NASHVILLE--Garth Brooks [ tickets ] made official his latest retirement plans during a Thursday (10/26) press conference, claiming that his touring days are over. However, the country music superstar said he plans to release one more album before the curtain falls on his career, and he left the door open to other musical and non-musical projects.

"I can only be as honest as I can be, and I don't know how else to say it: I am here to announce my retirement," Brooks told the media gathering.

Brooks said he feels compelled to complete another studio album, which he plans to release in May or June 2001. But he will not tour behind the project--not even a short stadium tour, as George Strait has done in recent years.

"I think the days of Garth Brooks touring are behind us, at this point," he said. "I never wanted to look at music or touring as a weekend warrior. If I tour, I want to bring everything we've got. I want to bring the best show we can. And can I bring you a show that I'm proud of, which is me and a guitar? Yes, I can. But is it going to compare with the assault that we put on people for three years? I don't think it will."

He added, "If I cannot tour like that--which I can no longer, with my children, and I have no regrets about that--then I don't want to tour."

During his 1996-98 tour, Brooks played 350 shows in 100 cities, selling more than 5.3 million tickets. In 1997, he drew the largest crowd ever to attend a concert in Central Park.

Earlier in the press conference, Brooks said that he intends to concentrate his writing efforts on screenplays, although he did not write the first draft of "The Lamb," a pet film project about a mysterious Australian rock star named Chris Gaines. He also indicated that he doesn't want to be an actor, although for his 1999 studio album, he billed himself as Chris Gaines.

He said he is still considering a duet album with longtime friend Trisha Yearwood. In addition, he said he "will step up with all the pride in the world" to record a soundtrack to "The Lamb."

Brooks--repeating a statement he made in a recent interview with Billboard--declared that he and his wife of 12 years agree that they need to divorce, although neither party has filed the required legal papers. He also refuted claims that he's building a studio and a museum at his Oklahoma home.

"It is a good day," a visibly nervous Brooks said in his opening remarks, "And no matter what you're gonna hear in here today, and how emotional it may get, it's a good today. It's gonna be a good day." He repeated the same phrases two other times during the 90-minute press conference.

Later on Thursday night, Brooks celebrated the milestone of selling 100 million units of his albums. Four of his albums have sold more than 10 million copies each, and his self-titled 1989 debut sits at the 9 million mark.

To acknowledge the 10-year anniversary of Brooks' favorite album, "No Fences," Capitol Records will release an album track, "Wild Horses," as a single.