Garth inspires woman’s naming of children

Nancy Wilson is a morning radio personality for K99.1-FM.


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When Karen Garrison’s children asked her what she wanted for Mother’s Day, the Darlington, Wis., woman said, “Mulch.” Instead, she got Garth Brooks.

Garrison’s three children had nominated her for the Garth Brooks’ Mother’s Day Surprise contest on Good Morning America. Their heartfelt message won the judges over, and last Friday Karen was at their home leading a cheering crowd for the high school marching band and Garth Brooks, who greeted her with a big bear hug before serenading her with several of his hits.

How big a fan of Garth’s is Garrison? For starters, she has backups of all his music in case any of her CDs get damaged, and, oh yeah, she named two of her children after him.

Son Garth told “GMA,” “I love my name … I wouldn’t want any other.” As if the surprise visit wasn’t enough, Garth flew the family to his show in Omaha on his private jet. Garrison’s daughter Brook — get it? — said the family spent the entire day with Garth and wife Trisha Yearwood before the concert.

Out of curiosity, I asked on the K99.1FM Facebook page if anyone was named after someone famous. Kim also named her son after Garth and her daughter Crystal Lynn after Loretta Lynn and her sister Crystal Gayle. Jackie was named after Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Lindsay got her name from the Bionic Woman, Lindsay Wagner.

Lisa got her name from a character on the soap opera “As the World Turns.”

I can totally identify with that, since you may know my just-arrived-in-America-still-learning-English German mom named me after Nancy on “The Edge of Night,” the soap that also gave my sister her name, Diana. I’ve always loved the story behind how my mom came up with my name, especially knowing I was thisclose to being a Heidi. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

It would still be a lot more fun to explain than a post we got from Tracy. She was named after a street sign. At least it wasn’t Keowee!

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