George Strait's Marriage Just Hit a Major Speed Bump, Report Claims

George Strait is reportedly looking to pump the brakes on his music career, which is allegedly causing a major speed bump in his marriage. The singer and his wife Norma, both 70, recently sold their property in San Antonio, Texas for $6.9 million. According to Radar Online, Strait now wants to spend most of his time and the couple's 8,000-acre ranch, also in Texas, near the Mexican border, but Norma is not onboard.

"George has played in front of millions of fans in his career, but the only faces he wants to see are now on his horse and cattle," an unnamed friend of the couple told Radar. "He may be an international superstar, but George is basically a loner. He's happiest when he's at the ranch, away from the world." Norma, per insiders, is quite the opposite and is not looking forward to losing the ability for regular socializing, as the ranch is very far away from any cities or towns. "You have to drive a half hour to get a quart of milk out there!" someone else added.

"George's life away from performing is all about ranching and roping, but Norma loves to shop at fancy stores and have nice lunches with her gal friends," Strait's friend continued. "Norma loves the ranch, too – but not as a 365-day-a-year proposition." Another source added, "It's a major sticking point between them."

Interestingly, a Country Now article from April seems to refute the notion that Strait is taking time off from his music. At the time, the legendary country star was quoted as telling Pollstar that he plans to record a new album, following his re-signing with MCA Records. "I just re-signed with MCA records and I'm really excited about that and the fact that they still want me around," he said in the rare interview. 

"They're the only record company I've ever been with, and I guess the only one I'll ever have. They can bury me under the building when that time comes," Strait continued. He then added, "I also want to make another record soon."

In addition to his new music tease, Strait also dished on his upcoming 2023 concerts saying, "My setlists aren't that hard for me. There are some songs that I absolutely have to do, then the rest I fill in with some of my other favorites. Those I'm able to change around from time to time. Pace is the biggest thing to try and get right when making a set list. Four or five ballads in a row doesn't cut it." He concluded, "I've always said I have the best fans out there. They've been extremely loyal throughout my career – and they don't seem to be slowing down any."