George Strait

In the Beginning

George Harvey Strait was born on May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas to John Byron Strait, Sr. and Doris Couser. His father was a mathematics teacher who also owned a family cattle ranch outside of Big Wells, Texas. When he was in fourth grade, Strait’s father and mother divorced, and George remained living with his father along with his brother John, Jr. Strait’s musical interests began in high school when he played in a garage rock band, which was around the time the Beatles were highly popular. Live music that was popular in Texas soon shifted Strait’s interests to country music, where he was influenced by the likes of Hank Thompson, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Frank Sinatra, and more. Music became a mainstay in Strait’s life as he entered the US Army and played in an Army-sponsored band called “Rambling Country,” and after leaving the military and entering into college at Southwest Texas State University, he joined a band that became known as the Ace in the Hole Band.

Career Accomplishments

In 1981 and 1982 Strait released his first two albums, Strait Country and Strait from the Heart. Both albums had a number of top ten singles, including his very first hit, “Unwound,” which climbed to number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs of 1981. Strait Country was hailed by critics for bringing back a traditional country sound to a genre that was currently infused with quite a bit of pop. In 1984 and 1986 Strait won the Country Music Awards “Male Vocalist of the Year” award, and in 1989 he won their “Entertainer of the Year” award. In the 1980’s he released nine albums, eight of which were the #1 albums. In the 1990s, Strait released another ten albums, the most popular of which was Pure Country, the soundtrack to a film that Strait starred in in 1992. Since the year 2000, Strait has released another 9 albums, creating many singles which topped the charts and show that Strait hasn’t lost his magic touch. In 2009 Strait was honored with the Academy of Country Music’s “Artist of the Decade” award. Strait is also the only country musician to ever receive the Billboard Touring Award’s “Legend of Live” honor, which goes to the industry’s top artist based on Billboard’s Boxscore chart and box office sales.

Most Known For

Strait is potentially the most famous country musician of all time, and is popularly known as the “King of Country.” He is known for his neotraditionalist country style and his cowboy look. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, with his bestselling album being Pure Country, which sold 6 million copies.

Where Are They Now

Strait no longer tours, his last tour was in 2012, but is still recording music, and recently released a new single called “Let it Go.” He lives with his wife in San Antonio on a family ranch. He is a big fan of the San Antonio Spurs and can be often seen courtside cheering on his favorite team.