For Trisha Yearwood, the holidays aren’t just a season, they're a state of mind — and music. Known for her Christmas albums, the three-time Grammy Award-winning (and 27-time nominated) country star recently released “Christmastime” and is currently on an 11-city tour that stops in Fort Lauderdale on Dec 13.
The show, titled “Christmastime with Trisha Yearwood: 12 Days of Christmas,” includes her biggest hits, holiday favorites and fun childhood classics like “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas.” There’s also Snoopy. “‘Christmastime is Here’ from ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ has always been a favorite of mine,” Yearwood says.
And of course, there’s an extra-special tune, “Merry Christmas, Valentine,” which she cowrote with her husband, Garth Brooks. The two first met at a recording studio in 1987 before either had reached global fame, then later reconnected and made their red-carpet debut as a couple in 2002. There may have been a sign their romance started even earlier — in 1998, they won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for the romantic duet, “In Another’s Eyes.” Brooks proposed in May 2005, and they wed that same year, on Dec. 10.
Photo by Russ Harrington
“I’m really glad we picked December to get married, because by our anniversary on the 10th, we’re deep into the holiday spirit, and it just makes the anniversary more festive and celebratory,” says 61-year-old Yearwood. “It’s my favorite holiday memory.”
Now married for two decades, Brooks, 63, is clearly still smitten. “I’m lucky to know her as an artist, I’m lucky to know her as a husband, really lucky to know her as my best friend,” he said in a 2024 interview with Deadline.
She good-naturedly notes that her 11-city tour is quite modest compared to touring with her husband, like “The Garth Brooks World Tour With Trisha Yearwood,” which kicked off in 2014 and spanned 390 shows across the U.S. over three years.
“What I love about touring with Garth is that the pressure is all on him!” she says with a laugh. “His shows are on such a large scale. It’s incredible to step into the energy of those shows, knowing I get to be part of something phenomenal, but I don’t have to carry any of the responsibilities that come with that kind of huge production. It’s pretty fun for me.”
Yearwood says performing during the holidays creates an extra-intimate connection with the crowd.
“I think everyone is a little more kind, a little more patient, and everybody smiles a little more during the holidays,” she observes. “The world slows down just a little bit, and we need that more than ever. You feel that warmth from an audience, especially at this time of year.
“There’s just nothing like being able to connect with people in a live setting,” she adds. “I hope it makes the folks in the crowd feel as good as it makes me feel. They fill my tank! Music has that power.”
Photo by Russ Harrington
So what do the holidays look like in the Yearwood-Brooks household? Christmas decorations go up early — well before Thanksgiving. The family, which includes Brooks’ three adult daughters from his first marriage, hosts a large Thanksgiving gathering, while Christmas itself is kept more casual and flexible.
With three grown children (some with kids of their own) in the mix, the family has learned to adapt to everyone’s schedules. “Our holidays are spent trying to all get together, whether on the day or not — doesn’t matter,” Yearwood says.
Without question, Yearwood’s kitchen is right where you want to be. On top of her singing career, she’s an accomplished cook.
She has published four cookbooks: “Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen” (2008), “Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood” (2010), “Trisha’s Table” (2015) and most recently “Trisha’s Kitchen” (2021). Each book reflects her philosophy that cooking should bring people together.
“I grew up watching my mom and my sister cook,” Yearwood recalls. “They made it look so easy and inviting. That’s what I want my recipes to do — make people feel like they can actually do this, even if they’ve never made a pie crust before.”
Her recipes often come with personal anecdotes and family stories, turning each cookbook into something more intimate than just a collection of dishes.
The singer’s approach to food is deeply rooted in Southern tradition, but she’s not afraid to lighten things up when it makes sense. After losing 30 pounds and going from a size 14 to a size 10, she opened up to People in 2013 about how she did it: by creating healthier versions of her favorite foods and taking Zumba classes three times a week.
“I’m not one of those people who believe you have to make everything low-fat or healthy,” she explained back then. “But I also think there’s a time and place for indulgence, and you can still have flavor without all the extra calories in everyday cooking.” Her third cookbook features healthier spins on classic comfort foods, proving you don’t have to sacrifice taste to make more mindful choices. When she gathers with her family for the season, that same sense of balance shapes the way she celebrates.
Photo By Russ Harrington
“We have Christmas movies on the TV, lots of electric mixers spinning, all the ovens firing, and we bake all day,” Yearwood says. “At the end of the day, we make take-home boxes for everyone with the variety of cookies we’ve made.”
The Yearwood-Brooks family also maintains the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree together. Though it’s become trickier as the girls have grown and started families of their own, they find a way to make it happen. “From handmade ornaments the children made as young kids to stringing lights and garland, it’s a tradition we all love,” Yearwood says.
After releasing two albums in one year, Yearwood jokingly says it’s not something she’ll do again. Before “Christmastime,” she debuted “The Mirror” this past July. In addition to singing, Yearwood served as cowriter and coproducer on every song.
“‘The Mirror’ represents something really big in my life, which is my coming to terms with believing I’m a songwriter,” she says. “Personally, it’s the most important record I’ve ever made.”
After the Christmas break, she plans on revisiting the record with a deluxe version in January, which will include five previously unreleased songs. “I’m super excited about that. I did a very limited tour this past summer for the release of the album, so I’ll be doing more shows in the spring of ’26 and I can’t wait.”
Beyond the music, Yearwood is looking forward to simpler pleasures in the New Year: “Right now, on my 2026 schedule, is a lot of hiking with my rescue dogs and starting on a new cookbook.”