George Strait and Martina McBride sang a duet of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s song, “Jackson” together in Texas back in 2014.
The performance aired on CMT as part of the special, George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away, which gave fans a look at the King of Country Music’s final tour of the same name. The special was filmed at AT&T Stadium in Texas and featured a star-studded line-up of guest appearances, including McBride, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, and others.
“Well now, we got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout / We’ve been talkin’ ’bout Jackson, ever since the fire went out / I’m goin’ to Jackson, and that’s a fact / Yeah, we’re goin’ to Jackson, ain’t never comin’ back,” Strait and McBride blended their voices on the song together.
The pair also sang the Cash’s song together on another stop on The Cowboy Rides Away Tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition, the pair treated the crowd to a cover of George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s “Golden Ring.”
In the past, the pair have teamed up to sing covers of Barbara Mandrell’s “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” and more recently, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn’s “Lead Me On.”
Additionally, McBride paid tribute to Strait during a 2009 TV special called, George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert. McBride took the stage and performed a cover of Garth Brooks’ song “The Dance” during the event.
Strait, who has been semi retired since his Cowboy Rides Away Tour ended in 2014, recently revealed that he re-signed with his long-time label MCA Records and plans to “make another record soon.” The King of Country Music played the grand opening of the Moody Center arena in Texas in late April, joining Willie Nelson on stage to perform two duets. Ahead of the two shows at Moody Center, Strait revealed he’s planning to play eight concerts in 2023.
Meanwhile, McBride is preparing to head out on the road for her 2022 tour, beginning Jun. 3. Back in 2021, McBride released a double vinyl album of her greatest hits via RCA Records, according to her website.