The False Tale of Garth Brooks Being Jeered Off Stage: A Misconception Fooled Texas Governor

CLAIM: Renowned country artist Garth Brooks was heckled and forced to exit the stage during the “123rd Annual Texas Country Jamboree.”

AP’S EVALUATION: Incorrect. This assertion originated from a site known for its satirical content, yet it was spread across the internet as truth, even grabbing the attention of the Texas Governor.

The headline, “Garth Brooks Jeered Off Stage at 123rd Annual Texas Country Jamboree,” was released on June 23 on dunning-kruger-times.com. In truth, this site is part of America’s Last Line of Defense, a group of websites known for producing fictitious news stories for satirical purposes. This is evident from their “About Us” page. The website’s domain name alludes to the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias where individuals with little expertise in a field tend to overrate their understanding.

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Another giveaway to the story’s fallacy was the claim that the non-existing festival took place in Hambriston, Texas, a town that doesn’t exist either.

Regardless of its fabrications, the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, amplified the story by sharing it on Twitter on Sunday.

He wrote, “Go woke. Go broke. Garth labeled his conservative fans ‘a—holes.'”

Afterwards, the Republican governor deleted his tweet, but screenshots were shared by others. Abbott’s office did not provide an immediate response when asked for comments.

During a Q&A session earlier this month, Brooks seemed to reference the conservative boycotts of Bud Light—due to its affiliation with a transgender influencer—stating his new Nashville bar would “serve every brand of beer.”

He said, “Our principle is this: If you step into this house, show love to one another. If you’re an a—hole, there are numerous other places on lower Broadway you can visit.”

The Big Big News has debunked several other stories from the same satirical network that were falsely presented as fact.

This is part of AP’s ongoing initiative to combat widespread misinformation. The organization collaborates with external companies and organizations to provide accurate context to misleading content circulating online. To learn more about AP’s fact-checking efforts, visit their site.

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More about Garth Brooks False Claim

• Fact-checking at AP
• Garth Brooks Official Site
• Dunning-Kruger Effect
• America’s Last Line of Defense
• Gov. Greg Abbott’s Twitter