By Katherine Cole

There was a lot of cheering at George Strait‘s house last weekend, but it wasn’t all because the Country Music Hall of Famer was celebrating his 61st birthday….it’s because “Give It All We Got Tonight” (off his 40th studio album “Love Is Everything”) is a number one hit, making Strait the first artist to ever get 60 songs at the top of the charts.

His fans call him the “King of Country” and rightly so. Before this week, George Strait already held the record for having more number one hit songs than any artist in music history.

So when word came that George was getting ready to retire from touring after this year, his fans wanted to make sure he went out on a very high note. So they teamed up with radio stations and some of the biggest country stars around and started “Sixty for Sixty,” hoping to give King George his 60th hit record before he turned 61. They made it just under the wire—his birthday was May 18th!

Over a 32 year career, George Strait has sold more than 68-million albums worldwide and influenced a whole generation of singers and songwriters.

The “60 for 60” campaign website is full of videos by famous fans cheering George on—Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Wynonna and Carrie Underwood are among those testifying to his talent!

Ever humble, the cattle rancher-turned-singer said of his feat:”I didn’t realize we were making history –I just hoped we were putting out music that my fans would enjoy.”
George Strait has one more date on this leg of his farewell tour, round two will take place in 2014. Looking for all 60 of those hits? The complete list is here. Congratulations and happy belated birthday George Strait—no one sings that country swing like you do!