“Friends in Low Places” could have been one of George Strait‘s biggest hits. In fact, had Garth Brooks gotten his way, the King of Country would have taken the song to No. 1!
On page 82 of Brooks’ new book The Anthology Part 1, the singer reveals that Strait passed on the song. He tells Taste of Country Nights radio that he sang the demo years before he had a record deal.
“The reason they asked me to do the demo was because I wanted to be George Strait for years, so I do a pretty good impersonation of him,” Brooks says. “So the original demo of ‘Friends in Low Places’ I did my best George Strait on it before I ever had a record deal.”
Whether or not Strait heard the song, or if someone else from his team decided it wasn’t right for him isn’t known. The two legends have never talked about it, and Brooks considers himself lucky to have ended up with the track. Released on his second album No Fences in 1990, “Friends in Low Places” would wind up becoming the biggest song of his storied career, and it has been one of the most-anticipated moments of his live show for decades.
It’s not the only hit Strait passed on. Earlier this year he confessed that he turned down “Tennessee Whiskey,” a song originally cut by George Jones and recently made famous by Chris Stapleton. Of course, he’s not hurting for hits with 60 No. 1 songs to his credit.
Taste of Country Nights is a syndicated night show which airs on nearly 100 radio stations nationwide. Listen to highlights on iTunes or your Android device.
Garth Brooks Talks to Taste of Country Nights:
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