Nashville, Tenn. (Nov. 16, 2006) -- Megaplatinum artist and recent CMA Hall of Fame inductee George Strait has invited 16-year-old singer/songwriter Taylor Swift to perform as the opening act on his 2007 arena tour.

 

The tour kicks off at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana Jan. 11 and runs through March 3, with performances scheduled across the country. Strait has a history of lining up top newcomers for his concert tours, and Big Machine Records artist Swift is ecstatic to be chosen by the Superstar. She is the latest addition to a tour that includes previously announced special guest Ronnie Milsap, the Grammy Award-winning and multiplatinum recording artist.

"I couldn't imagine anything more thrilling than to be on a tour with George Strait," exclaims Swift. "Just last week I was at the CMA Awards watching him be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and this week I received word that I would be on the tour with him. This is surreal! I keep pinching myself to make sure this isn't just a dream."

Swift's debut single, "Tim McGraw," which she co-wrote, has reached Top 10 on the country radio airplay chart and has sold nearly 165,000 digital downloads. It consistently ranks among the Top 5 best-selling country singles at Apple's iTunes Music Store. Taylor Swift, the singer's first album, was released in late October to rave reviews. The collection of 11 songs, all written or co-written by Swift, debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

Strait's show is a proven must see. His live shows are hailed by critics and fans alike. With 53 number one songs (Strait is Billboard's all-time leader for number one country singles), 74 Top 10 and 78 Top 20 hits, the King of Country Music has a gold mine to choose from. And his recent critically acclaimed number one album, It Just Comes Natural, offers 15 more cuts for fans to enjoy.
"Strait is not merely a decent singer, he's a master. There are 15 songs [on his latest CD], and not a one of them should have been left off," raves the Tennessean. "If ever there was a natural in country music, it's Strait," People Magazine touts in a four-star review.

The Texas Troubadour has sold more than 62 million records. With 26 different platinum or multiplatinum albums, he's earned the second-most certifications of any artist in any genre, trailing only Elvis Presley. It Just Comes Natural marks Strait's 25th anniversary as a recording artist, and with those 53 chart-toppers, he now has more number one songs than any other single artist in history (including Elvis).


1/11 - Lafayette, LA - Cajundome
1/12 - Shreveport, LA - CenturyTel Center
1/13 - Memphis, TN - FedEx Center
1/18 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Park
1/19 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena
1/20 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
1/25 - Portland, OR - Rose Quarter
1/26 - Boise, ID - Taco Bell Arena
1/27 - Tacoma, WA - Tacomadome
2/1 - Las Cruces, NM - Pan American Center
2/2 - Phoenix, AZ - America West Arena
2/3 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
2/15 - Hoffman Estates, IL - Sears Center Arena
2/16 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
2/17 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
2/22 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
2/23 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Bowling Arena
2/24 - North Charleston, SC - North Charleston Coliseum
3/2 - Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena
3/3 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Arena
 

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For additional information, please contact:

Kathy Best  (George Strait)
FrontPagepublicity
615/383-0412
kathy@frontpagepublicity.com

Cynthia Grimson (Taylor Swift)
Big Machine Records
615/324-7769
media@bigmachinemail.com