George Strait and wife Norma at loggerheads after country music icon wants to 'retire'
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: George Strait is reportedly ready to retire and become a full-time rancher, but his wife Norma is at loggerheads and isn't quite ready to give up on the celebrity life as yet.
The country legend, 70, and his wife, also 70, recently sold their San Antonio property for a whopping $6.9M. Now, the 'Down and Out' crooner is reportedly hoping to kick back and relax at his 8,000-acre Texas ranch near the Mexican border. Well-placed sources, however, said Norma, who has been married to George for 55 years, was not ready to settle down.
ALSO READ
Loretta Lynn's secret stash: Country legend left behind almost 300 unreleased songs worth $20M
“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,” a friend of the legend told RadarOnline. “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," the insider added. The outlet noted how the closest town to to the ranch, Catarina, has only 100 residents. The nearest city, Cotulla, has a population of just 3,700 residents.
“You have to drive a half hour to get a quart of milk out there!” another close pal of the couple told the outlet. “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. Norma loves the ranch, too – but not as a 365-day-a-year proposition.” George, who holds a country music record of 60 No 1 hits, is reportedly determined to realize his dream in the final chapter of his life. “It’s a major sticking point between them,” one friend said of the couple, noting that they were still arguing over the change.
TOP STORIES
Marie Osmond turns 63: Star remembers son Michael Blosil, who killed himself after being bullied
George and Norma attended high school together in Pearsall, Texas, southwest of San Antonio. "We knew each other forever, growing up in a small town. I never really even thought anything about her, but then one day I asked her out and we went on a date. We didn't see each other for a long time after that," George told country radio station Bull 100.3. "Then one day, I thought, 'I'm missing the boat here,' and we started dating again."
The lovebirds eventually eloped in Mexico on December 4, 1971, and later had a church wedding in Pearsall, per Country Living. George subsequently enlisted in the US army and was deployed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, where his new wife joined him. The couple welcomed their first child, Jenifer, on October 6, 1972. Their son, George Strait Jr, was born in 1981. Jenifer tragically died in an car accident in San Marcos on June 25, 1986, at age 13. While George has mostly remained private about his family over the years, he gushed about his fairytale marrriage to People. "Norma and I are so blessed that we found each other ... and were able to do all of this together, experience this life together, to support each other through everything, good times and bad," he told the magazine in 2012. "We do almost everything together ... We love each other and we still like each other. A lot!" he added.