See Garth Brooks’ Emotional ‘Stronger Than Me’ at CMA Awards

Shortly before Garth Brooks relinquished his Entertainer of the Year crown to Keith Urban at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, he introduced the new song “Stronger Than Me” onstage. But instead of playing to stadium-sized crowds as he had done on the recently wrapped three-year-long world tour, Brooks was essentially playing solo to an audience of one: his wife of nearly 13 years, Trisha Yearwood.

Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, Brooks sang while Yearwood looked on from her seat in the front row of Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Toward the final emotional verse of the Seventies-inspired power ballad, Brooks appeared to hold back tears, although his wife couldn’t quite do the same. His voice began to break as he sang, “I’d give her anything that’s mine in life to give her to the last breath that I breathe, and if I have a choice I pray God takes me first ’cause you’re stronger than me.”

In addition to the release of “Stronger Than Me,” tickets for the first two dates on Brooks’ 2019 stadium tour go on sale today. Yearwood also recently announced her new album, Let’s Be Frank, a collection of Frank Sinatra covers, on sale December 20th exclusively at Williams-Sonoma. The LP will be available everywhere in February.