\n<\/p>\n
When Garth Brooks<\/a> returns to Chicago next month, he’ll be coming back to a city he says he can never repay.<\/p>\n The country superstar recently announced two nights at Allstate Arena as part of his new Blame It All on My Roots Tour<\/em><\/strong>, with tickets going on sale Friday (Aug. 7). But for Brooks, these aren’t just another pair of tour dates.<\/p>\n Chicago represents one of the most important chapters of his career.<\/p>\n In 2014, Brooks was preparing for his long-awaited comeback<\/a> after more than a decade away from touring.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Garth Brooks Is Bringing Back a Piece of His Legendary \u201990s Career<\/a><\/p>\n The plan was to launch with five massive concerts in Dublin, Ireland, but after the shows lost their event licenses, all five were canceled. More than 400,000 tickets were refunded.<\/p>\n According to his wife,\u00a0Trisha Yearwood<\/a>, the disappointment devastated Brooks. “It was like a death in the family,” she recalled on GarthBrooks.com<\/em><\/a>. “He took that hard… everyone did.”<\/p>\n With his comeback suddenly in jeopardy, Brooks and his team<\/a> scrambled to find another city that could host the opening shows. That city was Chicago.<\/p>\n Instead of watching his comeback stall before it even began, Brooks opened the tour with an incredible 11 consecutive sold-out shows at Allstate Arena.<\/p>\n Read More:<\/em>\u00a0<\/b>Garth Brooks’ Most Important Songs, Ranked Worst to First<\/a><\/p>\n According to Yearwood, that’s when everything changed.<\/p>\n That was when the life came back into our house. Call me dramatic, but Chicago saved Garth and that tour.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The run not only launched one of the biggest tours in country music history, but also cemented Brooks’ bond with the city.<\/p>\n Today, Brooks still holds the Allstate Arena record for the most performances<\/a> by a single artist, with 23 shows. When he returns on Sept. 11 and 12, that total will climb even higher.<\/p>\n Brooks has never forgotten what Chicago meant to him during one of the lowest moments of his career.<\/p>\n I owe that city; we all do on this team. I can’t wait to get there to show the people of Chicago our gratitude and how much we love them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n For Brooks, these shows are more than another stop on his new arena tour<\/a>. They’re a chance to return to the city that helped save one of country music’s greatest comebacks.<\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhy Chicago Means So Much to Garth Brooks<\/h3>\n
‘Chicago Saved Garth’<\/h3>\n
\n
Coming Full Circle<\/h3>\n
\n
11 Stunning Secrets of Garth Brooks, “Friends In Low Places”<\/h2>\n