HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — This one has the makings of another sad country song.
Music star Garth Brooks is suing his hometown hospital, claiming they took his $500,000 donation and failed to name a building after his late mother.
According to The Oklahoman, Brooks donated the money anonymously four years ago to Integris Canadian Valley Regional hospital in Yukon, Okla. He stipulated that a hospital building be named after his mother, Colleen, who died of cancer in 1999.
Brooks, 47, is seeking the full return of his donation after the building was never built, despite $27 million in renovations to the hospital.
"This deals with his mother, the hometown and the people he grew up with and is deeply personal," the singer's rep said in an e-mail to the paper.
A spokeswoman for Integris said the hospital is "optimistic this will come to a swift and amicable resolution." However, Yukon city council member John Tipps is less than thrilled that the country star is turning on his roots.
"Yukon has done a lot to help promote Garth Brooks over the years, and this is what he does to return the favor, sue our hospital over a misunderstanding," Tipps told The Yukon Review.
"Maybe Yukon should consider removing his name from the street signs and the water tower. This is very unfortunate for the hospital, City of Yukon and its citizens."
In October, the Tulsa native announced that he was coming out of retirement after a nine-year hiatus. Brooks began performing a series of special engagements in the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on Dec. 11.
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