George Strait, 72, Breaks American Concert Attendance Record In Texas

George Strait, who has long been known as the “king of country music,” broke the record for the largest U.S. ticketed show on Saturday night.

Strait Shatters Record

Fox News reported that Strait, 72, played to a crowd of 110,905 fans at Kyle Field at Texas A&M in College Station.

This broke an all-time attendance record that was previously set by the Grateful Dead nearly 50 years ago. In 1977, a total of 107,019 fans went to New Jersey’s Raceway Park to watch the Grateful Dead perform. On Saturday in south Texas, however, Strait beat that number by nearly 4,000 tickets sold.

“We got some Aggie’s out there? Oh yeah! I’m ashamed to say this, but this is my first time to ever be in Kyle Field… damn,” Strait told the audience. “Just invite me back, I’ll come!” 

This was also the biggest event ever held in Kyle Field, according to KHOU 11. The previous record was 110,633 people attending an Ole-Miss vs. Texas A&M football game in October of 2014.

Related: The George Strait Performance That Won Hearts Across the Country

Strait’s Previous Record Breaking

This is far from the first time that Strait has broken records. He has the most No. 1 singles of any artist in any music genre. He is also the only artist to chart a top 10 hit every year for 30 years.

On top of that, Strait has achieved the most No. 1 albums in the history of country music. This includes 20 of his 60 No. 1 hits. Strait is one of the bestselling musical artists of all time, selling more than 120 million records worldwide. He has 13 multiplatinum and 38 gold albums. 

Billboard reported that before Saturday night’s show, Strait debuted two new songs “MIA in MIA” and “The Little Things.” Both songs are off his forthcoming album, “Cowboys And Dreamers,” his 31st album for MCA Nashville that is set to come out on September 6.

Strait has four more dates on his current tour, according to USA Today. He is next set to perform on June 29 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

Find out more about Strait’s Saturday show in the video below.

Related: Scotty McCreery Gets Humble When Talking About His George Strait Tribute Song ‘Damn Strait’

Strait’s History

Strait was born on May 18, 1952 in Poteet, Texas. He became a household name when his first single “Unwound” was a hit in 1981. He’s had a hugely successful career that has seen him be named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 2013, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and 2014. Strait has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist in history.

In his personal life, Strait has been married to his wife Norma since 1971. They are parents to two children Jenifer (born 1973) and George Jr. (born 1981). Sadly, Jenifer was killed in a car crash in 1986.

Strait is a true living legend, and there will never be another one like him. Good for him for continuing to break records and show the world that age really is just a number!