10 Music Artists Who Quit In Their Prime

It takes unusual talent and exceptional dedication to make it to the top in any given sport, let alone succeeding in two. Both Usain Bolt and Michael Jordan both struggled to transfer their skills to football and baseball, respectively, and the pair are world class athletes. So you’d have to think a country would have no chance.

Then again, selling more records than Elvis obviously instilled a bit of self belief in Garth Brooks who decided to give a career in baseball a try. He joined two different teams for spring training camps in 1997 and ‘98 but understandably struggled against the pros.

The following year, Brooks ditched country and tried his hand at rock and roll under the guise of new alter ego, Chris Gaines. The move left most fans underwhelmed and bewildered and a movie about the Chris Gaines character was never released.

With the benefit of hindsight, Brooks looks like a man increasingly restless, with little left to achieve as the world’s biggest country music star. The Friends In Low Places singer had talked about walking away from performing and recording as early as 1992 but in 2000 he officially retired to spend more time with his family.

Though he eventually returned to the stage and studio, he took nearly a decade off bar the odd charity performance.