Later that year, Brooks began his professional music career, singing and playing guitar in Oklahoma clubs and bars, particularly the Tumbleweed in Stillwater. In 1985 noted entertainment attorney Rod Phelps drove up from Dallas to listen to Garth at Wild Willie's on The Strip near Oklahoma State University. Phelps liked what he heard and offered to produce Garth's first demo, recorded "live" at Wild Willie's. After mixing the 4 sets down to what they hoped would be an acceptable "commercial" product, Phelps gave Garth a list of his contacts in Nashville, the reel-to-reel tape of the demo, and some credit cards to finance the Nashville venture. Brooks met with Phelps' good friend, ASCAP's Merlin Littlefield, but was scared off by Merlin's suggestion that Brooks could make more money playing in Stillwater than he could as an artist in Nashville. After the failed 1985 24-hour trip to Nashville to gain a record contract, Brooks returned to Oklahoma and in 1986, married Sandy Mahl of Owasso, Oklahoma, whom he had met while working as a bouncer. The couple later had three daughters: Taylor Mayne Pearl (b. 1992), August Anna (b. 1994) and Allie Colleen (b. 1996). The following year, the couple moved to Nashville, and Brooks was able to begin making contacts in the music industry.