Garth Brooks made one of the most talked-about TV appearances of his career when he hosted Saturday Night Live and brought along his alter-ego, pop-rocker Chris Gaines.

By the time the show aired on Nov. 13, 1999, most of America had finished scratching their collective heads in curious amazement at this ill-fated side project. Some enjoyed the music on Garth Brooks … In the Life of Chris Gaines, but most country fans were just confused by an idea that began as a proposed movie role.

One skit between Tracy Morgan and Brooks finds the comedian taking the singer to task for letting the mascara wearing alt-rocker be his musical guest. He questions Gaines' sexuality ("That dude is ... sweet like bear meat") and says if Brooks were to get into a fight, Gaines would split before the first punch was thrown.

"The dude is chicken, and he's fat too," Morgan says, before adding, "If you were that big, they be calling you Girth Brooks."

Brooks plays along — he was always a brilliant host of the sketch comedy show — signifying that yeah, maybe even he recognized he overstepped this time. The album did sell more than two million copies, and landed Brooks his first pop hit with "Lost in You."

20 Songs Garth Brooks Has Played Live the Most Times

Garth Brooks has been filling the biggest arenas in the U.S. and the world since he launched his country career in 1989. There are 20 songs that have emerged as fan favorites, and Brooks has played some of them hundreds of times over the years.

Data reflected runs through March 2024

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

10 Artists You Didn't Know Had Cut Garth Brooks Songs

Garth Brooks has written quite a few of his own hits, but a number of other artists have cut his songs, too ... and not just country singers.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks is the most successful country entertainer of all time, and his long career is full of lore and incredible stories. But there's a few fun facts about the star that even his most dedicated fans might not know. Read on to test your Garth Brooks trivia knowledge!

Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak

25 Photos of Garth Brooks Young

Garth Brooks is one of the most successful musicians in any genre of music. Take a look back in time, to a younger Garth.

Gallery Credit: Evan Paul

More From 98.1 The Hawk