Tailgate with Trisha Yearwood before the Pittsburgh Garth Brooks show

One of the superstar couples in country music — Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood — met long before either one of them was famous.

In the 1980s, both were demo singers, people who perform a song for those hoping to get the tune they wrote get noticed.

“We sounded so good together,” says Yearwood of her husband, Garth Brooks. “We were so comfortable with each other. People who heard us were asking ‘who were those two singing?’”

Brooks and Yearwood have been married for almost 14 years now and live near Nashville, Tenn. “We didn’t get married to be apart,” Yearwood says.

Traveling together

Yearwood and Brooks will be rolling into Pittsburgh, as Brooks takes the stage at 7 p.m. May 18 at a sold-out Heinz Field on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Yearwood — a singer, actress, author, chef, personality and entrepreneur — will be outside in the stadium parking lot hosting “Trisha’s Tailgate.”

“You know I love to entertain, and I can’t wait to bring ‘Trisha’s Tailgate’ to Pittsburgh,” Yearwood says in a statement. “It’s the ultimate fan experience with all of my favorite things – good food, good drinks, good music and good company.”

Guests will enjoy some of Yearwood’s favorite tailgate bites and drinks ranging from coffee to cocktails, including one of her signature drinks, “Summer in a Cup.”

The event is from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Tailgate Tents, located near Gate A. Tickets are now sold out.

Pittsburgh memories

“I have played in Pittsburgh before, and it’s a beautiful city,” says Yearwood. “I remember the first time I came to Pittsburgh, I thought, ‘I am this Southern girl who will come and see my show?’ It was at an outdoor festival and it was full of people,” says the award-winning performer. Her hits include “She’s in Love with the Boy” and “This is Me You’re Talking To.”

She recently released “Let’s Be Frank,” a collection of the singer’s favorite songs by Frank Sinatra, Yearwood told the Tribune-Review. She paid a special musical tribute to Sinatra by using his own microphone and sitting on the same stool where he sat while recording the originals songs, according to her website. She also told the Tribune-Review she will release a single on June 6.

Let’s tailgate

Yearwood says they started the tailgates at a concert at Notre Dame and that did well. It’s a mini-food festival, she says. “It’s been a lot of fun. I do a food demonstration and people can ask questions. It’s a way to interact with the crowd and connect with them.”

Yearwood has been hosting a cooking show ‘Trisha’s Southern Kitchen” for seven years on the Food Network. She says her mom and sister inspire her culinary interest and she shares their recipes on the program.

She says even though it has been 12 years since her last album, the cooking show has allowed her to stay connected to the fans.

For the tailgate, Yearwood creates appetizer portions, but they are more than enough food to fill up the guests while they wait for the show to begin.

A remarkable performance

Brooks, who has sold more than 70 million albums, didn’t have to think twice about playing Pittsburgh.

“He bleeds black and gold,” Yearwood says. Brooks attended pre-season training with the Pittsburgh Pirates this spring in Florida.

Don’t miss Garth Brooks at Heinz Field!

The hottest show of 2019 comes to the North Shore on May 18.

?: https://t.co/4cECrhyOTq pic.twitter.com/66B4XQTpP5

— Heinz Field (@heinzfield) January 15, 2019

Yearwood says fans that grew up listening to Garth Brooks now bring their children because they all love his music.

“Attending a Garth Brooks’ concert is an experience,” she says. “He has this gift to make people feel like he is looking right at you, even if you are in the very top row. He has a way of connecting with the fans. And his songs make you laugh and cry and feel emotions from “The Dance” to “Friends in Low Places.”

Details: trishayearwood.com or garthbrooks.com