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George Strait breaks indoor concert attendance record with final show

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K

Kaladin

Member
Known for his easygoing manner and everyman's appeal, country music legend George Strait strolled from the floor of the Dallas Cowboys' lavish stadium onto the custom-built stage Saturday night in a blue plaid shirt, Wrangler jeans, a silver belt buckle and a black cowboy hat, facing the largest crowd for an indoor concert in North American history.

About 105,000 people packed in for the last concert of Strait's final tour - exceeding the stadium's official capacity by 5,000 - and shattering the previous record set by The Rolling Stones at The Louisiana Superdome in 1981.

"I can't tell you how excited I am to be here tonight. It's just been on my mind since we started this tour two years ago, and finally it's here tonight," Strait said. "We broke a record for the most people, ever. Really? Why wouldn't we, huh?"

Pickup trucks full of tailgaters started to pull into a parking lot across the street from the stadium hours before show time. Fans exchanged stories about seeing the legendary country star over his lengthy career and belted along to hits playing on a car stereo.

The show Saturday brings an end to nearly 40 years on the road for Strait, which started in 1975 with the Ace in the Hole Band. And he is doing it in style, having invited several of country's biggest stars, including Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Chesney and Eric Church.

Gill ambled onto stage to join Strait for his second and third songs, "Lovebug" and "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind."

"I wouldn't have missed it, I've known this man for 33 years," the 57-year-old Gill said.

Strait reminded his fellow Country Hall of Famer about playing together when he headlined a sold-out show at the Houston Rodeo in 1990.

"Vince let me play his guitar. Of course I forgot mine," Strait said with a toothy grin.

Despite the star-studded lineup, the focus Saturday remained squarely on the 62-year-old singer, who is beloved in country music with a career decades longer than most. He's had more songs top Billboard's country music charts than any other musician. And while he's quitting the road, he may yet add to his chart-topping total after renewing his deal with MCA Records last year to produce five more albums.

Born in Poteet and raised in Pearsall, about 60 miles southwest of San Antonio, Strait's 1981 single "Unwound" propelled him to stardom. His first No. 1 hit came the following year with "Fool Hearted Memory" and he's now had 44 songs spend time atop Billboard's country music rankings. He has more gold and platinum albums than any other music act except The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

He's been just as successful on the road. His 584 shows since 1990 have grossed more than $405 million. He has sold more than 68.5 million copies of his 46 records.
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http://www.billboard.com/articles/6113943/george-straight-final-show-breaks-attendance-record

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I guess they still like real country music in Texas. I've seen the final figure reported as 104,793 .

Here's one of my favorites: Troubadour
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
Oh, it was his final show? I was passing by AT&T stadium with my girl and was wondering what was going on (did not know about the concert). The street was a crazy mess of cowgirl/cowboys.
 
T

teruterubozu

Member
From wiki:

George Harvey Strait (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, actor and music producer known as the "King of Country"[1] and one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time.
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Wow never hear of him, clearly I know nothing about country music.
 
S

Sho_Nuff82

Member
How is it I've never heard of the most popular country star? Not even my country loving friends up here in the northeast talk about him.
 
D

DemurOnion

Banned
commedieu said:
Man, that must have been one hell of a bathroom line.
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Dear god. People pooping right next to each other. On ONE stall.

POP country music like this is so weird. In one part of the country it is just massive.

Waylon Jennings would laugh and spit at people calling this country.
 
N

NinjaFridge

Unconfirmed Member
Strait has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide (including 70 million albums sold in the United States)
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.
 
K

Kaladin

Member
Sho_Nuff82 said:
How is it I've never heard of the most popular country star? Not even my country loving friends up here in the northeast talk about him.
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Country music in Texas is different from the rest of the country. George Strait is one of the last big Texas country stars out there. What you hear about mostly now is the pop country stars Nashville is pushing.
 
K

kitchenmotors

Banned
My mom listened to country music when I was growing up so I've heard many George Strait songs before. I mean, I guess if you don't listen to country music or have exposure to it you wouldn't know who he is, but when I think of country music he is one of the artists that automatically comes to mind.

And that is an insane number of people. I prefer going to concerts with a lot less people, haha.
 
D

DemurOnion

Banned
Mr. Sandman said:
Country music in Texas is different from the rest of the country. George Strait is one of the last big Texas country stars out there. What you hear about mostly now is the pop country stars Nashville is pushing.
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George Strait is still pop country to a lot of people. He is better than most though.

Honestly, I've never understood why this guy is not considered pop country. I guess what we have today is SUPERPOP country lol?
 
F

FelixOrion

Poet Centuriate
I don't listen to country actively but it kinda boggles my mind folks don't know who Strait is. I guess I do come from a cornbelt-state, but still.

Sho_Nuff82 said:
How is it I've never heard of the most popular country star? Not even my country loving friends up here in the northeast talk about him.
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Mr. Sandman said:
Country music in Texas is different from the rest of the country. George Strait is one of the last big Texas country stars out there. What you hear about mostly now is the pop country stars Nashville is pushing.
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This.
 
Laieon

Laieon

Member
DemurOnion said:
Waylon Jennings would laugh and spit at people calling this country.
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And that guy who threw poop at his audience would laugh and spit at people calling current punk rock punk.

It's why I don't really like labeling music in the first place. There's so many genres and subgenres that it just gets too complicated after awhile.

Like what you like, who cares if others don't consider it to be a "real" part of that genre. I'll take Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, and the Zac Brown Band over any of the oldies any day of the week.
 
K

Kaladin

Member
DemurOnion said:
George Strait is still pop country to a lot of people. He is better than most though.
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Compared to Luke Bryan and Brantley Gilbert or whoever else is on radio, George Strait is real country.

I'll still take Dale Watson or Jamey Johnson over all of them any day though.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
It is crazy how english language singer can be this popular and yet kinda obscure. Seems to go for most country singers.
 
P

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
DemurOnion said:
George Strait is still pop country to a lot of people. He is better than most though.

Honestly, I've never understood why this guy is not considered pop country. I guess what we have today is SUPERPOP country lol?
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wat

How in the world is this even possible?
 
E

Enron

Banned
ЯAW;115286122 said:
It is crazy how english language singer can be this popular and yet kinda obscure. Seems to go for most country singers.
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"Obscure"? I freaking despise pop country but I knew who george strait was ever since I was a little kid and im into my 30's. George strait is one of the titans of country music and the only way I can understand people not knowing who he is is if arent from the united states.

Had no idea he was retiring. I wonder what he closed the show with (ive got a pretty good guess)
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
Enron said:
"Obscure"? I freaking despise pop country but I knew who george strait was ever since I was a little kid and im into my 30's. George strait is one of the titans of country music and the only way I can understand people not knowing who he is is if arent from the united states.

Had no idea he was retiring. I wonder what he closed the show with (ive got a pretty good guess)
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I kinda understand why someone would say George Strait is "obscure" in a way. I think most people think of Garth Brooks when they think of those old school country guys.

And lol at calling George Strait "pop country".
 
E

Enron

Banned
CarpeDeezNutz said:
I kinda understand why someone would say George Strait is "obscure" in a way. I think most people think of Garth Brooks when they think of those old school country guys.

And lol at calling George Strait "pop country".
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Well, he IS pop country. He was the radio friendly country act of his time.
 
S

see5harp

Member
George Strait is one of the guys that do it for real. Fuck these fake ass pop singing Blake Shelton lens flare perfect teeth ass singers.
 
R

Revolver

Member
Enron said:
"Obscure"? I freaking despise pop country but I knew who george strait was ever since I was a little kid and im into my 30's. George strait is one of the titans of country music and the only way I can understand people not knowing who he is is if arent from the united states.

Had no idea he was retiring. I wonder what he closed the show with (ive got a pretty good guess)
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I'm not a fan, but yeah, obscure and pop country aren't words I'd associate with George Strait. Maybe it comes with living in the south but I've heard of the King of Country for the better part of my life.
 
jchap

jchap

Member
MIMIC said:
lol
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Number of seats in the stands can easily be exceeded with floor seats for a concert. Also there are standing galleries. I went to the first Cowboys game in the stadium against the Giants and they packed 110k in with the standing room areas.
 
S

see5harp

Member
I didn't even listen to country music until after I graduated college and I still know those big names like George Strait and Alan Jackson.
 
D

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
Enron said:
"Obscure"? I freaking despise pop country but I knew who george strait was ever since I was a little kid and im into my 30's. George strait is one of the titans of country music and the only way I can understand people not knowing who he is is if arent from the united states.
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Or if they don't give a shit about country music.

Never heard of him.
 
D

DemurOnion

Banned
Strait advertises himself as going back to old country But you won't see Jennings, Nelson, or anything resembling old country in most of his stuff. Fair enough. Strait is definitely better than what we have today in that spectrum.
 
B

Bleepey

Member
This reminds me if the Garth Brooks thread where no one on GAF recognised the biggest selling music star of the 90s.*





*i still don't know how he looks like without cheating.
 
V

Vyer

Member
This thread is hilarious. I don't know if 'never heard of him' or 'pop country' is funnier.

I don't listen to country these days but always had respect for him. One of the hall of famers for country.
 
E

Enron

Banned
DemurOnion said:
Strait advertises himself as going back to old country But you won't see Jennings, Nelson, or anything resembling old country in most of his stuff. Fair enough. Strait is definitely better than what we have today in that spectrum.
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Funny you mention those guys - because waylon and willie, along with johnny cash themselves werent really old school country. They were what was called "outlaw country" which started in the late 60s and into the 70s as a rejection of the country establishment standard. They were the "punk rock" of country and western.

George straits music is actually closer to "old school" than the outlaw guys were.
 
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