Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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ON AIR — Working in journalism can be hard, but sometimes the perks are out of this world.
On the downside, it's easy to get sunburned while reporting at a scene if you're not careful, and sometimes you need to wake up early or stay up late to help out — if there's a windstorm, a protest, an earthquake, a global pandemic, an election... you get the point!
On the upside, it's easy to run for a snack break at the office and run into a famous person. We love to find ourselves caught in awkward faces in the background of important press photos, and sometimes stories leave us feeling like we've made a difference for Utahns.
KSL TV's Shara Park received one of these great upsides from her coworkers and Garth Brooks for her birthday.
Garth Brooks is coming to Utah for a concert at Rice-Eccles Stadium this summer, and he agreed to be interviewed by KSL in anticipation of the event.
At the end of the interview, anchor Lori Prichard asked if Brooks could sing "Happy Birthday" to Park.
"She's a huuuge Garth Brooks fan," Prichard said, smiling.
Best. Birthday. Ever. 🥰
— Shara Park (@KSLSharaPark) May 5, 2021
So many of my happiest memories are tied to a Garth Brooks song or his concerts and so for Garth to sing me happy birthday LIVE on our show was incredible.
Thank you @garthbrooks, this was truly the best gift a country music lovin' girl could ask for! pic.twitter.com/1jH2ZPVnlR
Brooks grabs his guitar from its perch behind him and warns, "In Oklahoma, we swing everything, so get ready, OK?"
"He said my name!" Park laughs as the song concludes, and as they say goodbye you can tell it's the best birthday gift she could get.
On Twitter, Park said just that: "Best. Birthday. Ever. So many of my happiest memories are tied to a Garth Brooks song or his concerts and so for Garth to sing me happy birthday LIVE on our show was incredible. Thank you @garthbrooks, this was truly the best gift a country music lovin' girl could ask for!"