George Strait releases the deluxe edition of The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium

The deluxe package includes 28 live tracks on two CDs and a DVD of the 40-song show from his record-breaking final tour date in June at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

The collection includes exclusive commentary from King George, as well and went on sale yesterday exclusively through Walmart.

Join Strait for the historic concert were very special guests Alan Jackson, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Sheryl Crow, Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride and Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, as well as introducing George “Bubba” Strait, Jr.
The King of Country Music performed for more than 1 million fans during his two-year, record-breaking final U.S. tour, and he was just seen on last week’s CMA Awards performing his hit “Cowboys Like Us” with pal Eric Church.

NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Little Big Town, Strait, Lady A, Kacey, Luke, Dierks

Keith Urban picked up two ARIA Award nominations (Australia’s version of The Grammy Awards). He’s up for Best Country Album (for Fuse) and Best Live Act (for his Light The Fuse Tour). In the States, he’s nominated for several CMA Awards, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year (for Fuse) and Musical Event of the Year for “We Were Us” with Miranda Lambert.

You can cruise the high seas with Little Big Town during the 2015 Carnival LIVE concert series. The band will perform three times on the “Fun Ships” in Nassau (March 30th, 31st and April 1st). Visit www.carnival.com/CarnivalLIVE for more information.

George Strait is featured cover-to-cover in a new commemorative “bookazine” that was just released by the Academy of Country Music. The collector’s edition celebrates the Country Music Hall of Famer’s career, life (including exclusive photos from his Texas ranch), behind-the scenes and much more. The “bookazine” is on newsstands now.

Lady Antebellum and Kacey Musgraves will be among the artists performing on the new ABC TV Special, Countdown to the CMA Awards: 15 Songs That Changed Country Music next month. The special, which is hosted by Robin Roberts and also features Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Rascal Flatts and Martina McBride, will air Monday, November 3rd at 10pm ET on ABC.

Lady Antebellum are together again with Stevie Nicks. They appear on the song “Blue Water” from the legendary performer’s new album, 24 Karat Gold.

  -- Universal Music/Nashville

George Strait Is Excited The ACM's Come To Dallas

Next year, to mark their 50th anniversary, the Academy of Country Music Awards will leave their longtime Las Vegas home and relocate to Dallas, where the televised award ceremony and performances will be held at AT&T Stadium.

And you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bigger supporter of the idea – beyond Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, perhaps – than the one-and-only George, who wrapped his Cowboy Rides Away Tour at the massive venue on June 7th.

“I don’t think they’re going to have a problem there,” the always under-stated Strait says. “If you haven’t been there, you’ve got to go. It’s amazing.” The King is excited to see what happens next spring, too – “I’m looking forward to being there. Hopefully I can be a part of it.”

King George, 104,793 + 8 Special Guests Set Record

George Strait has set many records in his illustrious career: the most No. 1 singles of any artist in any genre, the only artist to chart a Top 10 hit every year for 30 years, and the most No. 1 albums, gold albums, and platinum albums in the history of country music to name a few. Tonight, Strait notched another career accomplishment breaking an indoor concert attendance record for North America initially set by The Rolling Stones in 1981*.

With 104,793 in attendance and the top names in country music joining him for the final ride of Quicken Loans Presents: The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, the reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year took fans on a three-hour journey of memories by way of 40 songs from throughout his storied career, including 20 of his massive 60 No. 1 hits.

Strait appeared on the stage after a warm welcoming introduction from good friend Ray Benson of opening performers Asleep at the Wheel. The King of Country appeared to be in awe of the sheer magnitude of the crowd, and after waiting for the applause to subside following his opening song “Check Yes Or No,” he addressed the crowd with his trademark grin and echoing his expression said, “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here tonight, it’s been on my mind since we started this tour two years ago!”
 
Shortly after--a mere two songs in--he welcomed his first of eight special guests for the evening to the stage signifying the commencement of a historical musical journey showcasing over thirty years of Strait classics.

“In the 33 years since his auspicious 1981 debut album, Strait Country, the Frank Sinatra of country music has staunchly and elegantly reigned supreme over an ever-changing commercial landscape. While the country music industry struggled with its identity in an effort to increase its bottom line, Strait stayed the course. He made traditional country music without compromises and never fell out of favor with the fickle radio dial,” Dallas Morning News’ Mario Tarradell noted.

Strait told People Magazine, “I knew it would be kind of emotional but I was still a little surprised to feel it that strongly. The first three or four shows in 2013 were the toughest, but every night it was in the back of my mind to take it all in, because I probably wouldn’t ever come back there again. It made me want to put on the best show we’ve ever done there. I hope we did that. I feel like we did."
To add to the emotional charge filling the AT&T Stadium air was the retirement of Bruce Hardy who has also celebrated 30+ years in the industry as the general manager of Texas Stadium and the current home to the Dallas Cowboys and Strait’s tour farewell stage, AT&T Stadium. Hardy surely echoed Strait’s sentiment following the performance of “The Chair,” as the crowd roared and the superstar revealed, “That’s what I’m going to miss the most right there.”

Amidst the hits, Strait paused for a very special moment and continued his tour tradition of presenting a home as part of the Military Warriors Support Foundation (MWSF) “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes” (H4WH). Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry, a medal of honor recipient, and his wife Ashley were recognized as 51st recipients from the tour and received a million dollar home in the Dallas area.

The 2013-2014 H4WH home presentations were made possible through Strait’s longtime friend, Lieutenant General Leroy Sisco, U.S. Army (Retired). The homes made available for the program are donated to MWSF through partnerships and, as unveiled at Strait’s first 2013 show in Lubbock, Texas, were awarded to at least one service member at every tour stop on The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. In addition to the homes, all of the recipient families from the tour stops also received groceries for a year from Walmart, a flat screen television, and an entire George Strait CD collection.
In addition to the charitable contributions through H4WH, Strait also partnered with CID Entertainment to facilitate a charity auction at every 2013 and 2014 tour stop including front row Troubadour Package tickets, a meet-and-greet with Strait, and more. After the final 2014 tour stop in Dallas, the program has raised $1,325,619 for The Jenifer Strait Foundation ($239,302 in 2013 and $1,086,317 in 2014) with over 3,000 VIPs ticketholders hosted and 500 travel packages accommodated.

Kacey Musgraves: George Strait Has Been A Big Influence On Her Music

Kacey picked up the ACM Award for Album of the Year for "Same Trailer Different Park," was thrilled that George Strait was voted Entertainer of the Year.

In fact, she was so happy for him, she crashed the pressroom while he was talking to the press backstage, telling the Country Music Hall of Famer she loved him.

“Growing up in Texas, George Strait has been a huge influence on me. He has stayed so true to what he is since day one. He has never wavered,” says Kacey. “When you get George Strait, you get quality – quality songs, quality voice. He’s just so classy, and he’s not hard to look at either.”

Musgraves is hitting the airwaves with her latest single, “Keep It To Yourself,” from her award-winning Album of the Year.

ACM Presents: An All Star Salute to the Troops

Coming to Vegas for the ACM Awards? Want to show your appreciation to our nation’s service men and women? Stick around on Monday, April 7^th, for ACM Presents: An All-Star Salute to the Troops, a live concert special.

Country music superstars Merle Haggard, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, and The Band Perry are the first artists to be added to the star-studded line-up of performers taking to the stage Monday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The special will be broadcast Tuesday, May 20 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS.

Tickets for ACM Presents: An All Star Salute to the Troops are on sale NOW at Ticketmaster, beginning at $105. All ticket sales will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music. Get your tickets HERE!

Duck The Halls Is #1 Again

Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas has held onto the top of the country charts for the THIRD WEEK in a row! The holiday collection, which features appearances by Luke Bryan, George Strait, Josh Turner, Alison Krauss and the whole Robertson family, sold more than 66-thousand copies to land at No. 1 on the country chart and at No. 4 overall on the Billboard Top 200. Luke Bryan’s Crash My Party follows at No. 2 on the country chart.

As the holidays are fast approaching, Willie Robertson said other than the health of his family, there’s really nothing he wants this year…except for one thing. “I can’t really think of anything that I want or need at this point,” he says. “Maybe a million of record sales on Duck the Halls Robertson Family Christmas. That would be a good Christmas gift.” The family’s holiday album is well on its way!

If you want to catch Willie performing “Hairy Christmas” with his pal, Luke Bryan, tune into the TV special, CMA Country Christmas, December 2nd at 9pm ET on ABC.

3rd Annual George Strait Golf Tourney Raises More Than $425,000 For Troops

The newly crowned CMA Entertainer of the Year and Texas businessman Tom Cusick hosted the third annual Vaqueros del Mar Invitational Golf Tournament and Auction at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort & Spa in Boerne, Texas on Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3. Strait and Cusick, who are joint owners of the resort and spa, first created the fundraiser in November 2011 to support wounded U.S. servicemen and women. This year’s event benefited Feherty’s Troops First Foundation, an organization that provides meaningful assistance to military members who have been wounded serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

 

The weekend-long event was filled with non-stop excitement, kicking off with a roping competition at Cusick’s exclusive Texas hill country community Estancia at Thunder Valley, just minutes from the resort. Strait participated in the roping event, and Norma Strait and Silvia Cusick made a grand entrance by riding into the rodeo arena on a pair of Texas Longhorn bulls.

 

More than 450 invited guests also participated in a high-energy live auction, which raised an impressive $425,000 within a half-hour. At one point, Strait even sweetened the pot by removing his boots and offering them as part of a package deal, which sold for $130,000 alone. Rick Kell, co-founder of Feherty’s Troops First Foundation, presented Strait and Cusick each with an American flag that was used during operations Enduring Freedom and Proper Exit in Afghanistan. The weekend came to a close with Strait, ever the consummate entertainer, leading a lively jam session that included special guests Asleep At The Wheel, Ray Benson, Dean Dillon, Keith Gattis, Jamey Johnson, Jewel, Kyle Park and Randy Rogers.

 

Click here to view highlights from the Vaqueros del Mar Invitational Golf Tournament and Auction.

 

For more information on George Strait, please visit www.georgestrait.com.

 

For more information on Feherty's Troops First Foundation, please visit www.troopsfirstfoundation.org.

2013 CMA Awards Winners – Full List

Taste of Country reports:  Tim McGraw won two CMAs before the 2013 broadcast even started on Nov. 6. His wins for Music Video and Musical Event of the Year were not surprising.

‘Highway Don’t Care’ was also up for Single of the Year. 

Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift had the most nominations going into the Nashville-based awards ceremony. Florida Georgia Line was also a favorite to leave needing a small moving truck to lug home trophies.

George Strait was named Entertainer of the Year at the 47th CMA Awards.

CMA Week Updates

1.  Click here to directly access CMA Blue Room video interviews recorded Monday and Tuesday from the Premiere Radio Remotes at the CMA Awards.

2.  The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hosted the 51st Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards on Monday, November 4th in the Grand Ballroom at Nashville’s newly opened Music City Center.

The writers of country music's most performed songs of the period between April 2012 and March 2013 were honored before an audience of Nashville's most distinguished songwriters, top country stars and music industry leaders.

Special tribute was paid to George Strait, who was presented with the ASCAP Founders Award in a segment that included musical homage to the “King” of country from Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack.

George Strait Sells Out LA Staples Center In Nine Minutes

Strait will be holding court with 17,178 ticketholders during his highly-anticipated appearance on February 8, 2014. The concert, which sold out within 9 minutes today, Friday, Sept. 27, was his first to go on sale and will be Strait's ninth stop during the last leg of his final, two-year The Cowboy Rides Away Tour.

Tickets for the following dates will go on sale beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the venue's respective local time zone on Friday, October 4:

January 17, 2014 CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb.
*With special guest Eric Church
January 31, 2014 Valley View Casino Center, San Diego, Calif.
*With special guest Miranda Lambert
February 7, 2014 US Airways Center, Phoenix, Ariz.
*With special guest Martina McBride
February 14, 2014 The Palace, Auburn Hills, Mich.
*With special guest Little Big Town
February 15, 2014 Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
*With special guest Little Big Town
March 22, 2014 Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
*With special guest Sheryl Crow
April 5, 2014 Pepsi Center, Denver, Colo.
*With special guests Merle Haggard and Lee Ann Womack

The STAPLES Center is a world-class sports and entertainment venue, hosting more than 250 events every year. Other notable artists to perform at the arena include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Prince, U2, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift and more.

Concert-goers will get to hear Strait perform a full set, including many of his 60 No. 1 hits (a record no other artist, in any genre, has achieved). Throughout his distinguished career, Strait has sold more than 68.5 million records to date and is second only to Elvis in certifications, with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums to his credit. Billboard will recognize King George's unmatched catalogue of No. 1 singles with its highest accolade, the Legend of Live Award, in November.

Each weekend of The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, Strait will also be joined by special guests including Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Young and more.

Strait will continue to record new music for longtime label home MCA Records and will perform select dates across the country after the tour has wrapped.

Billboard Names George Strait 2013 Legend of Live

Strait will be honored with the Legend of Live Award at the 10th annual Billboard Touring Awards.


He is the first country artist to receive this award.


The only way to get tickets to the award show is to register for the 2013 Billboard Touring Conference.

And, yes, that is him on the cover of this week's issue too.

George Strait "Rides Away" With 73,086 In San Antonio

In September of 2012, the King of Country Music, George Strait, announced his final two-year U.S. jaunt, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, with 21 dates in 2013 and a similar schedule expected for 2014.  

Last night, Strait performed his final show of the year to a sold-out capacity crowd at the Alamodome in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas with special guests Martina McBride and Miranda Lambert--breaking his own attendance record previously set in 2010. 

Strait opened revealing, "I've been thinking about this show all month long, and I have to admit, I was a litte nervous...but I'm not anymore!" The King then played for over two hours on a rotating stage in the center of the Alamodome.

Partway through the show (set list below) Strait broke stride after he performed one of his 60 No. 1’s, "River Of Love,” and introduced United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant / E-6 Jose Sanchez to a captivated audience. Sanchez--with his wife Angela--was then recognized as the 339th recipient of the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s (MWSF) “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes” (H4WH) program.  Then, in celebration of the last tour stop of 2013, Strait recognized the Faulkenberry family on stage—U.S. Army SFC John Faulkenberry with wife Sarah—as the final awardees (340th recipient through the overall program; 23rd of the tour) to receive a key directly from Strait. Both families received homes in the San Antonio area.

The 2013 H4WH home presentations were made possible through Strait’s longtime friend, Lieutenant General Leroy Sisco, U.S. Army (Retired) who shares, “Our foundation is thrilled at this opportunity to work with such an incredible patriot as George Strait and with his help we have helped change the lives of 23 heroes and their families by awarding 100% mortgage-free homes on ‘The Cowboy Rides Away’ tour.”

The homes made available for the program are donated to MWSF through partnerships and, as unveiled at Strait’s first 2013 show in Lubbock, were awarded to at least one service member at every tour stop on The Cowboy Rides Away Tour.

In addition to the homes, all the families presented homes from Strait and H4WH also received groceries for a year from Walmart, a flat screen television, and Strait's CD collection.

In addition to the charitable contributions through H4WH, Strait also partnered with CID Entertainment to facilitate a charity auction at every 2013 tour stop including front row Troubadour Package tickets, a meet-and-greet with Strait, and more.  After the final 2013 tour stop in San Antonio, the program has raised $239,000 for The Jenifer Strait Foundation.  Additionally, CID Entertainment abetted sales of 7,777 VIP tickets with San Antonio including a travel package with over 250 participating fans.

Clearly fans can't get enough of the King as Strait recently celebrated his 60^th No. 1 single, “Give It All We Got Tonight” from his chart-topping debut, Love Is Everything, making him the first ever artist to notch 60 No. 1 MediaBase singles in any genre.  The New York Times touts that on Love, “he sings with a pulpy richness” and Los Angeles Times proclaims his 40^th studio album is “carefully rendered and unabashed in its optimism, it's as personal as anything Strait has ever recorded.”

For more information on MWSF, please visit www.militarywarriors.org.

Martina McBride San Antonio, Texas June 1, 2013 Set List:

“When God-Fearin’ Women Get The Blues”

“Wild Angels”

“Whatcha Gonna Do”

“I’m Gonna Love You Through It”

“Anyway”

“(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden”

“Today I Started Lovin’ You”

“First Cut Is The Deepest” and “Free Fallin’” medley

“King Of The Road”

“Love’s The Only House”

“This One’s For The Girls”

“Where Would You Be”

“A Broken Wing”

“Independence Day”

Miranda Lambert San Antonio, Texas June 1, 2013 Set List:

“Fastest Girl In Town”

“Just Like You, Only Prettier”

“World Goes Round”

“Heart Like Mine”

“New Strings”

“Baggage Claim”

“Traveling Band”

“Over You”

“Sin For A Sin”

“Mama’s Broken Heart”

“Famous In A Small Town”

“Get Back”

“Kerosene”

“All Kinds Of Kinds”

“House That Built Me”

“White Liar”

“Gunpowder & Lead”

George Strait San Antonio, Texas June 1, 2013 Set List:

“Here For A Good Time”

“Ocean Front Property”

“Check Yes Or No”

“I Saw God Today”

“Drinkin’ Man”

“Love’s Gonna Make It”

“Arkansas Dave”

“They Call Me The Fireman”

“Jackson” and “Ring Of Fire” with Martina McBride

“Blame It On Mexico”

“80 Proof Bottle Of Tear Stopper”

“Honky Tonk Crazy”

“Marina Del Rey”

"King Of Broken Hearts" 

"Where The Sidewalk Ends" 

“The Chair”

“River Of Love”

“Give It Away”

“How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls”

“Amarillo By Morning”

“Give It All We Got Tonight”

“I’ll Always Remember You”

“Troubadour”

“Unwound”

Encore:

“Same Kind Of Crazy”

“All My Ex’s Live In Texas”

“Folsom Prison Blues”

“Cowboy Rides Away”

2013 The Cowboy Rides Away tour stops included the following:

Jan 18 | United Spirit Arena | Lubbock, Texas

Jan 19 | Chesapeake Energy Arena | Oklahoma City, Okla.

Jan 25 | EnergySolutions Arena | Salt Lake City, Utah

Jan 26 | Idaho Center | Nampa, Idaho

Jan 31 | Sleep Train Arena | Sacramento, Calif.

Feb 1 | SaveMart Center | Fresno, Calif.

Feb 2 | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.

Feb 15 | Xcel Energy Center | St. Paul, Minn.

Feb 16 | Alerus Center | Grand Forks, N.D.

Feb 22 | First Niagara Center | Buffalo, N.Y.

Feb 23 | XL Center | Hartford, Conn.

Mar 1 | Thompson-Boling Arena | Knoxville, Tenn.

Mar 2 | Rupp Arena | Lexington, Ky.

Mar 17 | Reliant Stadium | Houston, Texas

Mar 22 | Bi-Lo Center | Greenville, S.C.

Mar 23 | Greensboro Coliseum | Greensboro, N.C.

Apr 5 | The Pit | Albuquerque, N.M.

Apr 6 | Pan American Center | Las Cruces, N.M.

Apr 12 | Verizon Arena | N. Little Rock, Ark.

Apr 13 | New Orleans Arena | New Orleans, La.

Jun 1 | Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas

Media Contacts for George Strait:

Essential Broadcast Media

Ebie McFarland / Leigh Parr

(615) 327-3259

 

MCA Nashville

Taryn Pray

(615) 524-7516

"Love Is Everything" Releases Today

It's George Strait's highly anticipated 40th studio album. The King of Country rejoined veteran producer Tony Brown to co-produce the album, which features 13 new tracks, including the current hit single “Give It All We Got Tonight.” Love Is Everything includes four songs written or co-written by Strait, as well as with his son Bubba and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon.

 

Strait sits down with Storme Warren and talks about the new LP

With the new album's first single “Give It All We Got Tonight” climbing the Country radio charts, the song is poised to become Strait's 60th #1 single. Fans and fellow Country artists recently started campaigning for the Sixty For Sixty movement, which encourages local radio stations to make the song his 60th #1 single around his 61st birthday on May 18th.

George is also making the rounds as his final tour, The Cowboy Rides Away, makes its way around the country.

George Strait And Garth Brooks To Perform Together

GeorgeStrait and Garth Brooks, the two most recent ACM Artist of theDecade Award recipients, will perform together for the first time in history to pay tribute to Dick Clark at the 48^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, to be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7 (8:00 PM-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. The ACM Artist of the Decade Award will be renamed the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award, in honor of the iconic figure and longtime producer of the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. The ceremony, to be co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, honors country music’s top talent, as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists.

Dick Clark, who passed away last year, began producing the Academy of Country Music Awards in 1979 and helped introduce audiences all over America to the most talented artists in country music. Clark had long been an ambassador for a wide-range of musical genres and with his guidance, ushered the Academy of Country Music Awards through the decades to become one of the industry’s biggest events.    

“It is truly appropriate that we pay tribute to my father, longtime ACM Awards executive producer Dick Clark. As one of the current executive producers and Dick’s son, I’m honored that George and Garth graciously accepted my personal request to pay tribute to a man we all loved,” stated R.A. Clark.

“He was a friend to all of us and helped shape our organization.  There’s no doubt the Academy of Country Music wouldn’t be one of the highest-rated and watched awards shows without Dick’s vision and commitment,” commented Bob Romeo, CEO of the Academy of Country Music.

“Dick helped make country music accessible to a larger fan base and his efforts will not be forgotten. Garth and I were so grateful when we each received the ACM Artist of the Decade Award, so it’s only fitting that we’ll be honoring him with this tribute performance at the ACMs,” said George Strait. 

“I commend the Academy on naming the ACM Artist of the Decade Award after Dick Clark.  Although there is no award the entertainment industry has that can match the magnitude of the star Dick Clark was, and still is, it is an honor to get to be a part of the Academy’s tribute to him.  There may be others who have contributed as much to the music industry, but there is definitely no one that has contributed more than Dick Clark.  He was music’s best friend, and a dear friend to me,” said Garth Brooks.

Recipients of the ACM Artist of the Decade Award include Strait in 2009, Brooks in 1998, Alabama in 1988, Loretta Lynn in 1979 and Marty Robbins in 1969. The ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award is an Academy honor bestowed on a country music artist only once every decade.

Performers:

George Strait has won twenty Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Artist of the Decade award, an award that has only been given to four other acts in the Academy’s history.  He also holds the record for the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He has sold more than 68 million records, garnering him 32 different platinum or multi-platinum albums resulting in the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait recently released his newest single, “Give It All We Got Tonight”—the first release from his forthcoming 2013 album, Love is Everything, due in stores on May 14. Strait also placed #1 on Pollstar’s Concert Pulse chart in March after the first leg of his on-going two-year final U.S. tour, “The Cowboy Rides Away Tour” with special guest Martina McBride.

Garth Brooks is a pivotal figure in the history of country music, garnering over twenty ACM Awards, including six Entertainer of the Year Awards, an Artist of the Decade award, and a Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, honoring individuals who are pioneers in the country music genre. Certified by the RIAA in 2000 as the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, Brooks has sold in excess of over 128 million albums and has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist. With his commercially savvy fusion of post-Merle Haggard country, honky-tonk, post-folk-rock sensitive singer/songwriter sensibilities, and '70s arena rock dramatics, Brooks brought country music to a new audience in the '90s — namely, a mass audience. Before Brooks, it was inconceivable for a country artist to go multi-platinum. He shattered that barrier in 1991, when his second album, No Fences, began its chart domination, and its follow-up, Ropin' the Wind, became the first country album to debut at the top of the pop charts. He is currently raising his children in Oklahoma.

Strait Sells Out San Antonio In Six Minutes

George Strait is in San Antonio this weekend for the final day of competition at his 31^st Annual George Strait Team Roping Classic, so it’s only appropriate that the King of Country celebrates another career milestone in the city today— San Antonio’s Alamodome announced their fastest and largest sell-out of over 72,000 tickets sold in just six minutes as part of his final two-year tour, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour.

 

The tour stop will take place on June 1, 2013 and will mark Strait’s eighth performance at the venue since he opened the facility that is affectionately referred to as, “The house they [the city] built for George.”  

Strait’s The Cowboy Rides Away Tour placed No. 1 on Pollstar’s Concert Pulse last week, averaging $1.4 million in gross sales per show, topping Justin Bieber, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Dave Matthews Band, and The Who (top 5 respectively).

 

Strait is currently working on a forthcoming album slated for release late spring. The album will feature his current single, “Give It All We’ve Got Tonight,” which is Top 15 and climbing. The single could mark Strait’s 60^th No. 1 on longtime label, MCA Records Nashville. Fans are encouraged to visit sixtyforsixty.com to help spread the news.

 

The tour will continue next weekend with a record-breaking stop of over 77,000 in attendance at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.   

 

Remaining The Cowboy Rides Away Tour 2013 Dates:

Mar 17  |  Reliant Stadium  |  Houston, Texas

Mar 22  |  Bi-Lo Center  |  Greenville, S.C.

Mar 23  |  Greensboro Coliseum  |  Greensboro, N.C.

Apr 5     |  The Pit  |  Albuquerque, N.M.

Apr 6     |  Pan American Center  |  Las Cruces, N.M.

Apr 12   |  Verizon Arena  |  N. Little Rock, Ark.

Apr 13   |  New Orleans Arena  |  New Orleans, La.

Jun 1     |  Alamodome  |  San Antonio, Texas

First Round of Performers Announced for This Year’s ACM Broadcast

Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and The Band Perry are scheduled to perform as part of the 48^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. 

This is the first round of artists announced as performers on this year’s broadcast. The ceremony, which will be co-hosted by Bryan and Shelton, honors country music’s top talent, as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists, is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

Performers:

Luke Bryan will be co-hosting the Awards telecast for the first time and is one of the fastest rising stars in country music.  He is nominated for four awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for tailgates & tanlines, and Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Eric Church.  He is currently headlining his first major tour, the “Dirt Road Diaries Tour,” and has earned five platinum singles. 

Kelly Clarkson is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for “Don’t Rush” with Vince Gill, her third nomination in that category.  Last year, she took home two ACM Awards, including Vocal Event of the Year and Single Record of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean.  To date, Clarkson has released 5 studio albums, sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, 10 million albums in the U.S., and has had 10 singles in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Clarkson recently won the GRAMMY® for Best Pop Vocal Album for her last studio album Stronger. Last November, she released her Greatest Hits – Chapter 1 album, which features three new tracks, as well as a compilation of some of her greatest hits to date.

Hunter Hayes has six ACM nominations, including two in the Song of the Year category as the artist and composer, as well as in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for “Wanted.”  He rounds out his nominations with New Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year for “Wanted.”  Hunter’s GRAMMY® nominated self-titled debut album has garnered three smash hits, including his current single, “Somebody’s Heartbreak,” which has already entered the Top 5 and is certified Gold, as well as his near Triple Platinum-selling No. 1 single “Wanted.”  Hunter Hayes is a celebrated musician, songwriter and performer who is currently on the “Blown Away Tour” with Carrie Underwood.

Miranda Lambert, reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year, has earned five nominations including her seventh consecutive nod for Female Vocalist of the Year and second nomination for Entertainer of the Year.  In addition, Lambert was nominated for Single Record of the Year and twice nominated for Song of the Year, as artist and composer, for “Over You.”  Lambert is currently on the “Locked & Reloaded” Tour with longtime friend Dierks Bentley. 

Blake Shelton, ACM reigning Male Vocalist of the Year returns to co-host the Awards telecast for the third consecutive year.   He is nominated for three awards - Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year as composer for “Over You” with Miranda Lambert and Entertainer of the Year, the Academy’s most prestigious honor.  His current single, “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” is his fastest No. 1 record topping the charts in only eight weeks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart.  “Sure Be Cool If You Did” is off his new album, Based On A True Story…which is available everywhere on March 26. You can also catch Shelton kicking off his “Ten Times Crazier” tour on July 19 in Virginia Beach, VA. 

George Strait has won twenty Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Artist of the Decade award, an award that has only been given to four other acts in the Academy’s history.  He also holds the record for the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.  He has sold more than 68 million records, garnering him 32 different platinum or multi-platinum albums resulting in the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.  Strait recently released his newest single, “Give It All We’ve Got Tonight”—the first release from his forthcoming 2013 album.  Strait also placed No. 1 on Pollstar’s Concert Pulse chart in March after the first leg of his on-going two-year final U.S. tour, “The Cowboy Rides Away Tour” with special guest Martina McBride.

The Band Perry returns to the ACM Awards this year with their third Vocal Group of the Year nomination, just two short years after they were honored with the New Artist of the Year award in 2011. The sibling trio’s sophomore album PIONEER will be released on April 2, 2013 and has already spawned the smash, RIAA Certified Platinum single, “Better Dig Two,” which quickly became the No. 1 Billboard Hot Country Song, making it the fastest-rising song of the band's career.  It is their third chart-topping single landing at No. 1 on the Country Radio Charts for two consecutive weeks.  The Band Perry is currently on Rascal Flatts’ “Changed Tour” and will appear on CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman on April 1, 2013.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 48^th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry.  The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

Will George Strait Get His 60th #1 Before He Turns 61?

King George approaches his 60th #1 single – before his 61st birthday on May 18th. 

Tonight, he'll be honored as a part of The Country Radio Hall Of Fame Awards.

“Give It All We Got Tonight,” George’s current single, is Top 20 and climbing and is poised to be the 60th #1 single of his career, all of which have been represented by MCA Nashville (the only label he has ever called home). 

He has more #1’s than any other single artist in history, in any genre, beating both The Beatles (20) and Elvis (18).

George Strait To Be Honored With CRB Career Achievement Award

The country superstar will be honored with the 2013 Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. Career Achievement Award at the Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.
 
The CRB Achievement Award is presented to an individual artist or act that, through their creativity, vision, performance or leadership has made a significant contribution to the development and promotion of country music and country radio.

“George Strait has done a superb job promoting country music and country radio over the years. His dedication to the format and on-going contribution to the industry as a whole make him the perfect recipient for this award,” said Mike Culotta, CRS President.
 
With a career spanning more than 30 years, George Strait has the most number one singles of any artist in history including Elvis Presley.  He has sold nearly 69 million records and with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, has the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Strait is the only artist to have 85 out of 90 radio singles make it to Top 10 and 24 albums at the number one position on Billboard’s Country Music Album Chart, and has recently released “Give It All We Got Tonight” from his forthcoming 2013 album.
 
As previously announced, the evening will also feature Gaylan Christie being inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame and Dr. Don Carpenter, Crook & Chase, Eddie Edwards and Bill “Dex” Poindexter will be inducted in the Air Personality category. Bob Romeo will receive the 2013 Presidents’ Award.

George Strait Sets Tone For Tour With Music Spanning 30+ Years At First Stop

Friday night, January 18, 2013, the King of Country Music, George Strait, kicked-off the first of 21 tour stops on his 2013 The Cowboy Rides Away Tour in Lubbock, Texas at United Spirit Arena with special guest Martina McBride.  An audience of 15,326 was afforded what will soon be a rare occurrence--seeing Strait and his Ace In The Hole Band live in concert.

The evening began for many with a VIP reception in the aptly named “The King’s Tavern” which features multiple traveling memorabilia cases on display as part of “The King’s Exhibit” with featured items ranging from Dusty Chandler’s jacket, Strait's lead character in Pure Country, to his Country Music Hall of Fame medallion from his November 2006 induction.  

After a riveting set from McBride, Strait sauntered to the stage and opened his nearly 100 minute set with his 2011 anthem and the title of his last recording, “Here For A Good Time.”

Partway through the show Strait broke stride after he performed his current single, "Give It All We Got Tonight,” and introduced U.S. Marine Corps E-3/Lance Corporal Christopher Allen to a captivated audience.  Allen was then recognized as the 287th recipient of the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s (MWSF) “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes” (H4WH) program and the first awardee to receive a key directly from Strait.  The presentation was made possible through Strait’s longtime friend, Lieutenant General Leroy Sisco, U.S. Army (Retired) who shares, “Our foundation is thrilled at this opportunity to work with such an incredible patriot as George Strait and with his help we are going to change the lives of the heroes and their families by awarding 100% mortgage-free homes at the next 20 concerts on George’s ‘The Cowboy Rides Away’ finale tour.”

The Allen family will receive a one-story home with 1,717 sq. ft. of living space and is a spacious 3 bedroom/2.5 bathroom home in Bakersfield, California complete with a pool and a two car garage. The homes made available for the program are donated to MWSF through partnerships and, as unveiled at the show in Lubbock, will be awarded to one service member at every tour stop on The Cowboy Rides Away Tour.