Garth Brooks Comes Out of Retirement

Country superstar Garth Brooks made millions of fans happy — or at least those with the resources to get to Las Vegas — today when he announced he was coming out of retirement later this year, beginning with a series of concerts at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas.

“Steve Wynn has done what I thought was impossible," says Garth in a statement, referring to the mastermind behind the Wynn Las Vegas hotel and casino. "He has given me a chance to sing again for the people, while at the same time never missing a day with my children... I am naturally nervous, but it feels good to be out from under the low ceiling of ‘retirement’ I put on myself."

Brooks, who is scheduled to begin performing in Sin City starting on Dec. 11, hasn't exactly retired in recent years. Though he declared in 2005 that he was going to take a 10-year break from touring and recording, he's managed to release several best-of and rarities collections — including a hit single, "More Than a Memory" — in the years since.