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Country legend George Strait has been in the industry for decades, entertaining fans with his hits and captivating stage presence. However, the 70-year-old singer recently announced that he only has 'maybe five good years' left onstage. But even with that in mind, George couldn't not take the chance to recognize the talent of up-incoming singer John Foster.
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John Foster is an up-incoming country singer/ song writer who has been making waves in the country music scene in the past couple of years. With his powerful vocals, he has been performing throughout the country and has been building a growing legion of fans. This past year however, his career has blown up even further after joining the competition show American Idol, where he consistently performed incredibly and was the audience favorite, and has been a steady favorite to win the competition all season.
Even the King of Country can't stay on the road forever. Now in his 70s, George Strait knows his performing career is winding down.
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At a show in Philadelphia on Saturday (May 10), Strait took a minute to address fans directly, and tell them that he won't be playing shows for all that much longer.
"I have maybe five good years to sing my songs for you folks," the singer said.
It was a sad moment, but Strait quickly picked up the crowd by cracking a smile.
"But hell, it's been around 50 now," he continued. "And I still love it just as much as I ever did. When ... I walk through those curtains and I see your smiling faces, my feet don't touch the ground again until I walk back out and get on that bus."
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It's been more than a decade since Strait retired from a full touring schedule. His farewell tour, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, concluded in mid-2014.
But Strait wasn't done with the stage entirely. Despite the fact that he never again mounted a full cross-country show, he did sign on for a 2016 Las Vegas residency that turned out to be so successful, he returned to Vegas to perform annually until 2022.
In 2023, he also launched a series of standalone stadium shows that have continued to come back each summer. Most recently, they typically feature Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town. It was at one of those stadium shows where Strait opened up onstage about the fact that he's nearly full-time retirement.
Though he's been cutting down on live performances over the past 10 years, it's clear that Strait loves live show energy and that it'll be tough for him to give him it up.
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"I don't know how many more years I can do this. I figure a few," he told the audience.
"I do want you to know, though, when I do walk off this stage and I'm settled in far away from all this ... I'll still hear your screams and cheers in my mind, and I will always remember you."
His message was an apparent nod to his 2011 song "I'll Always Remember You," which the country legend co-wrote with his son Bubba Strait and songwriting legend Dean Dillon.
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Strait's comments about his feet "not touching the ground" during his performances come from a line in the song, as does his final message, "I'll still hear your screams and cheers in my mind / And I'll always remember you."
In 2025, the lyrics are becoming more true-to-life.
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WATCH JOHN FOSTER "TELL THAT ANGEL I LOVE HER" HIT NO.1 on BILL BOARD TOP 100
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