George Strait Strikes Platinum!

NASHVILLE, TN. (MCA Records) - In only 30 days, George Strait's latest MCA release, Somewhere Down in Texas, has been certified Platinum (1 million in sales) by the Recording Industry Association of America. Strait's 20th Century Masters Collection (released in 2002) was also certified Platinum.

Since beginning his recording career in 1981, all of Strait's 33 albums have been certified by the RIAA. Altogether, he's amassed three Gold, 17 Platinum and 13 Multi-Platinum certifications. In fact, he is the most certified country artist of all time, has sold over 61 million records and has logged more Number One singles than any other single artist in any genre.

The Platinum Certification of Somewhere Down in Texas is just another in a long line of record-breaking success stories for George Strait. In fact, after 24 remarkable years of making music, Strait's going stronger than ever. Somewhere Down in Texas bowed at the Number One spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts on its June 28 release; his first single from Somewhere Down in Texas, 'You'll Be There,' marked his highest charting Billboard debut and the album cut, 'Texas,' just claimed the record for the highest charted album track in Billboard's monitored airplay history.