George Strait Embraces Toe-Tapping Honky Tonk Sound With Chris Stapleton

George Strait teamed up with Chris Stapleton on the sole collaboration on his newly-released record, Cowboys And Dreamers. Strait delivered his 31st studio album on Friday (September 6). It arrives two days after the legendary country star marked the 43rd anniversary of his debut album.

Strait’s new 13-track album is his first offering of new music since he released Honky Tonk Time Machine in 2019, per information from his record label. He announced the project amid massive, sold-out stadium shows. Cowboys And Dreamers was produced by Chuck Ainlay, Tony Brown and Strait. It includes previously-released tracks “Three Drinks Behind,” “MIA Down in MIA” and “The Little Things,” in addition to Strait’s cover of “Waymore’s Blue” by Waylon Jennings and his honky tonk collaboration with Stapleton, among other highlights. Strait dedicated the project to manager Erv Woolsey, road manager Tom Foote and fiddler Gene Elders, all longtime friends of Strait’s who passed away earlier this year. Strait paid tribute to them at the time, and said in a statement on Friday that he “will never forget all of the good times we had together.”

“I thought I should name the whole album Cowboys And Dreamers as I feel like the last of a dying breed, trying to find where I fit,” Strait said via his record label.

1) “Three Drinks Behind” (Benjamin Gaither, Jeff Silvey and Kim Williams)

2) “Cowboys And Dreamers” (Jessie Jo Dillon, Keith Gattis and Bubba Strait)

3) “To The Moon” (Marty Brown and Steve Clark)

4) “MIA Down in MIA” (Adam Craig and Dean Dillon)

5) “Wish I Could Say” (Keith Gattis)

6) “Calling From The Car” (Bobby Braddock)

7) “People Get Hurt Sometimes” (Jim Lauderdale, Kendell Marvel and Jimmy Ritchey)

8) “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” ft. Chris Stapleton (Chris Stapleton, Jameson Clark and Timothy James)

9) “The Little Things” (George Strait, Monty Criswell and Bubba Strait)

10) “The Book” (George Strait, Dean Dillon, Jessie Jo Dillon and Bubba Strait)

11) “Rent” (Guy Clark and Keith Gattis)

12) “Waymore’s Blues” (Curtis Buck and Waylon Jennings)

13) “The Journey Of Your Life” (Ronnie Bowman and Troy Jones)

Cowboys And Dreamers adds to decades of classic country music by the beloved legend, known for hits like "Amarillo By Morning,” "Marina Del Rey,” "Check Yes Or No,” "Carried Away,” "Write This Down,” “Carrying Your Love With Me” and many others. Find Strait’s full Cowboys And Dreamers album on iHeartRadio here, and listen to “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” featuring Stapleton below.