george strait tour 1987

Nashville Then: Dan Seals & George Strait concert at Starwood in 1987

• Go to slide 1
• Go to slide 2
• Go to slide 3
• Go to slide 4
• 222 Rep. John Lewis Way S Nashville, TN 37203
• (615) 416-2001

Every dollar donated to the Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit , supports its educational mission: to collect , preserve , and interpret the evolving history and traditions of country music.

Free shipping with $50 Purchase | Members Save 10% On Every Order, Join Today

• Museum Tickets

George Strait

• Inducted 2006
• Born May 18, 1952
• Birthplace Poteet, Texas

George Strait’s name has become synonymous with “real country.” The Texas traditionalist is one of the most successful, enduring, and influential recording artists in any field.

Early Life in Texas

Strait grew up in Pearsall, Texas. His parents divorced when he was still in grade school, and Strait and his older brother, Buddy, were raised by their father, John Strait, a junior high school math teacher. The boys learned ranching early on, helping on the family’s 2,000-acre spread.

Strait didn’t listen much to country music growing up; rather, he was inspired by mid-1960s British Invasion rock groups and joined several garage bands in high school. He eloped after graduation with his longtime sweetheart, Norma, then signed up for a stint in the Army.

While stationed in Hawaii, Strait found his true calling: country music. In 1973, he auditioned for and won the role of singer in a country band on base. He absorbed the music of Hank Williams, George Jones, and Merle Haggard, and Haggard’s tribute album to the legendary Bob Wills, A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills) , was instrumental in turning Strait in the direction of western swing.

Back home, Strait enrolled at Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University-San Marcos) to pursue a degree in agriculture, but by then he was also seriously considering a music career. He hooked up with the Ace in the Hole band, kept an extensive regional performance schedule, and recorded several singles on the D Records label. Despite club success, however, several trips to Nashville failed to drum up interest in Strait as a major-label prospect.

00:00  /  00:00

Strait to Nashville

During one fortuitous club appearance, club owner and former record promotion man Erv Woolsey liked what he heard. In 1981, Woolsey helped Strait sign with MCA, and he remained Strait’s behind-the-scenes advocate before eventually taking on the role of full-time manager.

Strait arrived in Nashville just as the Urban Cowboy movement was in full swing. His first honky-tonk missive, 1981’s “Unwound,” went to #6 on the Billboard charts. The accompanying album, Strait Country , helped to increase hardcore country airplay on many radio stations.

Much of modern country music includes pop sounds, but Strait consistently draws from both the western swing and the honky-tonk traditions of his native Texas. As a vocalist, he proved a masterful interpreter: while his Texas accent came through, he avoided over-the-top twang and flashy fillips in favor of subtle phrasing. Through his love of Haggard, he developed both the evocative nuance of Lefty Frizzell and the smooth, crooning shadings of Bing Crosby and Perry Como.

Strait began his long reign at the top of the charts, and subsequent Top Ten hits displayed his range. Although his roots were in Texas dancehall music, he also proved he had a way with pop-influenced tunes, typified by “If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home)” (#3, 1982), and smooth ballads, as shown in his performance of “Marina Del Rey” (#6, 1983). His #1 hits included his cover of the Bob Wills staple “Right or Wrong” (1984), the sly “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” (1987), and the western swing of “Am I Blue” (1987). Albums such as 1984’s Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind emphasized Strait’s ongoing debt to western swing and honky-tonk.

A Tragic Loss, a Movie Role, and Some Important Songwriters

Personal tragedy struck in 1986, when Strait’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a car accident. (Strait’s son, George Jr., affectionately known as “Bubba,” was born in 1981.) When Strait won Male Vocalist of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards that year—for the second year in a row—he accepted it in Jenifer’s memory.

By 1990, the year Strait won his second consecutive CMA Entertainer of the Year award, country’s ranks had swelled with many young “hat acts” who dressed like Strait, but few were able to mimic his keen blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. As evidence of his staying power, his blockbuster hit “Love Without End, Amen” topped the charts for five weeks.

Strait hit the big screen in 1992 with Pure Country , a film in which he played a disillusioned country star named Dusty Chandler. The soundtrack of the same name became Strait’s biggest seller to date, yielding the #1 hits “I Cross My Heart” and the album opener “Heartland.”

Although Strait seldom wrote songs until well into his hitmaking career, he has relied on the cream of the tunesmith crop throughout the years, including stalwart Whitey Shafer and fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Dean Dillon. In recent years, Strait has leaned on the talents of singer-songwriters Jim Lauderdale and Aaron Barker. He has also recorded several songs co-written by his son, Bubba.

“All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

live in Dallas, Texas, 1986

“Amarillo by Morning”

live in Tucson, Arizona, 1990

George Strait’s musical consistency and unadorned performing style continue to make him one of American music’s most popular artists.

George Strait, 1987. Photo by Walden S. Fabry Studios.

George Strait onstage, 1987. Photo by Walden S. Fabry Studios.

From left: George Strait, his son George “Bubba” Strait Jr., and his wife Norma watch President George H. W. Bush at his desk in the Oval Office, 1987. Photo by Walden S. Fabry Studios.

George Strait and Clint Black at the Academy of Country Music Awards, 1991. Photo by Arlene Richie.

George Strait, 1990s. Photo by Walden S. Fabry Studios.

George Strait at the Country Music Association Awards, 1996. Photo by Raeanne Rubenstein.

George Strait at the Country Music Association Awards, 1997. Photo by Raeanne Rubenstein.

George Strait at the Country Music Association Awards, 1998. Photo by Raeanne Rubenstein.

George Strait, 1999. Photo by Walden S. Fabry Studios.

Setting Records and Staying in the Spotlight

Strait’s career continued undiminished in the late 1990s and beyond. In 1995, he celebrated his fifteenth year as a recording artist by releasing a boxed-set career retrospective, Strait Out of the Box , which flew out of stores in unprecedented numbers.

One year later, the CMA presented him with the Single of the Year award for “Check Yes or No,” as well as the awards for Album of the Year ( Blue Clear Sky ) and Male Vocalist of the Year. Strait won another CMA Male Vocalist of the Year award and another CMA Album of the Year award ( Carrying Your Love with Me ) in 1997. The next year, he kicked off the George Strait Country Music Festival, a nationwide, multi-artist tour sponsored by Nokia and Chevy Trucks, and released yet another best-selling album, One Step at a Time . He released Always Never the Same in 1999 and followed in 2000 with George Strait , which showcased his hit single “Go On.”

Strait has continued his winning streak into the twenty-first century with albums including the technologically experimental The Road Less Traveled (2001), 2005’s Somewhere Down in Texas , Twang (2009), 2011’s Here for a Good Time , and 2019’s Honky Tonk Time Machine . In 2008, he won the CMA’s Single of the Year award, for “I Saw God Today,” and the organization’s Album of the Year award, for Troubadour , released earlier that year. In 2013, Strait was again named CMA Entertainer of the Year.

Strait’s musical consistency and unadorned performing style continue to make him as one of American music’s most popular artists. He has earned forty-four #1 Billboard country hits, more than any other artist, and ranks third—behind Elvis Presley and the Beatles—among artists with the most gold- and platinum-certified albums.

Although Strait announced that he would be retiring from touring in 2014, he continues to perform in Las Vegas and occasionally at large venues in other cities.

—Chrissie Dickinson

Adapted from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s  Encyclopedia of Country Music , published by Oxford University Press

Related Hall of Fame Members

You are now leaving country music hall of fame.

You are now leaving our website and onto another web property, which may include a different set of terms or conditions. We will open the website in a new tab for your convenience!

We use cookies in the following ways: (1) for system administration, (2) to assess the performance of the website, (3) to personalize your experience, content and ads, (4) to provide social media features, and (5) to analyze our traffic. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. Please consult instructions for your web browser to disable or block cookies, or to receive a warning before a cookie is stored on your computer or mobile device. Read our Privacy Policy .

• Manage Account

Chart Rewind: In 1987, George Strait’s ‘Texas’ Was No. 1 in the U.S.A.

One of Strait's signature hits became his 11th of a record 44 Hot Country Songs leaders.

By Jim Asker

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Share on Pinterest
• + additional share options added
• Share on Reddit
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Whats App
• Send an Email
• Print this article
• Post a Comment
• Share on Tumblr

On July 11, 1987, George Strait ‘s “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” hit No. 1 on Billboard ‘s Hot Country Songs chart.

The song was written by husband-and-wife team Sanger D. and Lyndia J. Shafer (fun fact, given the song’s storyline: she was his fourth bride) and Jimmy Bowen produced it.

“Texas” was released as the second of three Hot Country Songs No. 1s from Strait’s album Ocean Front Property , in between the title track and “Am I Blue.” It became Strait’s 11th of his record 44 leaders, which span from “Fool Hearted Memory” in 1982 through “River of Love” in 2009.

George Strait

See latest videos, charts and news

Austin's Moody Center Arena, The 'Best Building in NCAA History,' Opens With George Strait and…

On Billboard ‘s Country Airplay chart, which launched in 1990, Strait became the first artist to tally 100 entries with the 2019 debut of “The Weight of the Badge,” which he co-authored with son Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon. Parent set Honky Tonk Time Machine became Strait’s record 27th Top Country Albums No. 1.

In 2020, Strait told Billboard that while he has “not completed” any new music, he had “jotted down a lot of ideas that I think could possibly work into a song at some point. I took one of our live versions of ‘You Wreck Me’ by the late and great Tom Petty and sent it to his [SiriusXM] channel to see if they might play it. I’m very proud to say that they [have]. My band was amazing on that song. I’m a huge Petty fan.”

On July 30, Strait is set to headline a concert at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, featuring Little Big Town, Parker McCollum and Chris Stapleton.

Trending on Billboard

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?

Get in the know on.

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Videos Expand videos menu

Culture expand culture menu, media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Get Up Anthems by Tres Expand get-up-anthems-by-tres menu

Honda music expand honda-music menu.

Skip to the content

We found the cheapest tickets for all 10 George Strait concerts in 2024

It’s almost time to get your boot scoot on again.

On Saturday, May 4, George Strait is launching his ten-concert 2024 tour that he announced last September with special guests Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town.

From there, the King of Country heads to NFL stadiums all over North America including a stop at East Rutherford, NJ’s MetLife Stadium on Saturday, June 8.

And if you want to see the 71-year-old hitmaker live, now’s the time to pounce.

As of now, seats are available for all ten mega gigs.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find was $83 before fees on Vivid Seats.

Tickets start anywhere from $84 to $328 before fees for other shows.

Wondering how much it will run you to sing “All My Ex’s Live In Texas,” “Check Yes Or No,” “Amarillo By Morning” and so many more No. 1’s with Country’s King?

Keep scrolling straight on down, Strait fans.

We’ve got everything you need to know and more about George Strait’s 2024 Stadium Tour below.

All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.

A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found here:

(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and include additional fees at checkout .)

Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. 

They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event.

Stapleton  also has a tour of his own this year.

All summer long, he’ll be taking his long-running  ‘All-American Road Show’  to venues all over North America.

If you want to see the burly, bearded Grammy-winning singer live, you can  grab tickets for all of his shows here .

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Strait typically delivers the hits straight down the line at all of his shows.

Based on what he played live last year, here’s what you can likely expect when you see him these next few months.

01.) “Deep in the Heart of Texas” (Perry Como song)

02.) “Here for a Good Time”

03.) “Ocean Front Property”

04.) “Check Yes or No”

05.) “I Can Still Make Cheyenne”

06.) “Wrapped” (Bruce Robison cover)

07.) “Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her”

08.) “I Got a Car”

09.) “I Saw God Today”

10.) “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar”

11.) “How ’bout Them Cowgirls”

12.) “Drinkin’ Man”

13.) “You Don’t Know What You’re Missing”

14.) “That’s What Breaking Hearts Do”

15.) “Give It Away”

16.) “Codigo”

17.) “Waymore Blues” (Waylon Jennings cover)

18.) “The Weight of the Badge

19.) “The Fireman”

20.) “The Chair”

21.) “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”

22.) “Amarillo by Morning”

24.) “Come on Joe”

25.) “It Just Comes Natural”

26.) “I’ll Always Remember You”

27.) “Troubadour”

28.) “Unwound”

29.) “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

30.) “You Wreck Me” (Tom Petty cover)

31.) “Take Me to Texas”

32.) “The Cowboy Rides Away”

The above comes courtesy of  Set List FM .

Country music fans, this is your year.

Here are just five huge country tours you’ll want to bust your cowboy hat and boots out these next few months.

• Brooks and Dunn

• Clint Black

• Tim McGraw

• Kenny Chesney

•  Dwight Yoakam

Want to see who else is touring? Check out our list of the  50 biggest country concerts in 2024 here to find out.

Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase.

• Statistics Stats
• You are here:
• Strait, George
• Tour Statistics
• Song Statistics Stats
• Tour Statistics Stats
• Other Statistics

All Setlists

• All setlist songs  ( 960 )

Years on tour

• 2024  ( 4 )
• 2023  ( 13 )
• 2022  ( 12 )
• 2021  ( 10 )
• 2020  ( 5 )
• 2019  ( 14 )
• 2018  ( 8 )
• 2017  ( 13 )
• 2016  ( 9 )
• 2015  ( 1 )
• 2014  ( 28 )
• 2013  ( 22 )
• 2012  ( 14 )
• 2011  ( 21 )
• 2010  ( 34 )
• 2009  ( 24 )
• 2008  ( 24 )
• 2007  ( 23 )
• 2006  ( 30 )
• 2005  ( 20 )
• 2004  ( 33 )
• 2003  ( 21 )
• 2002  ( 25 )
• 2001  ( 15 )
• 2000  ( 10 )
• 1999  ( 18 )
• 1998  ( 19 )
• 1997  ( 9 )
• 1996  ( 36 )
• 1995  ( 22 )
• 1994  ( 36 )
• 1993  ( 28 )
• 1992  ( 18 )
• 1991  ( 36 )
• 1990  ( 41 )
• 1989  ( 42 )
• 1988  ( 51 )
• 1987  ( 36 )
• 1986  ( 34 )
• 1985  ( 40 )
• 1984  ( 28 )
• 1983  ( 11 )
• 1982  ( 10 )
• 1981  ( 9 )
• 1980  ( 1 )
• 1975  ( 2 )

Show all tours

• 1998 Tour  ( 18 )
• 1999 Tour  ( 18 )
• 2000 George Strait Country Music Festival  ( 10 )
• 2001 George Strait Country Music Festival  ( 5 )
• 2009 Tour  ( 1 )
• 2011  ( 2 )
• Blue Clear Sky  ( 1 )
• Cowboy Rides Away Tour  ( 1 )
• George Strait Country Music Festival 2001  ( 1 )
• George Strait with Martina McBride 2012  ( 11 )
• Honkytonkville  ( 1 )
• Strait to Vegas  ( 21 )
• Strait to the Natural State  ( 1 )
• The Cowboy Rides Away  ( 40 )
• Twang Tour  ( 26 )
• Avg Setlist

Concert Map

• Jun 1, 2024
• May 31, 2024
• May 30, 2024
• May 29, 2024
• May 28, 2024
• May 27, 2024
• FAQ | Help | About
• Terms of Service
• Ad Choices | Privacy Policy
• Feature requests
• Songtexte.com