George Strait made a name for himself early in his career with his neotraditional country sound. Over the years, he’s stayed true to that adherence to tradition. However, he has proven numerous times that he can step outside of his preconceived comfort zone. For instance, he has covered “You Wreck Me” by Tom Petty during his concerts several times in recent years. Most recently, he invited Petty’s former guitarist Mike Campbell to the stage to help him with the song.
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Petty and Campbell co-wrote “You Wreck Me” and released it as the second single from the 1994 album Wildflowers. The song became a hit on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. More importantly, it became a favorite among fans and a live staple for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It seems that Strait is one of those fans who latched onto the song and never let go.
On Saturday (June 8), Strait took the stage at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. After a set packed with his hits, Strait enlisted Campbell to join him for an encore. They performed “You Wreck Me.” Notably, the former Heartbreaker rocked the crowd with a solo before members of Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band traded more countrified instrumental breaks. Watch the six-minute performance above.
George Strait to Contribute to Tom Petty Tribute Album
Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty will drop next Friday (June 21). The album will feature several country stars covering their favorite tracks from Petty’s discography. Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Willie Nelson, Lainey Wilson, Wynonna Judd, and many more contributed songs to the album.
George Strait also added to the tracklist. A live version of his rendition of “You Wreck Me” closes out the album.
Petty Country Tracklist
- “I Should Have Known It” by Chris Stapleton
- “Wildflowers” by Thomas Rhett
- “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Luke Combs
- “Southern Accents” by Dolly Parton
- “Here Comes My Girl” by Justin Moore
- “American Girl” by Dierks Bentley
- “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Lady A
- “I Forgive It All” by Jamey Johnson
- “I Won’t Back Down” by Brothers Osborne
- “Refugee” by Wynonna Judd feat. Lainey Wilson
- “Angel Dream No. 2” by Willie Nelson & Lukas Nelson
- “Learning To Fly” by Eli Young Band
- “Breakdown” by Ryan Hurd feat. Carly Pearce
- “Yer So Bad” by Steve Earle
- “Ways To Be Wicked” by Margo Price feat. Mike Campbell
- “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Midland
- “Free Fallin’” by The Cadillac Three feat. Breland
- “I Need To Know” by Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives
- “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Rhiannon Giddens feat. Silkroad Ensemble and Benmont Tench
- “You Wreck Me (Live)” by George Strait
Featured Image by Rich Fury/Getty Images
