional conflicts Yearwood faced with her first husband inspired her second album. Hearts in Armor was released in 1992 right after Yearwood's divorce. The critically acclaimed album is considered one of Yearwood's best and features collaborations with artists such as Emmylou Harris and Don Henley of the Eagles.
Henley is featured on "Walkaway Joe," the albums most successful single peaking at number two. The music video for "Walkaway Joe" also featured a yet-to-be-known Matthew McConaughey in the role of "Joe." This was years before his breakout role in A Time to Kill.
A Second Walk Down The Aisle
Hearts in Armor also features a collaboration with Raul Malo of The Mavericks. Malo is featured on "For Reasons I've Forgotten" and "Wrong Side of Memphis." This association likely led Yearwood to meet her second husband, Mavericks bassist Robert Reynolds.
The pair married in 1994 at the Grand Ole Opry's former location, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Yearwood had previously admitted that her career ambitions put a strain on her first marriage. But in 1996, she told People, "This is the first time I've been in a relationship where I've felt the freedom to be career-driven."
The Grammy-Award Winner Went Multiplatinum In 1997
Trisha Yearwood's success skyrocketed through the '90s. Her third album, The Song Remembers When, was released in 1993 and was accompanied by a cable television concert special.
Yearwood continued to release an album every year over the next three years before she finally unveiled her first greatest hits album in 1997. (Songbook) A Collection of Hits became Yearwood's most successful release to date and was certified 4x Multiplatinum. By this time, Yearwood already had one Grammy under her belt. In 1995 she earned Best Country Collaboration with Vocals with Aaron Neville for the song "I Fall to Pieces."
She Won A Grammy For A Song That Wasn't Hers
At the Grammy Awards in 1998, Yearwood bagged Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "How Do I Live." She went head-to-head against LeAnn Rimes, who originally recorded the song at just 14 years old. It was the first time in Grammy history that two artists were nominated for the same song in the same category.
Yearwood re-recorded the song for Walt Disney Pictures, who thought Rimes was too young for the subject matter. Yearwood's version was featured in Con Air and nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. She apparently was unaware of Rimes' original recording when she sang her version.
Yearwood Made Her Television Debut Long Before Food Network
In the late '90s, Trisha Yearwood was a certified country superstar and it wasn't long before she started venturing down other artistic avenues. In 1997, Yearwood took on a multi-season recurring role on the hit CBS legal drama, JAG.
Yearwood portrayed Lieutenant Commander Teresa Coulter, a Navy Reservist and forensic pathologist who falls for the series' lead character, Harmon Rabb. Prior to JAG, Yearwood appeared as herself on the sitcom Ellen and as a choir director in an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Yearwood Divorced Her Second Husband
By the time she became a recurring character on JAG, rumors began swirling around Yearwood's marriage with Reynolds. They say that where there's smoke, there's fire so it's no surprise that the couple ended up divorcing in 1999.
"It's a serious decision involving someone you're tied to emotionally, so it's hard to move on. And it's easy to drag things out so you don't have to face people talking about you. Then, after the marriage is over, you question yourself. You wonder if something's wrong with you—which is pretty much where I've been," she told Country Weekly in 2000.
True Love Could Finally Take Place
A year after Yearwood's second divorce, Garth Brooks had coincidentally divorced his wife of 14 years. Out of the public eye, Yearwood and Brooks' friendship had blossomed into romance. They dated quietly until 2002 when they were spotted holding hands at a memorial service for songwriter Harlan Howard.
In 2005, Brooks proposed onstage in front of 7,000 people at the Crystal Palace in California and Yearwood, of course, said yes. They tied the knot later that year in front of just four family members at a small ceremony in Oklahoma.
Step-Parenting Didn't Come Easy To Her
When Yearwood married Brooks, she became the "bonus parent" to his three daughters from his first marriage. Not having any children of her own, Yearwood didn't know a thing about parenting. The first time she was left alone with them, she didn't know what to do but ended up bonding with them over coloring.
"They made me feel comfortable immediately by being accepting... That day I learned to jump in with both feet and not be so scared of making a mistake. It was the day I became a parent — the most important turning point in my life so far," she wrote in Good Housekeeping.
She Needed To Keep All Her Recipes In One Place
In 2008, Yearwood opened another door in her career and released her first cookbook, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen, in honor of her father. Co-written with her mother Gwen and her sister Beth, the book features Southern recipes passed down from her family.
The book turned out to be a hit and inspired Yearwood to released a second one two years later. Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood was also written alongside her mom and sister and featured recipes passed down through the women in her family and circle of friends.
Yearwood Didn't Want To Have Her Own Show
The success of Yearwood's cookbooks spawned the birth of her Food Network show, Trisha's Southern Kitchen, which premiered in 2012. It wasn't even something Yearwood had considered and it took a lot of convincing to get her on board.
"I had no idea [the cookbook] would do so well, so when the idea of doing a show came about, I didn't want to at first. I wasn't sure if it would be fun. I didn't want to stand behind a counter just reading off a recipe. A friend of mine said it can be whatever I want it to," she told SheKnows.
She Didn't Always Know How To Cook
Yearwood admits that cooking wasn't something she was really into at first. Despite having fond memories growing up in the kitchen, she didn't even really learn how to cook until she was a young adult away at college.
"I missed my mama's cooking so much. When I graduated college and got my own apartment, I started experimenting with Mama's easier recipes like potato salad. The first time I made something of hers and it tasted just like home, I cried," she told Cowboys & Indians.
Her Cookbook Caused A Stir
Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood made the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's list of "The Five Worst Cookbooks of 2010." After all, a book featuring traditional Southern recipes isn't bound to be all that healthful. It's probably why Yearwood makes a conscious effort to lighten up many of the recipes on her show.
"I agree wholeheartedly that traditional Southern cooking isn't the healthiest way to eat. It's important to tell people that eating this food isn't a daily way of life... We should all try to eat healthy most of the time and indulge occasionally so we don't have to feel guilty about it," she said.
She Admits She's No Pro In The Kitchen
Yearwood recognizes that she's not a trained chef and admits that she does get quite a bit of help behind the scenes of her show. One of the things that makes Trisha's Southern Kitchen so popular is the singer's relatability.
"I learn something every season... I'm a home cook. There's an amazing culinary team behind the scenes who prep everything and make all the finished dishes look beautiful. I've learned SO much from them it's hard to pick something out. Thanks to them I have finally mastered how to properly chop an onion!" she told TODAY.
Garth Brooks Will Cook For His Lady
Everyone knows that Yearwood and Brooks are madly in love with each other. They've shared the stage together in the past but these days, they often share the kitchen. While Brooks is supportive of Yearwood's new culinary career, he does find the time to cook for his "Queen."
"He makes breakfast for dinner... He also makes a really good warm pasta salad with tortellini, cheese, and olive oil. He does a lot of warm, yummy comfort food. When I cook, I like to go off a recipe, but he likes to experiment and figure it out based on what's in the kitchen," she told TODAY.
She'd Rather Sing Than Cook Any Day
Even though Trisha Yearwood is mostly seen cooking up a storm in the kitchen, she will always be remembered for her start as a country singer. In fact, she says that she would pick music over cooking in a heartbeat.
"I mean, if you said, 'Trisha, you have to pick one thing that you can do every day for the rest of your life,' I would pick music. Absolutely. That is what feeds my soul," she told CBS News. Still, with three Grammy Awards and one Daytime Emmy, it's clear that Yearwood can do anything she sets her mind to.
