The rumors are true: Garth Brooks is coming out of retirement. In a news-conference interview staged earlier today (Oct. 15) in Nashville, the country star announced that his return to music would begin with an extended engagement at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas.

%u201CWe%u2019re going to take the retirement roof off over our head, and I already feel taller,%u201D Brooks proclaimed, as reported by the Associated Press.

The 47-year-old Brooks retired in 2000, in order to spend more time with his three children. Until now, with the exception of the occasional awards show appearance or charity event, he%u2019s held firm to his retreat from the public eye.

In 2007 Brooks passed Elvis Presley to become the top-selling solo artists in U.S. history. His last studio album, Scarecrow, was released in 2001.