Is Kix Brooks Related To Garth Brooks

Let’s settle this once and for all, because I’ve heard it whispered at dive bars and shouted at tailgates: Is Kix Brooks related to Garth Brooks? Spoiler alert, friend—the answer is a flat, resounding no. But don’t click away yet, because the truth is weirder, funnier, and more fascinating than any family tree you could imagine.

Picture this: you’re at a backyard barbecue, and some guy in a worn-out cowboy hat insists, “They’ve got the same last name, man. They have to be cousins.” I’ve heard that argument a thousand times. It’s like saying all Smiths are related just because they share a name—or that every Johnson is secretly a cousin of the president. But I get it. The confusion is almost too perfect.

The Case of the Cousin Conspiracy

Let’s start with Kix Brooks. He’s half of the legendary duo Brooks & Dunn, the men who gave us “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and “My Maria.” His real name? Leon Eric Brooks III. Yes, Leon. He changed it to “Kix” because, and I quote, “Leon didn’t scream rock and roll.” Now, does that sound like a man related to Garth Brooks? Not really, unless Garth secretly signs his Christmas cards “Troyal Garth Brooks.”

And then there’s Garth. The man. The myth. The guy who sells out stadiums while wearing a headset mic that looks like a sci-fi prop from 1995. Garth was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and his daddy worked at an oil company. Kix was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and his daddy was an oil-well firefighter. Two different states, two different daddies, two different DNA strands—yet their careers collided in the most ridiculous way possible.

Here’s where it gets deliciously confusing. Kix and Garth aren’t just not related—they’re frenemies in the same genre who almost had a fistfight at a Texas roadhouse. I’m not joking. Back in the early ‘90s, Kix and his partner Ronnie Dunn were climbing the charts with “Brand New Man.” At the same time, Garth was exploding like a bottle rocket with “Friends in Low Places.” The competition was thick enough to chew.

Happy 61st Birthday to the Talented Mr. Kix Brooks [VIDEO]

The Near-Brawl You Didn’t Know About

According to country music lore, Kix and Ronnie were at a club in Texas when Garth showed up. Garth, being Garth, started ragging on Kix about some songwriting thing. Kix, who is built like a bear who does CrossFit, stood up and said, “You want to take this outside?” Garth reportedly backed down with a laugh. They’re not cousins—they’re almost mortal enemies who just happened to share a last name.

But wait, it gets weirder. Kix is actually closer to Garth’s ex-wife than to Garth himself. Kix co-wrote a song with Sandy Mahl—Garth’s first wife—called “I Can Be Your Strong.” That’s right: the man who almost fought Garth later wrote a song with the woman Garth divorced. If that’s not country music drama, I don’t know what is.

The Genetic Proof (Or Lack Thereof)

I checked the genealogy websites so you don’t have to. Kix Brooks’s family tree is rooted in Louisiana and Arkansas, with ancestors who were farmers and railroad workers. Garth Brooks’s tree? All Oklahoma and Tennessee—his grandma was a singer, his grandpa was a cowboy boot salesman. They don’t share a single twig on the family tree. It’s like comparing a magnolia tree to a sycamore: they both look great, but they’re not the same species.

14 Interesting Kix Brooks Facts

If you still don’t believe me, consider this: Kix Brooks’s middle name is Eric. Garth Brooks’s middle name is Troyal. Would a family give one kid a normal middle name and the other straight-up “Troyal”? No, that’s the kind of inside joke that would get you kicked out of Thanksgiving dinner.

The Bizarre Twist of ‘Brooks’

So why do people assume they’re related? Two words: marketing genius. Both men chose “Brooks” as their stage surname because it’s short, punchy, and sounds like a brand of bourbon you’d drink at a rodeo. Kix could have been “Kix Boudreaux,” but that sounds like a Cajun chef. Garth could have been “Garth Gautreaux,” but that sounds like a character from True Detective. They chose the same lucky name by pure, dumb coincidence.

Garth Brooks Considered Changing His Name to Avoid Confusion With Kix

In fact, Kix once admitted in an interview, “I get asked if I’m related to Garth every single day. At this point, I’ve made up a fake story where we’re third cousins twice removed just to mess with people.” And Garth? He once joked, “If Kix is my cousin, he owes me fifty bucks.” So even the legends are in on the joke.

Here’s a final, surprising fact to blow your mind: Kix Brooks auditioned for Garth Brooks’s band in the 1980s. That’s right—he tried out to be a guitarist for the man he would later be confused with. Kix didn’t get the gig, which is hilarious, because if he had, we’d be living in a timeline where Kix Brooks was a sideman for his “cousin.” The universe dodged a bullet of deep confusion.

So no, they’re not related. But I’ll leave you with this: next time someone brings it up at a party, look them dead in the eye and say, “Actually, they’re secret half-brothers, but Kix is the family black sheep because he prefers margaritas over whiskey.” Then walk away. You’ll be factually wrong, but you’ll be entertaining, and isn’t that the true spirit of country music?