George Strait Kicks Off Last Leg of Cowboy Rides Away Tour

It's the beginning of the end for George Strait fans as he kicks off the second half of his Cowboy Rides Away Tour, which Strait says will be his farewell tour.

The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year kicked off the second leg of the tour on Jan. 9 in Bosser City, La. at the CenturyLink Center. With an attendance of 13,957, Strait broke his own record for the highest-grossing show of all time at the venue, an honor that he held after his 2010 concert with Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack.

The list of performers joining Strait on stage as special guests during the tour is long and includes Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Young, Ronnie Dunn and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Most of the artists appearing throughout the tour will be on stage at Strait's final show in Arlington, Texas, which sold out in less than 24 hours.

“Wow. To see this response from the fans to our final show is humbling and exciting at the same time,” Strait said in December. “This is going to be an incredible night, and I feel very blessed this holiday knowing how many of you we’ll get to see us next year on our final tour.”

While this marks the end of his touring career, Strait isn't announcing his retirement. He renewed his record deal with MCA Records last fall and, according to a press release, he is planning to continue recording new music and playing select dates around the country after the tour ends.

Remaining The Cowboy Rides Away Tour 2014 Dates:

1/17 -- Omaha, Neb. -- CenturyLink Center with Eric Church
1/18 -- Kansas City, Mo. -- Spring Center with Eric Church
1/30 -- San Jose, Calif. -- SAP Center with Martina McBride
1/31 -- San Diego, Calif. -- Valley View Casino Center with Miranda Lambert
2/1 -- Las Vegas, Nev. -- MGM Grand Garden Arena with Miranda Lambert
2/7 -- Phoenix, Ariz. -- US Airways Center with Martina McBride
2/8 -- Los Angeles, Calif. -- Staples Center with Martina McBride
2/14 -- Auburn Hills, Mich. -- The Palace with Little Big Town
2/15 -- Columbus, Ohio -- Nationwide Arena with Little Big Town
2/28 -- Philadelphia, Penn. -- Wells Fargo Center with Martina McBride
3/1 -- Newark, N.J. -- Prudential Center with Martina McBride
3/7 -- Louisville, Ky. -- KFC Yum! Center with Vince Gill
3/8 -- Chicago, Ill. -- Allstate Arena with Vince Gill
3/21 -- Nashville, Tenn. -- Bridgestone Arena with Sheryl Crow
3/22 -- Atlanta, Ga. -- Phillips Arena with Sheryl Crow
4/4 -- Wichita, Kan. -- Intrust Bank Arena with Lee Ann Womack and Merle Haggard
4/5 -- Denver, Colo. -- Pepsi Center with Lee Ann Womack and Merle Haggard
4/11 -- Portland, Ore. -- Moda Center with Chris Young
4/12 -- Tacoma, Wash. -- Tacoma Dome with Chris Young
4/18 -- Des Moines, Iowa -- Wells Fargo Arena with Ronnie Dunn
4/19 -- Tulsa, Okla. -- BOK Center with Ronnie Dunn
5/23 -- Baton Rouge, La. -- Tiger Stadium for Bayou Country Superfest
5/31 -- Foxborough, Mass. -- Gillette Stadium with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
6/7 -- Arlington, Texas --AT&T Stadium with Jason Aldean, Asleep At The Wheel, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride and Lee Ann Womack