Photo: Getty Images
Parker McCollum posted a heartfelt tribute to George Strait on the King of Country’s birthday on Wednesday afternoon (May 18). To mark the occasion, McCollum took to Instagram to share a photo with the legendary singer from the 2021 iHeartCountry Festival, where Strait made a surprise appearance (and, of course, McCollum and other artists included in the lineup were in awe of the country music icon). McCollum also revealed which song Strait released that inspired him to sing. He wrote in the caption:
“Happy birthday to the King! Not sure I would have ever started singing had I not heard Amarillo By Morning in my grandpas truck all those years ago. Thank you for setting the standard!”
Though the “To Be Loved By You” singer credited “Amarillo By Morning” as the song that kickstarted his passion for music, he’s shown his appreciation for other songs by Strait. McCollum released a new cover of “Carrying Your Love With Me” earlier this year, saying in a statement at the time that it’s “impossible to truly do this song justice but when I got the opportunity to try, I just couldn’t pass it up.”
See McCollum’s tribute to the King of Country here: