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A hat and a haircut changed Les Smith's career.
Smith was in a country band in the early 1990s that played its own material.
"It looked promising, but things didn't go according to plan and we didn't get picked up," he said.
While doing a residency in Georgia, Smith decided to cut his long hair. He also bought a black cowboy hat there.
"We started to cover (the Garth Brooks song) 'Friend in Low Places,'" he said. "I had that Garth round look on my face, and it started to develop into something on its own. It kind of came about accidentally. The agency got wind I was performing a few songs for fun as Garth Brooks and approached me to do an impersonation and tribute."
The Canadian singer has been performing as Brooks for more than 25 years, and he brings his act, Fresh Horses, to Niles on Friday for the first concert as part of the new Summer Hits at the Ballpark series at Eastwood Field.
Committing to playing Brooks meant giving up his day job -- selling ventilation for agriculture -- and spending two months rehearsing and prepping the act, which he started with a six-week tour of western Canada before starting to play fair, festival and corporate events in the states.
"His catalog is so huge, and I could really relate to him," Smith said. "He's a family man. I have four sons, he has three daughters. There are definitely parallels with a lot of things. even by reading some of his books and watching him in the early days on VHS, there were a lot of similarities in our mannerisms. I found it easy to watch him and imitate him. I guess even the body type was the same."
Brooks also is a country artist who draws influence from rock acts like Bruce Springsteen and Queen, and he had to incorporate that energy into his performances.
"I was blown away by his stage show and his mannerisms and how he focuses on people. He's really a great human being."
Brooks has released 16 studio albums in his career. Smith said he and his five-piece band can play songs from every one of them, the hits and some deep cuts.
"People are accustomed to what they hear on the radio, and we try to stick to the hits, but if somebody yells out for 'Papa Love Mama' or 'Two Pina Coladas,' we can do it. There are 'no fences' there," he joked, referring to the title of Brooks' second album.
Smith also keeps an eye on what Brooks is playing at stadium shows. Unlike many tribute acts, Smith's is performing the music of an artist who is continuing to release new music and expand his body of work.
"We're always anticipating his new material or the launch of a tour. That seems to generate business for us as well."
Fresh Horses has played as many as 125 shows a year, and Smith expects to play between 50 and 75 in 2023. He lives in Stratford, Ontario, near Toronto. While the band plays some shows in Canada, the bulk of its dates are in the U.S. with the greatest demand in New York and Ohio.
Also on the bill Friday is American Ride, a Toby Keith tribute.
"I've worked with Michael Suggs quite a few times," Smith said. "Talk about a clone. This guy looks and sounds exactly like Toby Keith, and he's a great guy. I'm happy to do the kickoff for them and looking forward to playing at a baseball diamond."
Summer Hits at the Ballpark
June 9: American Ride (Toby Keith tribute) and Fresh Horses (Garth Brooks tribute)
June 10: The Magic of Motown
June 24: Out of Eden (Eagles tribute) and FMX: The Fleetwood Mac Experience
July 8: Signs of Life (Pink Floyd tribute) at 8:30 p.m.
July 15: Rock of Love (Poison tribute), Armageddon (Def Leppard tribute), Jovi (Bon Jovi tribute) and Panama (Van Halen tribute)
July 28: The Four C Notes (Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons tribute)
Aug. 11: Gunpowder & Whiskey (Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton tribute)
Aug. 12: The Reid Project (Stevie Wonder tribute) and Too Hot (Kool & the Gang tribute)
Aug. 25: Earth to Mars (Bruno Mars tribute) and The Prince Project (Prince tribute)
Sept. 3: My Kind of Party (Jason Aldean tribute) and Keith Ormord (Kenny Chesney tribute)
All concerts are scheduled at Eastwood Field, 111 Eastwood Mall Blvd., Niles. Unless specified otherwise, concerts start at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday with gates open one hour before the first act.
Tickets are $12 for general admission, $18 for VIP seating on the field and $25 for a suite ($300 total with seating for 12 people) for all shows except for Signs of Life, which is $15 general admission and $21 VIP.
Those who purchase tickets in advance for the opening weekend concert on June 9 and 10 also will receive a voucher good for admission to a regular season Mahoning Valley Scrappers game.
Tickets are available at the Eastwood Field box office, online at www.mvscrappers.com and by calling 330-505-0000.