Jun 082014
photo courtesy EB Media
George Strait went out with a bang tonight in Arlington, TX, setting a United States attendance record for an indoor concert! 104,793 fans showed up to bid him farewell, as he performed 40 songs over the course of 3 hours. The set included 8 guest appearances from the likes of Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert who were on hand to help send Strait off on the final show on his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour.
“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.”