11/5/2007 Stephen L. Betts Garth Brooks has become the first artist to receive the Academy of Country Music’s Crystal Milestone Award. He received the honor early today (11/5) during a special presentation in Hollywood as special acknowledgement of 123 million in unit sales. The award is given to an artist or industry leader to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement. The Recording Industry Association of America today recognized Garth as the largest selling solo artist in the history of recorded sound. “We are honored to present country music legend Garth Brooks with an award that reflects his amazing accomplishments,” said Bob Romeo, Executive Director of the Academy of Country Music. “Garth has been a great friend of the Academy for many years, and we couldn’t be happier to acknowledge our support with this Crystal Milestone Award.” Garth has won a total of 18 Academy of Country Music Awards throughout his career, including Artist of The Decade in 1998. He plays the first of his nine sold-out concerts in Kansas City tonight, and releases his CD/DVD package The Ultimate Hits tomorrow (11/6).
