George Strait has been on the country music scene since the mid-80s, and he’s still making great music. The Country Music Hall of Famer, who has been nominated at the CMA Awards a record 83 times, picked up his first – and second – CMA Award in 1985. He won Male Vocalist of the Year, as well as Album of the Year for Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. He also took home his first Entertainer of the Year award in 1989. In 2013, he won his third Entertainer of the Year Award, tying Alabama and Alan Jackson with three. With that victory, he’s the only artist to win Entertainer in three different decades.

The CMA Awards are pretty special to the Texas native. “I’ve been a part of the CMA for almost 50 years. [laughs] So, I mean I feel a real attachment there because I have been – it’s been a huge part of my career. They’ve been so good to me and over the years I’ve won more awards there than I deserve I’m sure, but I’ll take them,” says George. “But it’s just it’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years. It really is. It’s tough for me to believe it’s been 50 years because time has gone by so fast. But you watch those shows back in the day when you’re just sitting around trying to – and you’re just dreaming of being on that stage. You’re dreaming of getting one of those nominations. You’re just all these things, if I could just get there just once. I just want to go. And then you finally get nominated, and it’s just the most incredible feeling in the world.”

With the CMA Awards celebrating 50 years, George, among many other CMA winners, will perform during the show, and he’s one of the artists featured in the all-star “Forever Country” single created specifically to celebrate the CMAs 50th anniversary.

The 50th Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday (November 2nd) at 8pm ET on ABC.

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