Trisha Yearwood Visits

“Monticello is Heaven,” says Monticello’s favorite daughter, Trisha Yearwood. “It’s a really special place…restores your faith in humanity. When you get to the heart of it, people are good.”

Trisha Yearwood has nothing but good things to say about her hometown, and she really appreciates the welcome home she got when she visited last Friday. She said the people on Team TY experienced something they had never before, from the welcome into town, to the number of people standing in line, to the volunteers who pulled it all together, just the people of this town. She said they are forever changed. Trisha said, “I’m so glad God decided this is where I needed to be born.”

Local elected officials, including City Councilpersons, County Commissioners, Rep. Susan Holmes and others, met with Trisha before she started greeting the public, and presented her with a paver on the sidewalk in front of the Visitors’ Center.

I was able to sit down with Trisha Friday and talk with her before she greeted the masses who patiently waited in line for hours for a short visit and an autograph from the star.

I asked her if she ever dreamed she would be as big a star as she is. She said she knew since she was five years old she wanted to be a singer. And she said when she would go shopping, her eye was always drawn to the sparkly outfits, and she said she was infatuated with fame. But, she just wanted to sing. She never dreamed it would last this long, she said. She also said if she weren’t doing what she’s doing, she’d be singing somewhere.

I asked her for advice for young people trying to break into the business. Her first bit of advice was “Trust your gut.” She said it’s a matter of talent, luck and timing, among other variables.

I asked about how the album release party in Monticello came about.

Trisha Yearwood says her decision to kick off the album release party here was really decided after a member of Team TY, Mandy McCormack, in a brainstorming session, said “This might sound crazy, but…”. She said she usually loves ideas that start like that! That’s when they decided to kick off the album here, and trace her steps from Monticello to Nashville, the trip she has made so many times, from the start when she enrolled in Belmont College to the present.

She said she sneaks into Monticello sometimes, usually with sister, Beth Bernard, and when she comes home goes by the Bank of Monticello to see the girls, a tradition that started when her dad was still there, and he encouraged her to do that. The girls love her visits! She usually drives by the house she grew up in, too. She said she is really happy to be here, this will always be home.

She said her Monticello upbringing keeps her grounded. She praised the people of Monticello who helped raise her. She loves to come home. She said Monticello is home, and she is attached forever. She is here in her heart.

She said what I do is wonderful, but it’s not who I am. I’m still Trisha Yearwood from Monticello, Ga. And, her parents will always be with her.

Between her musical career, and her cooking show, as well as being married to a famous musician, Garth Brooks, Trisha stays pretty busy. Asked how she juggles all her duties, she said it’s a matter of prioritizing. She went on to say she just finished filming season 15 of the cooking show, and has a busy, busy fall planned. It should be fun, she said.

With her busy schedule, I asked if she watches television. She said, when she has time, she does. Right now she is watching Yellowstone.

As she and Garth Brooks approach their 14th wedding anniversary in December, I asked her how they keep their marriage strong when they both have such busy schedules. She said they often travel together, and that they don’t spend many nights apart. They make their relationship a priority.

Since Trisha is a Southern girl, with her own cooking show, I asked if Garth also cooks some. She said he does, but she cooks more. Garth likes to make breakfast for supper, and he makes a great spaghetti sauce

Professionally Trisha says her the greatest accomplishment was being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1999.

As for her new album, she said is happy with it. Often after a recording session she thinks of something she wishes she had done differently. Not with this album, she said. She’s happy with it. And, it is loaded with good music.

Since the single Every Girl was just released, I asked her about the process by which another song would be released as a single. She said things have changed in the music industry. She said it now takes a long time for a song to go from being released to making the charts and climbing the charts. She indicated it could be next spring before the next single is released, and she is the one who will decide which track that is, and when it is released.

Every Girl in this Town is about a little girl with dreams. Trisha is tickled with how radio has embraced the album.

I asked her about how it feels to be back in the studio after a break from music. “It’s a real joy to be making music again. Music feeds my soul,” she said.

I asked her what was the best thing about being a celebrity, and many can identify with this after Friday’s wait, she said…not having to stand in line! I also asked her if she could go shopping without being bombarded by fans. She said they live in a small community and people are used to seeing her out.

Trisha’s public appearance Friday was scheduled to begin at 5:30, but it was probably closer to 6 p.m. by the time she got started. She had media interviews before, as well as meeting with some old friends in the community and some of her former classmates. Trisha and Beth stayed and greeted everyone until the line was gone, which was after 4 a.m.