Only On 9: Garth Brooks Opens Up About His Layoff, His World Tour And Soulmate Trisha Yearwood

ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com)  —   He's one of the biggest music artists of all time and he's back in Orange County Friday evening for the first time in 20 years.

KCAL9's Stacey Butler got to go one-on-one with superstar Garth Brooks this evening and got him talking about his layoff from music, his current world tour (he's at the Honda Center in Anaheim this weekend), what got him back on stage and his marriage to country superstar Trisha Yearwood.

It;s a story that is Only On 9.

"It's kinda cool being the old guy, being part of the older guard," Brooks said -- older, wiser and ready to be back in Orange County.

"Has it really been twenty years?," Butler said.

"Yeah," he said. And he wanted to know if that makes her feel old.

"It does," she said with a laugh.

Young and old will be out in full force this weekend to see Brooks on stage. And Orange County couldn't be more excited.

"This was one of those places that we cant wait to play," he said.

We, of course, includes his wife of 11 years, Trisha.

"The wonderful thing about this tour, I've never been on a tour like this. I get to do what I love, I get to feed my soul, and I get to be with my soulmate so it's perfect," she says.

And the long layoff? Brooks says he took time off so he and Yearwood could raise his three daughters.

"For 16 years, I was gonna make sure that every time I turned around, I was there whether they wanted me there or not," Brooks says.

For her part, becoming an instant mom to his kids was also an adjustment.

"I'd never been a bonus mom to three little girls, I didn't know how to do it. And I learned my way. Garth was a really great help," Yearwood says.

As soon as he sent his third daughter off to college two years ago, he released his latest album. Now he's on a world tour and promoting it.

"This is my life and my passion but nothing's but nothing can touch being a dad and anybody who's been a dad will understand that," Brooks says.

Too busy to enjoy their Malibu home, the country power couple just sold it for $7 million. But they told Butler they plan on buying again, in Orange County or San Diego when the tour is over.

"It doesn't mean because that one sold we can't find another one somewhere," she said.

"My God, the weather out here alone is the reason to come," he said.

During his semi-retirement he barely got on stage. But you may remember his benefit concert in 2008 at the Staples Center for those affected by the Southern California wildfires.

"I remember it like [it was] yesterday," Brooks says, "raised a lot of money for the people and that's all that matters."

At that concert he said he would be back in these parts and delivered on that promise.

"Once the babies were gone to school and they let us come back, we'd come back. So we'ree back," Brooks said.

For more information about Garth and his world tour, click here.