George Strait
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George Harvey Strait (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music artist. George Strait has marked a monumental career achievement by having more number one hit singles than any living artist, a total of 52, second only to Conway Twitty.
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Biography
Strait was born in Poteet, Texas and grew up in Pearsall, Texas. His father, John Strait, was a junior high school mathematics teacher. The Straits would often leave Pearsall on the weekends and the summers to work at the family's 2,000 acre (8 km²) cattle ranch outside Big Wells, Texas. When he was in fourth grade, Strait's parents divorced. His mother left the family taking his sister with her while he and his brother remained with his father. He began playing with a rock band in high school, but his preference turned to country music. Strait counts country singers Merle Haggard, George Jones, Bob Wills and Hank Williams as his early musical influences.
After graduating from high school, Strait enrolled in university but dropped out and eloped to Mexico with his high school sweetheart, Norma. They repeated their vows in a church in Texas a few weeks later. In 1971, he enlisted in the US Army. During this stint in military service, he began performing with an Army-sponsored band, Rambling Country (who played off the base under the name Santee), when he was stationed in Hawaii. In 1972, while still in Hawaii, George and Norma had their first child, Jenifer. After leaving the army in 1975, Strait returned to his studies, enrolling at Southwest Texas State University (SWT) in San Marcos, Texas. He graduated in 1979 with a degree in agriculture.
While attending SWT, he joined the Ace in the Hole Band. The band played honky tonks and bars around south and central Texas and as far east as Huntsville and Houston. They gained a regional following and opened for national acts such as The Texas Playboys. In the late 1970s, the band recorded several singles in a Houston studio that were released under the Dallas, Texas based "D" record label, but the band ultimately failed (though they do still play as George Strait's touring band under the same name). While playing with the band at night, Strait managed a cattle ranch during the day.
An operator of one of the bars the band had played had connections at MCA Records. In 1981, Strait went to Nashville, Tennessee to team with MCA and try a solo act. Strait has stayed with MCA throughout his career. It was also in 1981 that his and Norma's second child, George Jr., was born.
"Unwound" was his first single and his first Top Ten hit. This was followed by "Down and Out" and then a whole series of #1 singles, beginning with "Fool Hearted Memory" in 1982 (see 1982 in music). He was one of the best-selling country singers of the 1980s, and one of the few from that decade who survived the influx of pop-country singers like Garth Brooks in the early 1990s. As of April 2006, Strait has had 41 #1 country singles on the Billboard Chart, tying him with Conway Twitty. Including Radio and Records Chart, Strait has an unmatched 52 #1 songs. He also holds the career record for Country Music Association (CMA) nominations with seventy-three. Strait was the top touring country act of the 1990's and remains one of the most played artists on US radio. Strait's 1995 Box set "Strait Out Of The Box" is the 2nd best selling box set ever with shipments of 8 million in the United States. From 1997 through 2001 Strait headlined the "George Strait Country Music Festival" which included artists such has Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and many more. The massive stadiums played helped it become one of the most attented tours each year. George is the most certified country music artist with other 25 platinium albums.
Strait has acted in two feature films. He had a bit part in The Soldier (1982) and starred in Pure Country (1992). He also appeared as himself in The Horse Whisperer (1998) and Grand Champion (2002).
Since 1983, Strait has often appeared at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and recorded his album For the Last Time: Live From the Astrodome the last time the rodeo was staged at the Astrodome in 2002. The event set the record for paid attendance at the Astrodome with 68,266 people. The rodeo event moved to Reliant Stadium in 2003. In 2004, Strait topped the Astrodome attendance with 68,679 people coming to his rodeo concert at the larger stadium. Strait has played to more than 1 million fans at the Houston Rodeo. Strait again played the Houston rodeo February 28, 2006. That night he watched his son Bubba rope in the rodeo before taking the stage.
As pastimes, Strait enjoys fishing, playing golf, and riding motorcycles. He and George Jr. are avid team ropers and Strait hosts the annual George Strait Team Roping Classic. He and Norma live in far northwest San Antonio in the wealthy gated community The Dominion as well on a ranch near Cotulla, Texas some 50 miles southeast of San Antonio. Sadly, his daughter Jenifer was killed in an automobile accident in 1986, at the age of thirteen.
Discography
- Somewhere Down in Texas' (June 28, 2005); [Certified Platinum]
- 50 Number Ones (2004) (5 times Platinum)
- For the Last Time: Live From the Astrodome (2003)
- 20th Century Masters: The Best of George Strait - The Millennium Collection (March 26, (2002); [Certified Platinum]
- Honkytonkville (2003) (Platinum)
- The Road Less Traveled (2001)
- George Strait (2000)
- Latest Greatest Straitest Hits (2000)
- Merry Christmas Wherever You Are (1999)
- Always Never the Same (George Strait album) (1999)
- One Step at a Time (1998)
- Pure Strait (Limited Edition) (1998)
- Carrying Your Love With Me (1997)
- Blue Clear Sky (1996)
- Strait Out of the Box (1995)
- Lead On (1994)
- Easy Come, Easy Go (1993)
- Pure Country (1992)
- Holding My Own (1992)
- Ten Strait Hits (1991)
- Chill Of An Early Fall (1991)
- Livin' It Up (1990)
- Beyond the Blue Neon (1989)
- If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' (1988)
- Greatest Hits Vol. II (1987)
- Ocean Front Property (1987)
- Merry Christmas Strait To You (1986)
- #7 (1986)
- Something Special (1985)
- Greatest Hits (1985)
- Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (1984)
- Right Or Wrong (1983)
- Strait From The Heart (1982)
- Strait Country (1981)
Singles
(Note: this list is incomplete.)
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US Country | |||
| 1981 | "Down and Out" | - | #16 | Strait Country |
| 1981 | "Unwound" | - | #6 | Strait Country |
| 1982 | "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)" | - | #3 | Strait Country |
| 1982 | "Fool Hearted Memory" | - | #1 | Strait from the Heart |
| 1983 | "Marina Del Rey" | - | #1 | Strait from the Heart |
| 1983 | "Amarillo By Morning" | - | #1 | Strait from the Heart |
| 1983 | "A Fire I Can't Put Out" | - | #1 | Strait from the Heart |
| 1983 | "You Look So Good in Love" | - | #1 | Right or Wrong |
| 1984 | "Right or Wrong" | - | #1 | Right or Wrong |
| 1984 | "Let's Fall to Pieces Together" | - | #1 | Right or Wrong |
| 1984 | "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind?" | - | #1 | Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind |
| 1985 | "The Cowboy Rides Away" | - | #5 | Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind |
| 1985 | "The Fireman" | - | #5 | Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind |
| 1985 | "The Chair" | - | #1 | Something Special |
| 1986 | "You're Something Special to Me" | - | #4 | Something Special |
| 1986 | "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" | - | #1 | 7 |
| 1986 | "It Ain't Cool to Be Crazy About You" | - | #1 | 7 |
| 1987 | "Ocean Front Property" | - | #1 | Ocean Front Property |
| 1987 | "All My Ex's Live in Texas" | - | #1 | Ocean Front Property |
| 1987 | "Am I Blue" | - | #1 | Ocean Front Property |
| 1988 | "Famous Last Words of a Fool" | - | #1 | If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' |
| 1988 | "Baby Blue" | - | #1 | If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' |
| 1988 | "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" | - | #1 | If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' |
| 1989 | "Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye" | - | #1 | Beyond the Blue Neon |
| 1989 | "Overnight Success" | - | #8 | Beyond the Blue Neon |
| 1989 | "Hollywood Squares" | - | #67 | Beyond the Blue Neon |
| 1989 | "What's Going on in Your World?" | - | #1 | Beyond the Blue Neon |
| 1989 | "Ace in the Hole" | - | #1 | Beyond the Blue Neon |
| 1990 | "Love Without End, Amen" | - | #1 | Livin' It Up |
| 1990 | "Drinking Champagne" | - | #4 | Livin' It Up |
| 1990 | "I've Come to Expect It from You" | - | #1 | Livin' It Up |
| 1990 | "If I Know Me" | - | #1 | Chill of an Early Fall |
| 1990 | "You Know Me Better Than That" | - | #1 | Chill of an Early Fall |
| 1991 | "The Chill of an Early Fall" | - | #3 | Chill of an Early Fall |
| 1992 | "Lovesick Blues" | - | #24 | Chill of an Early Fall |
| 1992 | "So Much Like My Dad" | - | #1 | Holding My Own |
| 1992 | "Gone as a Girl Can Get" | - | #5 | Holding My Own |
| 1992 | "Overnight Male" | - | #70 | Pure Country |
| 1992 | "I Cross My Heart" | - | #1 | Pure Country |
| 1993 | "Heartland" | - | #1 | Pure Country |
| 1993 | "When Did You Stop Loving Me?" | - | #6 | Pure Country |
| 1993 | "Easy Come, Easy Go" | #71 | #1 | Easy Come, Easy Go |
| 1993 | "I'd Like to Have That One Back" | - | #3 | Easy Come, Easy Go |
| 1994 | "Lovebug" | - | #8 | Easy Come, Easy Go |
| 1994 | "The Man in Love with You" | - | #4 | Easy Come, Easy Go |
| 1994 | "The Big One" | - | #1 | Lead On |
| 1995 | "You Can't Make a Heart Love Somebody" | - | #1 | Lead On |
| 1995 | "Adalida" | - | #3 | Lead On |
| 1995 | "Lead On" | - | #7 | Lead On |
| 1995 | "Check Yes or No" | - | #1 | Strait Out of the Box |
| 1995 | "I Know She Still Loves Me" | - | #5 | Strait Out of the Box |
| 1996 | "Blue Clear Sky" | - | #1 | Blue Clear Sky |
| 1996 | "Carried Away" | - | #1 | Blue Clear Sky |
| 1996 | "I Can Still Make Cheyenne" | - | #4 | Blue Clear Sky |
| 1996 | "King of the Mountain" | - | #19 | Blue Clear Sky |
| 1997 | "Carrying Your Love with Me" | - | #1 | Carrying Your Love with Me |
| 1997 | "One Night at a Time" | #59 | #1 | Carrying Your Love with Me |
| 1997 | "Today My World Slipped Away" | - | #1 | Carrying Your Love with Me |
| 1998 | "Round About Way" | - | #1 | Carrying Your Love with Me |
| 1998 | "I Just Want to Dance with You" | #61 | #1 | One Step at a Time |
| 1998 | "True" | - | #2 | One Step at a Time |
| 1998 | "We Really Shouldn't Be Doing This" | #44 | #4 | One Step at a Time |
| 1999 | "Write This Down" | #27 | #1 | Always Never the Same |
| 1999 | "Meanwhile" | #38 | #4 | Always Never the Same |
| 1999 | "What Do You Say to That?" | #45 | #4 | Always Never the Same |
| 2000 | "The Best Day" | #31 | #1 | Latest Greatest Straitest Hits |
| 2000 | "Go On" | #40 | #1 | George Strait |
| 2000 | "Don't Make Me Come Over There and Love You" | - | #17 | George Strait |
| 2001 | "If You Can Do Anything Else" | #51 | #5 | George Strait |
| 2001 | "Run" | #34 | #1 | The Road Less Traveled |
| 2002 | "Living and Living Well" | #27 | #1 | The Road Less Traveled |
| 2002 | "She'll Leave You with a Smile" | #23 | #1 | The Road Less Traveled |
| 2003 | "Tell Me Something Bad about Tulsa" | #69 | #11 | Honkytonkville |
| 2004 | "Desperately" | #44 | #6 | Honkytonkville |
| 2004 | "Cowboys Like Us" | #38 | #2 | Honkytonkville |
| 2004 | "Honk If You Honky Tonk" | - | #45 | Honkytonkville |
| 2004 | "I Hate Everything" | #35 | #1 | 50 Number Ones |
| 2005 | "You'll Be There" | #54 | #4 | Somewhere Down in Texas |
| 2005 | "She Let Herself Go" | #54 | #1 | Somewhere Down in Texas |
| 2006 | "The Seashores of Old Mexico" | - | #15 | Somewhere Down in Texas |
Selected Awards
- CMA - Musical Event of the Year (Good News, Bad News W/ Lee Ann Womack) (2005)
- CMA - Vocal Event of the Year (Murder on Music Row W/ Alan Jackson) (2000)
- CMA - Male Vocalist of the Year (1998)
- CMA - Male Vocalist of the Year (1997)
- CMA - Album of the Year (Carrying Your Love With Me) (1997)
- CMA - Male Vocalist of the Year (1996)
- CMA - Single of the Year (Check Yes or No) (1996)
- CMA - Album of the Year (Blue Clear Sky) (1996)
- CMA - Entertainer of the Year (1990)
- CMA - Entertainer of the Year (1989)
- CMA - Album of the Year (Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind) (1985)
- CMA - Male Vocalist of the Year (1986)
- CMA - Male Vocalist of the Year (1985)
Resources
- "Discography". George Strait's Official Web Site. Retrieved Aug. 27, 2004.
- "Awards". George Strait's Official Web Site. Retrieved Aug. 27, 2004.