It gets scary, but to tell you the truth, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say this, it’s a cool feeling when you’re scared. As your popularity continues to rise, does that kind of power make you nervous at all? You seem fascinated with your ability to control the mood of your crowds. It felt so good, but I never would have done that without having the pump I’m getting from the people. In the middle of the show, I just leaped for it, swung out over the crowd, then it brought me back to the stage, just like it was planned. In the Dallas shoot, for instance, there was something I was so glad we captured: There was a cable of some kind hanging off the back of the stage and below it was a 14-foot drop.

There’s a real high being on stage it’s like an added protein or a pill you take. Some of the things the guy does on stage are created by the other guy, but a lot of the things I do on stage I wouldn’t have the guts to do when I’m off stage. People who know me know there are two different Garths: the one you see on stage and the guy I am 90% of time. The other 10% is Garth on Garth-what I believe as far as musically, and it might even go outside the bounds of music. It’s 90% live footage, from a show at the Reunion Arena in Dallas in September. Brooks talked to Times Staff Writer Randy Lewis about the show, and his rapid rise to the top. The soft-spoken 34-year-old from Oklahoma, who spent more time in his youth playing football and listening to Elton John and James Taylor than emulating Hank Williams or Merle Haggard, takes the next big step of his career with his first network TV special “This is Garth Brooks,” Friday on NBC. 1 on Billboard’s pop chart in September-the first time ever by a country artist. Not only has he become the biggest-selling artist in country music today, but his latest album “Ropin’ the Wind,” debuted at No.

Singer Garth Brooks has achieved what most music-industry executives, even those at his own record company, wouldn’t have dreamed possible 18 months ago.

Garth brooks talks about james taylor