About the Song
Some performances are more than just a concert—they’re history being made. When George Strait invited Alan Jackson to join him on stage at AT&T Stadium in 2014 to sing “Amarillo By Morning” during the Cowboy Rides Away tour finale, it was more than a duet. It was a celebration of two towering figures in country music, standing shoulder to shoulder, honoring a song that has become nothing less than a modern-day Western hymn.
Originally released by George Strait in 1983, “Amarillo By Morning” has become synonymous with his legacy. It’s a rodeo song on the surface—but beneath the boots and buckles lies something deeper: a tribute to the working man’s quiet strength, to sacrifice, to enduring pride in a life hard-lived but freely chosen. “I ain’t rich, but Lord, I’m free”—that line isn’t just sung, it’s felt.
And when Alan Jackson, one of the few living artists who matches Strait’s reverence for tradition and unvarnished storytelling, joins in, the song takes on new resonance. There’s a shared history between these two icons—years of touring, of keeping true country music alive in a changing world, of doing it their way. Their voices—Strait’s smooth and steadfast, Jackson’s warm and grounded—blend with quiet ease. No flash, no gimmicks—just two legends letting the song speak for itself.
The moment is all the more poignant because it took place during the final stop of Strait’s farewell tour. Over 100,000 fans filled AT&T Stadium, and yet the performance feels intimate, reflective. You can feel the weight of the years, the bond between artist and audience, and the timelessness of the music.
In that spotlight, with nothing but a fiddle, a steel guitar, and two of the genre’s most beloved voices, “Amarillo By Morning” becomes more than a setlist favorite. It becomes a farewell, a tribute, and a passing of the torch all at once.