The cowboy really hasn't ridden away quite yet. For as long as anyone can remember, George Strait has ended his concerts with a stirring "The Cowboy Rides Away." And in 2014, many wondered if he was actually, finally, riding away after he performed a farewell concert at AT&T Stadium.
Any fears of King George retiring were quickly swatted away thanks to a Las Vegas residency, and the fact that he kept recording new material.
Today, the San Antonio-dwelling legend announced that his new album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, will be out on March 29. To make the announcement even sweeter, the first single from the record, "God and Country Music," is already available for listeners to check out. The followup to his 2015 record Cold Beer Conversation, the new album -- his 30th -- will feature a dozen original songs, many of which were co-written by Strait, his son Bubba, and the iconic Dean Dillon, the man behind so many beloved Strait hits from the '80s including "The Chair" and "Ocean Front Property."
A second Strait concert has also been added to the previously sold-out Nov. 22 performance in Fort Worth. Billed as the opening celebration for the 14,000-seat Dickies Arena in Cowtown's museum district, the concert caused a stir about the high cost of tickets on the secondary market following a quick sell-out. The added concert will take place on Nov. 23.
Along with the aforementioned new single, we've also already heard "Codigo" from the upcoming collection, which Strait released a few weeks ago. Although "Codigo" is little more than a fluffy commercial jingle for the tequila brand Strait is co-owner of, it's clear that fans are in for another set of stone-cold, Strait-style tunes dabbling in both the country and western flavors that have won Strait millions of fans over his masterful career.
Tickets for the Nov. 23 George Strait concert at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth go on sale Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster and range from $19.82 to $250.