At the age of 61, George Strait continues to break records and exceed expectations. The legendary singer's phenomenal 30-plus year career has earned him Billboard Magazine's highest honor: the Legend of Live Award.

The 'I Believe' singer is the first-ever country star to receive this award. previous honorees include Neil Diamond, Sir Elton John, the Allman Brothers, Journey and Rush, among others. That's quite an esteemed list and his name definitely belongs on it.

The award will be presented to the 'I Believe' singer at the Billboard Touring Awards in New York City. It honors individuals or bands who have made significant and lasting contributions to live music and the touring business. Strait has certainly done that; he's broken records with The Cowboy Rides Away Tour and recently celebrated the distinguished honor of his 60th No. 1 single. All that happened in only one year!

Strait shares his excitement with Billboard, saying, “There's nothing more rewarding than performing in front of a sold out, pumped-up, loud crowd.  That's what keeps us coming back. I love it.”

Not only will he receive the Legend of Live Award, he'll also be in the largest ever spotlight issue with a 60-plus page cover story on stands now. The feature offers a rare interview with Strait who talks about his career from his early days in Texas honky-tonks to the upcoming final shows of The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, and includes in-depth stories on Strait's record-setting success, comments from his team and favorite Strait memories from a host of Nashville stars. What more could a country music fan want?

Tour dates for the 2014 leg of The Cowboy Rides Away Tour are expected to be announced this fall. For now, fans of Strait can experience him through the Billboard cover issue, chock-full of information about the 'Give It All You Got Tonight' singer.

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