For a “person” who only existed in the public eye for a few months, Chris Gaines and his music sure have an elaborate story. Garth Brooks‘ rocker character exists in a fairly fleshed-out universe, full of wild details and interesting tidbits.
Some of Gaines’ story is well-documented, having been told and re-told in Garth Brooks in … The Life of Chris Gaines‘ liner notes, a fake (but very well-done) VH1 Behind the Music episode and an NBC special that allowed Brooks to introduce Gaines to the world. Other pieces — for example, did you know that Chris Gaines has his own custom Fender guitar? — have been lost in the two decades since the album was released on Sept. 28, 1999.
Then again, that’s not surprising. Although The Life of Chris Gaines sold 2 million copies and spawned a Top 5 Billboard single, it’s a maligned part of Brooks’ career. Nobody quite understood what Brooks was trying to accomplish, and when the movie in which the Gaines character was supposed to appear, The Lamb, never got made, the whole thing pretty much became a “Remember when …?” footnote of the late ’90s.
But we find the “Chris Gaines thing” pretty fascinating, and there’s plenty about it that you likely don’t know. Read on to learn more.
Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines: 10 Things You Never Knew:
What Ever Happened to That Chris Gaines Movie Anyway?