George Strait may have hung up his touring hat, but he isn't riding off into the sunset.
Strait's final "The Cowboy Rides Away" tour was a musical odyssey that crisscrossed the country with concert stops in dozens of cities from New York and California to Utah and Tennessee and, of course, Texas, the country superstar's home state. The tour lasted for a record-breaking two years, with Strait entertaining more than 1 million fans along the way.
The country superstar completed the final leg of his farewell "The Cowboy Rides Away Tour" with a record-breaking show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 7. The star-studded event brought in the largest crowd of any North American indoor concert in history, topping out with almost 105,000 in attendance.
The one-night event featured performances of Strait's hit songs by special guests including Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson and Martina McBride. Strait's son, George "Bubba" Strait Jr., was also introduced at the final concert, dueting with his dad on the hit song "Arkansas Dave."
Strait's new album, "The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium," released Sept. 16, captures the energy and emotion of that final sold-out show in Texas with a 20-track album recorded live at the concert. The album celebrates the country crooner's more than 30 years in the music industry by showcasing his hits such as "Ocean Front Property" (with Kenny Chesney), "The Love Bug" (with Vince Gill), "Jackson" (with Martina McBride), "Murder On Music Row" (with Alan Jackson), "Fool Hearted Memory" (with Jason Aldean), "Here For A Good Time" (with Sheryl Crow) and "Run (with Miranda Lambert)".
Strait's career has yielded 59 No. 1 songs, has earned more than 60 major industry awards, and has sold more than 65 million albums. He is the only artist in music history to achieve at least one Top Ten hit each year during his 30-year career. He was only the second artist at the time, after Eddy Arnold in 1966, to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame while still actively recording and producing chart topping hits and albums. He was inducted in 2006.
And, yes, he may have packed away that touring hat, but Strait is still riding tall in the saddle with his legion of fans. The indisputable "King of Country" will continue to record new music for longtime label MCA Records Nashville and perform select dates across the country.
