CLAREMORE — Country music singer Garth Brooks took the stand Friday morning in his lawsuit trial against a Yukon hospital.
Testimony resumed at 1:30 p.m., with the trial expected to last at least through next Tuesday.
The dispute is over Brooks' $500,000 donation in late 2005 to the Integris Canadian Valley Hospital to honor his late mother, Colleen Brooks.
Brooks testified this morning that Integris’ president James Moore had told him about several “naming opportunities” available, including a $250,000 contribution for which, the hospital could name the Intensive Care Unit for his mother.
Brooks said the ICU didn't interest him, as it “wasn’t his mother,” but he became “very pumped up” (excited) when the suggestion was made to name the hospital’s women’s center after his mother.
“I loved that (suggestion) immediately,” Brooks testified. “That was my mom — she was everybody’s mother and loved kids — I thought it was a perfect idea.”
Brooks said he initially thought “very highly” of Moore, feeling they were both “highly excited” about what he (Brooks) considered the “deal.”
In previous testimony, Moore said that although it was always the hospital’s intention to honor Brooks’ mother, there was never a specific agreement about how the donation was to be used.
During testimony regarding his late parents, notably his father, Troyal, aka Troy Brooks, Garth choked back emotions, becoming teary-eyed.
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