In 1996, Garth Brooks set a record for signing autographs by doing so for 23 straight hours. According to Nashville legend, never did he ask for or take a break to eat, sleep or even use the bathroom.

The marathon session happened at Fan Fair in Nashville — the week-long party now known as the CMA Music Festival. If you're looking for a reason for Brooks' popularity, look no further than his commitment to fans.

Brooks confirmed the story in an interview with Bobby Bones in 2018.

"It was fun," he recalled, adding, "Try to remember, there was nobody in that line that wasn't there 23 hours, too. So they waited."

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Not even inclement weather could put a damper on Brooks' special relationship with his fans, as he recalled.

"About 2 in the morning a thunderstorm came up. I thought, 'Well, we'll lose 'em all here,'" he says. "Didn't lose a one of 'em. It was one of the greatest days of my life."

The fans' ardor actually helped bolster Brooks, whose most recent album, Fresh Horses, had heralded a career plateau for the superstar. "I didn't know where my career was going, and this was a  great kind of a reminder that hey, they're gonna be here for you," he says.

Taylor Swift has shown a similar commitment to her fans, and she held a mini-marathon session in 2008, signing over 900 autographs for eight straight hours with no break. That's only a third of what Brooks did, but still much more than even the most dedicated artist will sit still for in the Nashville heat. In reality, most stars don't have 23 hours' worth of fans.

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