Garth Brooks caught lip syncing at awards show: 'The voice is just not there'

Garth Brooks performs Ask Me How I Know at the 51st annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo/AP

Garth Brooks' voice was "just not there" at the Country Music Awards (CMAs) - so he decided to lip sync his performance.

The 55-year-old singer - who picked up the coveted Entertainer of the Year accolade for the second year in a row at Wednesday evening's ceremony - admitted to lip syncing during his performance of Ask Me How I Know following a number of fans expressing their shock.

Brooks insisted it was the right thing to do for the sake of the country music world.

Garth Brooks at the Country Music Awards. Photo/AP

Speaking backstage at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, he said: "We're in the middle of 12 shows in 10 days. Not 10 shows in 12 days, 12 shows in 10 days.

"We did our rehearsal today and we did a game time call on whether we did sing the track or lip sync it and I decided to lip sync it because the voice is just not there and you want to represent country music the best you can."

Brooks admitted he and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, are "exhausted" after spending the last two years on their world tour, even performing two shows a night on some dates.

He told E! News: "It's been 400 shows and we're all exhausted, but having the time of our lives."

Fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment.

When your whole life is ruined because you saw @garthbrooks on the #CMAAwards lip sync 😫

— Cathy 🧜🏼‍♀️ (@KittyKittyCathy) November 9, 2017

Really, @garthbrooks.... REALLY?? Everyone's up there shouting u out for being a "legend" and you're gonna freaking lip sync overdramatically like a fool to your own song?? #Over. #CMAS #CMAawards #GarthBrooks #Garth #Nashville

— Theresa Pittius (@TheresaPittius) November 9, 2017

Ahead of his performance, Garth praised Ask Me How I Know writer Mitch Rossell, a 29-year-old singer-songwriter who moved to Nashville from Chattanooga, and joked about his nerves at appearing at the prestigious ceremony.

He said: "['Ask Me How I Know'] is the first thing he's ever had cut and recorded. He's a songwriter that moved here with nothing but a dream, so we all decided to bring him up with us, and he's playing with us. He's a little nervous right now, because he's just a kid, and he's just starting out, but he's the sweetest guy in the world...

"You see his face and he's scared to death right now, and we're enjoying every second of it."

- Bang! Showbiz