Got to thinking about this, and I remembered when I met Garth in 1989 when he came to see his half sister Betsy Smittle and her band playing in the bar I worked at. It was called Doolittle's and it was where Pryer Aerospace is now on North Sheridan. It was a popular place with Spartan Students and guys from the shop at American Airlines, as well as other airport workers.
Something people probably don't know or don't remember is that Betsy was gay. There was a guy that worked for American who came in quite frequently and when he found out about Betsy he immediately started telling everyone that it was a gay bar.
So this should help explain his stance on things.
Betsy Smittle, Garth Brooks' half-sister and a longtime member of his band, died Saturday (Nov. 2) in Oklahoma at age 60. A cause of death has not been announced, and funeral services are pending in Tulsa, Okla.
Smittle was a bass guitar player and vocalist who toured with Brooks' band, Stillwater, for several years. She performed on his 1991 debut album Ropin' the Wind and later albums including The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses and the Double Live concert album. She also appeared in TV specials such as This Is Garth Brooks and This Is Garth Brooks, Too.
Smittle's early musical inspiration came from her mother, the late Colleen Carroll, a country singer in the '40s and '50s who was married to musician Jim Smittle. Following Carroll's divorce from Smittle, she married Troyal Raymond Brooks.
In addition to her work with Brooks, Smittle released a solo album, Rough Around the Edges in 1994. She also toured with Oklahoma singer Gus Hardin and appeared on her 2001 album, I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can
Smittle, a gay rights advocate, performed at gay pride events throughout Oklahoma.
https://www.cmt.com/news/145ssa/betsy-smittle-garth-brooks-half-sister-dies-at-age-60
