Ty England

Ty England may have struck out on a solo career in 1995 to some success, but to most new country fans he was most recognizable as Garth Brooks' touring guitarist during the height of Brooks' stardom. Raised in Oklahoma, England began playing guitar as a child, teaching himself the instrument on his grandfather's guitar. Over the course of his childhood and adolescence, he delved deeply into country, learning the work of classic singers like Roy Acuff and Hank Williams, as well as contemporary stylists like Don Williams and Keith Whitley. While he was in high school, England sang with a number of bands in addition to the school choir. Following graduation, he attended college at Oklahoma State. During the night, he sang at a campus coffeeshop. One night, he met a fellow student by the name of Garth Brooks. The two became roommates and began playing music together. Eventually, England's grades began to slip, so his parents took him out of school and got him a job back at home. Working at night, he finished his marketing degree, but instead of pursuing that degree, he had a job as an auto plant representative.

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