‘Catch of the Day’ – George Strait – “Goin’ Goin’ Gone” [AUDIO]

Today we turn our focus on artist that retired in the grandest manner possible, with the biggest concert tour of 2014. An artist that some have said is past his prime and will struggle to get new music radio airplay. An artist whose style is reminiscent of country music in the 80's and 90's.

An artist named George Strait.

When Strait announced "The Cowboy Rides Away" tour in 2012, he promised he wasn't leaving country music, just the touring that had become cumbersome and tiring. The two year "farewell" tour also featured some of the biggest names in country music as "opening acts", including Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney and Merle Haggard on various tour stops. The tour encompassed two legs: 21 stops in 2013 and 27 shows in 2014, culminating with a final show on June 7, 2014 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, This show, featuring all the artists that had appeared on the tour, plus Vince Gill and Alan Jackson as well as Strait's Ace In The Hole Band, attracted 104,793 fans, setting the record for the largest attendance for a single show concert. The show grossed $18,194,374, also a record for a single show concert. The tour led to Strait receiving the Entertainer of the Year from the CMA in 2013, and the ACM in 2014.

Strait holds every record in country music history. His 60 #1 hits are 19 more than second place holder Conway Twitty. His 25 #1 albums is also more than any other artist, regardless of genre. He has had 38 gold albums, 33 platinum albums and 13 multi-platinum albums. He has sold over 68 million albums in the U.S. (second only to Garth Brooks for country artists) and starting with his debut single "Unwound" in 1981, had at least one top-10 single every year for thirty consecutive years, this too a record. Strait has won 22 ACM awards (a record), including Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 2013, making him the only artist to win the award in three decades. Strait's 19 CMA awards also make him the all-time leader. Strait has also won one Grammy Award (not a record).

Strait is only the second artist in country music history to have a #1 single after being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the other being Eddy Arnold, who was inducted into the Hall in 1966, had 4 more number 1's after his induction. After Strait's 2006 induction he has also charted 4 #1 hits.

True to his promise, in 2015 Strait announced he would be appearing in Las Vegas for a string of shows, but not returning to full blown touring. He also released his 28th studio album in 2015, which became his 10th straight #1 album and his 25th over all. The first single from Cold Beer Conversation, was the album's title track, which peaked at #33 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The second single from the album is in our spotlight today. George Strait and "Going Going Gone" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll wanna hear it again.