Garth Brooks [ tickets ] returned to the stage June 14 to play an acoustic set at the eighth annual "So the World May Hear" benefit concert for the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

The concert, held at the RiverCenter in St. Paul, MN, raised $5 million to sponsor Starkey's missions to other countries to supply children with hearing aids, according to the Star-Tribune reported. Brooks, who "retired" in 2001 to raise his three daughters, first returned to the stage in November for nine concerts to inaugurate a new Kansas City arena. In January, he performed five shows at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to benefit California firefighters.

This most recent concert reportedly was a bit more intimate than his usual fare. He performed songs--in front of 1,500 people--that were originally recorded by his musical influences, including Cat Stevens' "Wild World," Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson," and James Taylor's "Fire and Rain." "James Taylor is why I play music," Brooks reportedly told the crowd. "George Strait is why I play country." He performed Strait's "Unwound," Bob Seger's Night Moves" and Billy Joel's "Piano Man," before launching into some of his hits, including "Friends in Low Places" and "The Dance," among others.