Remember When Garth Brooks Took on an Alter Ego for One Album in 1999?

In 1999, Garth Brooks was at the peak of his career. He already had a long list of No. 1 singles, including “Friends In Low Places“, “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up)”, “Two Piña Coladas”, and more. So it was more than a little surprising that Brooks took on an alter ego, one of an Australian rock star named Chris Gaines, to release an album, Garth Brooks In…The Life Of Chris Gaines, also known simply as The Life Of Chris Gaines.

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First, the backstory: Brooks was to appear as Gaines in a film called The Lamb. The record was to be the soundtrack for The Lamb, released ahead of time as a marketing ploy. In the movie and on the record, Gaines was a rock star, which is why Garth Brooks In…The Life Of Chris Gaines has rock songs, a deviation from Brooks’s country music superstar career.

Unfortunately, The Lamb never saw the light of day, due largely to financial issues. What remains is Garth Brooks in…the Life of Chris Gaines, a head-scratching album if ever there was one.

What Garth Brooks Says About ‘Garth Brooks In…The Life Of Chris Gaines’

Garth Brooks In…The Life Of Chris Gaines only had one moderate hit, with “Lost In You”. Written by Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and Tommy Sims, “Lost In You” landed in the Top 5.

With the record out but no movie, Garth Brooks In…The Life Of Chris Gaines just seemed like some weird deviation that Brooks took. Years later, it’s a decision that Brooks says still haunts him.

“It really was a really tough time for me, because of the fact that I saw for the first time that people can be focused on something way past the music,” Brooks admits to Yahoo! Entertainment. “And that’s never a good thing, when music takes a backseat.”

In spite of his disappointment, looking back at the Chris Gaines era wasn’t a complete failure for him.

“What I enjoyed about it is, you survive it, and [fans] are very sweet. And then, all of a sudden, you realize the people who got it, got it. And the people who never got it, never picked it up. So that makes me feel good.”

Still, some people loved the record, including his now-wife, Trisha Yearwood, and Dierks Bentley.

“Chris Gaines’s album is one of the best albums Nashville’s ever made,” Bentley says. “It really is. Garth making that album, it was confusing for a lot of people. I think there was a movie that was supposed to go along with it, but if you really sit down and listen to the album, which I have, being a Garth fan, it’s a great album.”

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