Betsy Smittle, superstar Garth Brooks' half-sister and former bandmate, dies at 60 (2024)

Correction: A story and headline incorrectly described Betsy Smittle's relationship with Garth Brooks. She was his half-sister.

Even while performing, Betsy Smittle just couldn't help but be the big sister.

Each time her half-brother, Garth Brooks, who was well-known for his stunts, would go tearing across the stage to swing from a rope or climb a lighting tower, she felt herself "wanting to get him down and remind him he's not a kid," she told The Tulsa Tribune in 1992.

But after all, being a bandmate to her superstar sibling wasn't supposed to be boring, Smittle knew.

In the end, she settled in for a fun ride and just let Garth be Garth.

Smittle, a Tulsa native and longtime area musician whose career included five years in Brooks' band, died Saturday after a two-year battle with cancer. She was 60.

No service is planned, per Smittle's wishes. Ninde Brookside Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Brooks thanked well-wishers in an email: "The amount of messages and heartfelt condolences we have received on behalf of our sister, Betsy, is staggering and humbling. On behalf of our family, I cannot thank everyone enough for all the prayers and love."

Born in Tulsa, Smittle moved to Yukon when she was in the seventh grade. About that same time, she began learning the guitar from her father.

In 1975, Smittle moved back to Tulsa to pursue a music career.

For more than a decade, she played and sang backup for such artists as Gus Hardin and Ronnie Dunn and performed with a couple of all-girl bands.

Smittle joined Brooks, who was nine years her junior, in 1990 as a backup singer and occasional guitarist and moved to Nashville.

It was a propitious time, right after Brooks' first hit song, "Much Too Young."

With his popularity taking off, the band went from performing at state fairs and more modest venues to playing big arenas almost overnight.

Smittle, who went on to become Brooks' bass player, enjoyed the experience and continued playing with her brother's band through 1995.

She talked about the transition to bass guitar, a new instrument for her, in the 1992 Tribune interview: Brooks "and his bass player had a parting of the ways. ... Garth handed the bass to me and said, 'You can do it.' I was scared to death."

And with not much time to pull it together: Just a few days later, she was at the Astrodome in Houston, playing in front of a crowd of 50,000-plus.

"I was so unhappy with myself and my performance during that show, but Garth was really sweet," she said. "He kept telling me he knew I could do it."

With his encouragement, Smittle went on to become an accomplished bass player.

She later released a solo album of her own, titled "Rough Around the Edges."

Smittle, who was a lesbian, was an advocate for gay rights.

Tim Stanley 918-581-8385