George Strait and Sheryl Crow’s Duet at Dallas Cowboys Stadium Is Pure Country “At Its Best”

In September 1981, George Strait forever altered the course of country music when he dropped his debut album, Strait Country. His neotraditional authenticity broke the largely pop-country mold of 1980s-era Nashville, and listeners rewarded him with 17 No. 1 hits during that decade.

However, his biggest success came in the ’90s with Pure Country, the soundtrack to the film of the same name starring Strait. The album spawned three more top 10 hits for the King of Country, including “When Did You Stop Loving Me.” A decade ago, George Strait brought Sheryl Crow onstage for a duet that still has the internet talking.

See George Strait and Sheryl Crow Perform “When Did You Stop Loving Me”

While still playing a a handful of stadiums across the U.S. each year, George Strait retired from traditional touring in 2014. To cap off a 33-year career, the “Check Yes Or No” singer turned his final performance at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, into a live album, The Cowboy Rides Away.

A handful of Nashville all-stars joined George Strait onstage for his swan song, including Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, and Sheryl Crow. The “All I Wanna Do” singer stood beside King George and performed a heartfelt version of “When Did You Stop Loving Me.”

Crow took over the second verse, emotion dripping from every note: Was it that night that you stayed out until dawn? / You know that night has haunted me for so long.

[RELATED: Watch Country Legends Alan Jackson and George Strait’s Iconic “Amarillo by Morning” Duet at Dallas Cowboys Stadium]

“Whoo, Sheryl Crow!” Strait shouted at the end of the performance. The nine-time GRAMMY Award winner gave her stage partner his flowers too, bowing down before him in reverence.

The instantly iconic performance is still earning praise 10 years later. “an oldie but a goodie,” one TikTok user wrote.

Another chimed in, “That’s the man right there,” while others added, “This is country.”

Still Making Music

George Strait may have retired from touring, but the 72-year-old Texan is far from finished with music. The best-selling country star recently dropped his 31st studio album, Cowboys and Dreamers, on Sept. 6.

The record includes a cameo from modern country sensation Chris Stapleton on “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame.” Listen to it below.

Featured image by Jack Plunkett/imageSPACE/Shutterstock

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