George Strait kicked off the first leg of his 2013 the Cowboy Rides Away Tour last night in my home town, Lubbock, Texas. And, you know we are giving away a chance for you to win tickets to see George's last show on the tour. Sign up here.

George's fellow country superstar and my obsession, Martina McBride, was personally chosen by George to open for him.

Last night on Twitter (which is what I do when I hear her name), she tweeted:

Great first night of the tour with George Strait. Gonna be fun!!! Thanks Lubbock for a great start!

— Martina McBride (@martinamcbride) January 19, 2013

Wow, she could have gone to visit my birthplace, where I went to school, had my first job -- but, I am sure she didn't have time.

Yes, after 30 years of touring, George is ready to hang up his spurs. “I've got over 30 years of great memories out on that road," Straight says of his retirement from the road (quote via EB Media). I'm sure these last two are going to be just as good or better. It's going to be fun but at the same time sad. I can't wait!”

The iconic singer will visit 21 cities for his round of tour dates, wrapping up on June 1. He is planning 20 additional dates in 2014 before drawing the curtain on his touring career -- though he hasn't ruled out the possibility of playing special events with his house band. No word on whather Martina will be on that leg or not.

Thanks to Cory Stromblad at tasteofcountry.com for providing the lead and much of the copy for this story.

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