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Garth Brooks’ first concerts in Hawaii will benefit Pearl Harbor parks

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

From left, Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks perform at The Country Music Hall of Fame 2015 Medallion Ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Oct. 25, 2015 in Nashville, Tenn.

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GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM

Tom Vericella, left, and Ron Gibson announced in a press conference Wednesday at Dave & Buster’s that Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will headline benefit concerts at the Blaisdell Center arena with proceeds to go to the Pacific Historic Parks.

Country music star Garth Brooks, the highest-grossing solo artist in American history, will headline two consecutive concerts at the Blaisdell Arena on Dec. 10, making his first Hawaii appearances.

The concerts are in connection with the 75th Commemoration of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and will be similar to his shows at the Wynn in Las Vegas, with Brooks performing solo with an acoustic guitar.

Tickets for the “Garth Brooks Salutes Pearl Harbor” concerts, 6:30 and 10 p.m. Dec. 10, are $69 for all seats. They will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, online or by phone only through Oct. 24. There is an eight-ticket limit. Concert entry will be paperless: The credit card used to purchase seats and i.d. must be shown at the concert gates.

The concerts will also feature his wife, Trisha Yearwood. Details were announced at a press conference in Honolulu today.

The concerts will benefit Pacific Historic Parks, with all net proceeds from the performances going to four historical organizations who advance the legacy of Pearl Harbor and the Pacific battlefield arenas of World War II: WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument (USS Arizona Memorial); Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor; U.S.S. Bowfin Submarine Submarine Museum & Park; and Battleship Missouri Memorial.

“We were looking for someone who fit the theme of honoring the past, respecting the future,” said Admiral Thomas Fargo, chairman of the 75th Commemoration Committee. “We’re working to ensure that these historic attractions are improved, and their availability to the American public is improved.”

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Brooks has sold more than 136 million albums in the U.S. since his solo debut in 1989, second only to The Beatles in total albums sold in the U.S.

Concert promoter Ron Gibson, who is organizing the event, said Brooks personally requested that all seats for the concert be sold at one price. “He’s so fan-friendly,” said Gibson. “He wanted to make every seat accessible.”

The arena will accommodate approximately 6,800 seats for each concert, Gibson said.

“This is the right person at the right time to honor all veterans who serve and protect,” said Tony Vericella, executive director of the 75th Commemoration Committee. “His heart and soul will be aligned with the spirit of the commemoration.”

In a written statement, Brooks said, “It is a privilege to be part of honoring our nation’s fighting men and women who have and continue to serve our great nation. We look forward to a night packed with music, laughter and respect. We invite all to join us and raise as much money as we can to support these memorials that honor our past and our future.”

Brooks largely retired from recording and performing at the turn of the millennium, though he continued selling millions of albums through a distribution deal with Walmart between 2001 and 2009.

In 2005, he began returning to the concert stage. Between 2009 and 2014, he did the Garth at Wynn shows in Las Vegas, and in 2014, he launched a world tour with Yearwood. His most recent album is 2014’s “Man Against Machine.”

Tickets can be purchased on Oct. 22, at ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks or by calling 800-745-3000. If tickets remain on Monday, Oct. 24, they will be available at the Blaisdell Center box office and Ticketmaster outlets. There is no zip code restriction for tickets purchases. In order to prevent resales, organizers opted for credit card entry: Ticket buyers must have the credit card used to purchase tickets with them, along with proper i.d., in order to enter the concert arena.

4 responses to “Garth Brooks’ first concerts in Hawaii will benefit Pearl Harbor parks”

  1. HIE says:

    Too bad this show couldn’t have happened at Aloha Stadium, where you can actually overlook Pearl Harbor and Ford Island…not to mention a larger capacity.

  2. JustBobF says:

    So, a one-man show? Really?!

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