George Strait is the undeniable “King of Country Music.” He has a music career that spans more than 30 years. And that includes 60 No. 1 singles, more than any other artist in any genre. He boasts 33 platinum or multi-platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and third across all genres behind only Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
Truly a legend!
Let’s dive in!
Who is George Strait?
He isn’t called the King for nothing. George Strait is one of the most popular and influential artists of all time that will forever go down in history as one of the best. He holds a record for 60 number 1 hits. Let that sink in for a second 60 songs that were ranked as number 1! If that isn’t enough validation for his nickname then don’t know what is. He is third only to Elvis Presley and The Beatles for having the most gold and platinum albums in the history of music. He is the only artist from any genre ever to have a top ten hit song every year for thirty stinking years. He is the man!!
Life Before Stardom
in Poteet, Texas. He was raised on a cattle ranch and spent the summers working on the ranch with his parents, brother and sister. When he was in third grade, his parents divorced. His mother took his sister to live with her, while George and his brother stayed with his father. During high school, Strait was part of a rock band but soon turned to country music. After high school, he entered college at Southwest Texas State University, but dropped out and eloped with his high school sweetheart, Norma, in Mexico.
Strait left the army in 1975, resumed his studies at Southwest Texas State University, and graduated with a degree in agriculture in 1979. While at the university he joined the country band Stoney Ridge (later renamed Ace in the Hole), which played regularly in the clubs near campus. Strait tried repeatedly to promote his music in Nashville, but the industry executives balked, doubting the appeal of his traditional style in a market then dominated by a slicker image and a pop-country sound.
Why is George Strait so popular?
He has always been one of the favorite artists because he really knows who he is. He stays true to his “traditionalist country” style and definitely rocks his cowboy hat. He isn’t some wannabe or try hard country artist, he’s the real deal. He is known for being one of the main artists to bring country back to its roots and away from the upcoming popular style of pop country that started in the 80’s. With his first single in 1981, “Unwound,” he started what
would soon become a very successful 35-year career full of hit songs, none of which wavered from his original traditional style. If you look at every song he has sung throughout the years, his style truly remained the same. From his first hit, “Fool Hearted Memory,” to his latest hit album “Cold Beer Conversation,” George has stayed true to the artist he once was and has proven to be one of the most authentic artists around.
Taste of Country says:
“So many of Strait’s most recent releases could be found on albums from the ‘80s, ‘90s or ’00s, and Cold Beer Conversation” is no different. It’s smooth and timeless, but subtly different from all that have come before it.”
When we think of what makes a song or an artist country we think of the twang in the artists’ voice, the simple instruments like guitar and piano, and the story-like lyrics that touch on the life of a cowboy. George Strait has all of these aspects in each of his songs. He is a pro at writing love songs. George Strait really knows what he is doing and for that he will leave a huge mark on Country music. His legacy goes on as the King of Country Music. All hail King George!
George Strait: Finding fame in 1981
George Strait first found success with the release of his first single “Unwound” in 1981. His debut album titled Strait Country was a smashing success, in fact in the 1980’s, seven of Strait’s albums reached number one on the country charts. In 1982, George released his second album titled Strait from the Heart which featured the hit songs, “Fool Hearted Memory” and the ever famous “Amarillo by Morning”. He continued to produce hit after hit in the 1980’s with singles like “Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her”, “Ace in the Hole”, “Ocean Front Property” and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.” In the early 90’s, Strait released his 10th studio album titled Livin’ It Up featuring the hit “Love Without End, Amen.” He released six more albums in the 90’s and finished off the decade with Always Never the Same in 1999.
Soft and Kind hearted
George Strait has discovered that when he isn’t wearing a cowboy hat people often don’t realize that he is George Strait. In San Antonio, where he lives, he can usually visit restaurants unmolested, so long as he doesn’t smile too widely he is famous for his smile, which is bright and crooked. One time, in Key West, where he records, he was sitting outside the studio, naked from the neck up, when a woman accosted him.
She said:
“My husband says that George Strait is in there, cutting a record, and I told him that can’t be true. Why would he cut a record in this little place?”
Strait’s response was not, strictly speaking, a lie. He said:
“Honey, I was just in there, and I didn’t see him.”
He is, by some measures, the most popular country-music singer of all time and, by any measure, the most consistent.
What is he doing nowadays?
Strait recently turned sixty-five, and he is officially semi retired. In 2012, he announced that he was quitting the touring life, and, after a two-year send off tour, he played a final show at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in front of more than a hundred thousand people. He didn’t quit recording, though, and in 2015 he announced a series of weekend concerts in Las Vegas. Louis Messina, Strait’s promoter, likes to point out that this is not a traditional Vegas residency: a washed-up star imprisoned in a casino theatre, entertaining a few hundred fans and gamblers, night after night. Strait is an arena headliner, not a lounge act, and every night the pre show playlist pays subtle tribute to his staying power. Concertgoers hear a selection of recent country hits: “Take a Back Road,” by Rodney Atkins; “Girl in a Country Song,” by Maddie & Tae; “Rewind,” by Rascal Flatts; “Might Get Lucky,” by Darius Rucker. What they have in common is that all of them mention Strait. Rucker sings, “Dance around the kitchen to a George Strait song” hoping, like the others, to borrow some of Strait’s unimpeachable country credibility.
Acting in several motion pictures
Strait has acted in several motion pictures, including a bit part in 1982 in “The Soldier,” and probably his most well-known part, as the star of “Pure Country in 1992.” In 1995, Strait released a four-CD box set. This became the second biggest selling box set ever. Other albums followed annually, starting with “Blue Clear Sky” in 1996, then “One Step at a Time,” “Always Never the Same,” and George kept going strong, scoring 50 No. 1 hits on the country charts by 2004, and releasing an album celebrating the milestone. Always a big touring act in the 1990s, he headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival taking rising stars on tour with him, who went on to become superstars themselves such as Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, and Alan Jackson.
His Personal Life
George married his high school sweetheart, Norma in 1971. They had two children together, Jenifer in 1972 and George Strait Jr. was born in 1981. In 1986, the Strait family was struck with tragedy as their 13-year-old daughter Jenifer died in a one vehicle collision. After the accident, George limited his contact with the media in order to grieve. Him and his wife are still very much in love today and they make relatively common public appearances together. How cute is that?
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2018, the Country Music Hall of Fame Member had been named Texan of the Year by the Texas Legislative Conference, a statewide group of business and political leaders. Every year, the honorary title is given to a Texas resident who made a notable impact on the state. George Strait was chosen for his fundraising efforts in the wake of widespread flooding following Hurricane Harvey.
So, this was all about our legendary George Strait. What are your thoughts about him? Which track of his is your favorite?
