Why did Garth Brooks walk out of 1993 Super Bowl? Revisiting controversy amid Bud Light Fallout

The Super Bowl game has had some eclectic performers over the years, but few come close to Garth Brooks. The multi-platinum-selling country artiste sang the star "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl 27 between the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys, and it turned out to be one for the history books.

However, it's not about how incredible the performance was in this case, but entirely for a different reason.

Because of the vast audience the Super Bowl draws in, Brooks asked NBC to play his music video for his song "We Shall Be Free." He wrote it in response to the LA Riots after the Rodney King verdict in 1993. Along with many celebrity cameos, the video featured footage of riots, the KKK, wars, flag burnings, and more.

NBC deemed the video too controversial and told Brooks they wouldn't air it.

Garth Brooks left the stadium one hour before he was supposed to sing and refused to perform the National Anthem if they wouldn't air his video. He didn't pre-record anything, so producers scrambled, looking for a backup.

A couple of producers spotted Jon Bon Jovi in the crowd, so they had him on standby while they tried to coax the “Friends in Low Places” singer back.

While NBC was ready to go forward with Bon Jovi, the NFL did something they had never done before. They delayed the kickoff to make time for the ‘We Shall Be Free” video.

With that, Brooks returned and sang the National Anthem as planned. He stood on a platform with Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin signing ASL next to him and performed "The Star-Spangled Banner." The rest, as they say, is history.

Garth Brooks' Legacy

Garth Brooks is an iconic American country singer and songwriter with decades of musical excellence.

He was one of the first country musicians to successfully integrate pop and rock elements into the country genre, giving him remarkable worldwide popularity.

He remains the only artiste in history to have released nine albums certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. Brooks has won several awards in his music career, including two Grammy Awards, 17 American Music Awards, and the RIAA Award for best-selling solo albums artist of the century in the USA.

Brooks is easily among the world's best-selling artists, having sold over 170 million records. Billboard ranks him the most outstanding male solo artist on the Billboard 200 chart.