While numerous country stars hit the road in 2026 with a tour, Garth Brooks brought nothing short of a religious experience with his Blame It All On My Roots tour. Although Brooks has traveled the world several times, this tour felt different to the singer. It wasn’t just Brooks, as Ward Davis recently described what it was like to watch him in person. And according to the singer, it caused him to weep.
When Brooks was set to perform in Denver, Colorado, Davis jumped at the chance to be there. While Davis had seen Brooks perform in the past, there was something different about 2026. He wrote on Facebook, “Honestly, I wept for most of the show. I really tried hard to hold it in and conceal it but it was completely overwhelming. That little mop-topped kid in Arkansas was standing right beside me, holding onto me as much as I was holding on to him.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Explaining how it was singers like Brooks who inspired him to pursue a career in country music, Davis admitted to getting the chance to meet him once. Describing him as a great person, it still didn’t compare to the Denver concert. “I felt my whole life flash before my eyes. There was an energy in that room that made my heart maybe the fullest it’s ever been, and I was so damn grateful to hear and see and witness the reason I started down this road to begin with.”
[RELATED: Remember When Garth Brooks Took on an Alter Ego for One Album in 1999?]
Garth Brooks Sees The Power Of Music
The heartfelt message from Davis eventually caught the attention of Brooks. Sharing his own thoughts on his website, he replied, “I just read a Facebook post by Ward Davis. His inability to describe what he felt gave me the courage to speak up and share my own inability to describe what I am feeling… but it seems we are BOTH feeling it.”
Like Davis, Brooks insisted that “something” was happening on the tour. Not using the moment to promote the tour, the singer wanted to explore the emotions around the shows. “I have never ‘felt’ what I’ve been feeling this year in the live arena. There is a joy, there are tears, and both seem to be a surprise to those feeling it.I wonder if this is what ‘unity’ feels like?”
What started as a simple tour turned into something entirely different. And while Davis struggled to capture that feeling, Brooks questioned, “We bring our differences into the room; we always have, but yet, in a heartbeat, all voices are singing the same words. Is this what ‘united’ feels like? Is this what happens if we ALL sing together?”
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
More Latest Music News & Stories
-
NAPA, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Nat Myers performs during the 2026 BottleRock festival at Napa Valley Expo on May 24, 2026 in Napa, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images) -
CULVER CITY, CA – OCTOBER 28: A general view of the set is shown at a press junket for NBC's "The Voice" at Sony Studios on October 28, 2011 in Culver City, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) -
Photo by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images -
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 04: Riley Green performs on NBC's "Today" at Rockefeller Plaza on September 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/WireImage) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 26: (L-R) Ozzy Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne attend the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 17: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Kenny Chesney performs onstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 17, 2025. Broadcasted live on FOX. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio) -
TORONTO, ONTARIO – JUNE 17: Detail of an electric guitar as Luke Bryan performs during the "Country On Tour" at Budweiser Stage on June 17, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Mathew Tsang/Getty Images)