Strait has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[3] He holds the RIAA record for most certified albums by any artist, with 33 different albums that are certified platinum or gold.[4] Considering singles and albums, he has a total of 20 multi-platinum, 33 platinum and 24 gold certification. According to the RIAA, Strait is the 12th best-selling album recording artist in the United States overall selling over 70 million records across the United States.[5]
He is credited for pioneering the neotraditional country style in the 1980s,[6] famed for his authentic cowboy image and roots-oriented sound at a time when the Nashville music industry was dominated by country pop crossover acts. Given his influence on the genre, Strait has been nicknamed the "King of Country Music" by writers and music critics.[7][8][9][10] He currently holds the record for the most number one songs on all charts by an artist, in any genre of music.[7][11]
Strait's career in country music began performing with his band Ace in the Hole in Texas honky-tonks in the 1970s, recording tracks for the Dallas-based independent record labelD Records.[2] Strait's success began when his first single "Unwound" was a hit in 1981, helping introduce the neotraditional movement to the mainstream. During the 1980s, seven of his albums reached number one on the country charts. In the 2000s, he was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and won his first Grammy award for the album Troubadour. Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 2013, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and 2014. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist.
By 2009, he broke Conway Twitty's previous record for the most number-one hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart when his 44 number one singles surpassed Twitty's 40.[12] Strait has amassed 60 number-one hits.[13] "Give It All We Got Tonight" was number one in 2013,[14] breaking a record also previously set by Twitty. Strait holds the record for most number one songs on all charts by an artist in any genre of music."[7][11]
Strait has been known for his touring career beginning when he designed a 360-degree configuration and introduced festival style tours. For example, the Strait Tours earned $99million in three years.[15] His final concert for The Cowboy Rides Away Tour at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in June 2014, drew 104,793 people. It set a new record for the largest indoor concert in North America.[16]
In mid-2024, Strait set the record for the largest ticketed concert for a single act in U.S. history, with over 110,905 people at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.[17][18] He additionally was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the same year for its class of 2025.[19]
Early life
George Harvey Strait Sr. was born on May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas,[1] to John Byron Strait Sr. (January 11, 1922 – June 4, 2013),[20] and Doris Jean Couser (June 26, 1930 – January 30, 2010).
He grew up in nearby Pearsall, in Frio County,[1] where his father was a junior high school mathematics teacher and the owner of a 2,000-acre (810ha) cattle ranch outside of Big Wells, Texas.[1] The family worked at the ranch on the weekends and in the summers.[1] When George was in the fourth grade, his father and mother were divorced, and his mother moved away with his sister, Pency. George and his brother John "Buddy" Jr. (1950–2009) grew up with their father.[21] For most of his early life, George was in ranching alongside his older brother Buddy and his father John.[22]
Strait began his musical career while attending Pearsall High School, where he performed in a rock and rollgarage band, known as the Stoics, taking most of their influence and inspiration from the Beatles and other British Invasion-era rock groups.[23] "The Beatles were big," Strait confirmed. "I listened to them a lot and that whole bunch of groups that were popular then." He performed in other rock bands during his high school tenure.[22] His musical preference soon turned to country with singers Hank Thompson, Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, and Frank Sinatra influencing his style. Strait did not tune in to and listen to country music radio often as a youth, usually selecting the news and the farmer's report instead. His introduction to country music came mostly by way of live performances, which according to Strait could be heard in every town in Texas.[24]
Marriage and military service
He eloped with his high school sweetheart, Norma Voss after their high school graduation.[22] The couple initially married in Mexico on December 4, 1971. In the same year, he enlisted in the United States Army as an infantryman. While stationed at Schofield Barracks adjacent to Wahiawa, Hawaii, as part of the 25th Infantry Division, George auditioned and began performing with an Army-sponsored country music band, Rambling Country, which also played off-base under the name Santee.[22][25] On October 6, 1972, while still in Hawaii, George and Norma had their first child, Jenifer.[26] He served in the United States Army from 1971 to 1975 and ultimately attained the rank of corporal.[27]
Higher education
After George Strait was honorably discharged from the Army in 1975, he enrolled at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) in San Marcos. He graduated with a degree in agriculture.[28] He was also presented an honorary doctoral degree by his alma mater–Texas State University in San Marcos–in a private ceremony on May 26, 2006.[28] Strait is a loyal alumnus of the college; in 1985 he established an endowment fund for the development and operation of the Freeman Ranch for agricultural purposes, land and wildlife management, and gifts of scholarships.[28]
During his college years, Strait joined the country band Stoney Ridge, answering a flyer the band posted around campus looking for a new vocalist. Strait renamed the group the Ace in the Hole Band, and quickly became the lead; they began to perform at different honky-tonks and bars around south and central Texas, traveling as far east as Huntsville and Houston.[30] They gained a regional following and opened for national acts such as The Texas Playboys and Asleep at the Wheel.[31] Soon his band was given the opportunity to record several Strait-penned singles, including "That Don't Change The Way I Feel About You" and "I Can't Go On Dying Like This" for the Houston-based D Records independent label. However, the songs never achieved wide recognition, and Strait continued to manage his family cattle ranch during the day to make some extra cash.[30][32]
Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, pictured here in 1976, featured George Strait as an opening act during his early years performing in the 1970s. Asleep at the Wheel has in return, been an opening act for Strait in later years.
While he continued to play with his band, without any real connections to the recording industry, Strait became friends with Erv Woolsey, who operated one of the bars in which the Ace in the Hole band played and who had previously worked for the major label MCA Records. Woolsey convinced some of his Music Row (Nashville) connections to come to Texas and to listen to Strait and his band play. Impressed with the performance but concerned that they could not market the Western swing sound that the band featured, they left without offering a deal.
After several unsuccessful trips to Nashville in search of a record deal in which Strait was turned down by every label in town, he considered giving up music altogether. He was offered a job designing cattle pens and decided to take it. He gave the band notice that he was leaving, but after a discussion with his wife, she convinced him to give pursuing music one more year. Not long afterward, a major label, MCA, signed Strait to a recording contract in February 1981. The initial deal was for one song. If the single did well, the label would consider doing an album.[33] The Ace in the Hole band remained with Strait, performing as the backup and touring band for the now solo career of Strait.[32]
"Amarillo by Morning," which tells the story of a Texas rodeo cowboy, was originally recorded and written by Terry Stafford in 1973. In 1982, Strait recorded the song with a more Western-based instrumentation. The song has become a signature song associated with Strait; it has been referred as one of the greatest country songs of all time.
Strait Country was hailed by critics as being a "new-traditionalist" breakthrough that broke the trend of pop-influenced country prevalent at the time.[34] The critically acclaimed Strait from the Heart, his second album, was released in 1982 and featured the first number-one single of his career, "Fool Hearted Memory" and the top-five Western ballad "Amarillo by Morning" which was originally sung and written by Terry Stafford in 1973. It later became one of Strait's signature songs.[37] In 1983, Strait made his first appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, when the headlining star, Eddie Rabbitt became sick with the flu. Performing at that rodeo has since become a mainstay throughout his career. He has made more than 20 appearances at the rodeo and played for more than one million fans.
Strait recorded 17 number ones during the decade, including a string of five that lasted from 1983 to 1984[38] from his next two albums Right or Wrong, his first number-one album and the CMA award-winning Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. The next year, he won the CMA award for top male vocalist, and released his first greatest hits compilation, which featured songs from his first three albums. Also in 1985, Strait released Something Special, the third-straight number-one album of his career, featuring the number-one single "The Chair".[34] In 1986, Strait repeated as the CMA vocalist of the year and released his fourth number-one album #7.
Strait and his family were struck with tragedy when his 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a one-car, alcohol-unrelated accident in 1986. She was riding in a Ford Mustang driven by Gregory Wilson Allen, 18, of Staples, Texas. Allen was charged with a class A misdemeanor for vehicular homicide. Mike Cox, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin, said, "The responding trooper determined the cause of accident to be excessive speed and that the car did not negotiate the turn properly. Jenifer was riding in the front passenger seat, and none of the four occupants was wearing seat belts at the time.[39] When the vehicle flipped over onto its passenger's side, Jenifer was partially ejected, killing her on impact.[39][40] The incident caused George to greatly limit his contact with the media. He stopped doing interviews for many years after the accident; he and his family did not wish to discuss Jenifer's death.[41]
Strait performing live at the 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland on April 7, 2008
Strait began the decade with the release of his 10th studio album, Livin' It Up, which featured two number-one hits, including "Love Without End, Amen", his first multiweek hit, and "I've Come to Expect It From You". Both songs remained first for five weeks in 1990. Chill of an Early Fall shortly followed in 1991, and received positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly noted that the album marked a shift for Strait from "repeating himself" in his previous works to producing different material.[42] It produced the number-one songs "If I Know Me" and "You Know Me Better Than That", but ended his streak of 31 straight top-10 hits with the cover of "Lovesick Blues", which peaked at number 24. The record blocked his run of eight top-charting albums with its peak of number four. In the spring of 1992, Holding My Own was released. It did not produce any number ones, but did include two top-five songs, including "So Much Like My Dad".
Later in 1992, Strait played the main character in the film Pure Country, and released the film's soundtrack. It was his most successful studio album, producing such hits as "Heartland", "I Cross My Heart", and "When Did You Stop Loving Me", and peaked at number one and number six respectively on the Country and Billboard 200 album charts. The success continued with his next album, Easy Come, Easy Go in 1993, which reached the top five on the Billboard 200 and featured the hits "I'd Like to Have That One Back", "The Man in Love with You", and the number-one title track.[34]
During this period, Strait also released a four-disc, box-set career retrospective, Strait Out of the Box, in 1995, which also included two new songs, the top 5 hit "I Know She Still Loves Me" and the No.1 hit "Check Yes or No". It became the second-best selling box set ever with shipments of 8 million in the United States. He was named as the CMA's Top Male Vocalist in 1997 and 1998.[34] Starting in 1997, and continuing until 2001, Strait headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival, which included artists such as Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, and others.[34]
In an effort to introduce these acts to as many fans as possible, the festival promised not to visit any market more than twice. It played only a small number of dates, usually no more than 20 a year, but still managed to be the ninth-biggest grossing tour of 1998.[43]
Strait completed the decade with the album Always Never the Same in 1999, which peaked at number two on country charts and matched the cross-over success of Pure Country by reaching number six on the Billboard 200. The record produced the hits "What Do You Say to That", "Meanwhile", and the number-one "Write This Down". Reviews of the album's material were generally mixed, but Entertainment Weekly observed that at this point in his career, Strait could record the "most lightweight" material and "make it soar" on the radio with his "grace".[42] All in all, Strait scored 17 number-one hits on the Billboard country airplay charts in the decade, and carried his successes into the next century.[21]
2000s
Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour, XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut, February 23, 2013
Strait released a self-titled album in 2000, which despite a number-one and number-seven showing on the country and Billboard 200 album charts, respectively, produced no number-one singles, and was the first studio album of his career to not be certified platinum. The singles "Go On" and "If You Can Do Anything Else" were released from the record, with both peaking in the top five. In May 2001, The Road Less Traveled was released. Reviews for the album were mostly positive; Rolling Stone described it as sticking to the formula, "but adds a few twists that make it superior to his last few releases."[44] It featured "vocal processing", and was considered by some critics as an experimental album.[32] Three singles were released from it, two of which reached number one, including "She'll Leave You with a Smile", his 50th on combined charts and "Living and Living Well", both of which reached the top 30 of Billboard Hot 100, with the former peaking at number 23, Strait's highest rank on the chart. The single "Run" peaked at number two and reached number 34 on the Billboard 100. Strait released two records in 2003. For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome was a recording of the last Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to take place in the Astrodome. The performance itself set the record for paid attendance at the venue, with 68,266 people, breaking Latin superstar Selena's previous record of about 67,000 in 1995.[45]
His next album, Honkytonkville was described as "a fiery set of hard country", and was praised "for its mixture of the old Strait with his modern, superstar self."[32] It did not produce any number ones for Strait, but included the hits "Cowboys Like Us" and a cover of Bruce Robison's "Desperately". His 2004 performance at Reliant Stadium set a new rodeo attendance record, with 68,679 spectators. That year, he issued a greatest hits package billed as 50 Number Ones, chronicling the number-one hits of his career from all charts, starting with "Fool Hearted Memory" and ending with "She'll Leave You With a Smile." A new track, "I Hate Everything", was also included, and became his 51st overall number one in 2004.
The next year, Somewhere Down in Texas arrived, which produced the hit "You'll Be There", marking Strait's first appearance on the adult contemporary chart. The next year, he embarked on a tour that included only 18 performances, but grossed over $15million. He attributed this success to the fact that his band and he are "musically very tight", have a large pool of songs to draw from, and perform those songs very similarly to how they sound on their albums.[46]
Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour, XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut, February 23, 2013
On October 3, 2006, Strait marked his 30th year in the music industry with the release of a new album titled It Just Comes Natural. The album was recorded in Key West, Florida, in Jimmy Buffett's Shrimp Boat Sound Studio (said to be a better recording location due to lack of allergy flare-ups during recording process), which was also the recording location of Troubadour.[citation needed] It featured 15 new songs. Strait's long-time friend and songwriter, Dean Dillon, co-wrote two of the songs on the album. It received generally positive reviews from critics. People, in their four-star review, remarked, "If ever there was a natural in country music, it's Strait," while USA Today raved that "he continues to make such consistent quality look easy". The first single from the album, "Give It Away" reached number one, making one of its co-writers, country legend "Whispering Bill" Anderson, the first songwriter to have a number-one hit in five different decades. The title track, "It Just Comes Natural" became his 42nd Billboard number one.[citation needed]
In 2007, "Wrapped" reached number one on the Mediabase 24/7 country music charts, giving Strait his 55th overall number-one single. From January through April of that year, Strait headlined a 23-date arena tour with country-music legend Ronnie Milsap and then-newcomer Taylor Swift. He released a new album titled Troubadour on April 1, 2008. The CD contained 12 tracks, including a duet with Patty Loveless and another with long-time songwriter Dean Dillon. The lead single from the album, "I Saw God Today", debuted at number 19 on the Radio and Records and Billboard charts. It is the highest debut ever for a single from Strait and the fourth-highest debut for a song in country-music history. Troubadour debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 album charts, selling over 160,000 copies in its first week of release. "River of Love", the third single from the album, became his 57th number-one song in 2009.[47]
Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, March 1, 2014
In April 2009, Strait was honored by the Academy of Country Music with the Artist of the Decade Award, which was presented to Strait by the previous ACM Artist of the Decade, Garth Brooks. In June of that year, he headlined the first event at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Strait's single "Living for the Night" was released on May 28, 2009, and was written by Strait, his son Bubba, and Dean Dillon. The song was the lead single from his album Twang, released on August 11, 2009. Twang was certified gold for selling over 500,000 copies.[citation needed]
2010s
In 2010, Billboard ranked Strait number one in the top-25 country artists of the past 25 years.[48] On September 6, 2011, Strait released the album, Here for a Good Time, which yielded two number-one singles—"Here for a Good Time" and "Love's Gonna Make It Alright"—bringing Strait's number-one singles total to 59. The album's third single, "Drinkin' Man", was less successful, peaking at number 37.
In October 2012, Strait released the single "Give It All We Got Tonight",[49] which was included on his album Love Is Everything, released on May 14, 2013. The song initiated a "60 for 60" movement by Strait's label, to make the song his 60th number-one single on all country charts while he was still 60 years old.[50] The song reached the top of the Mediabase charts in May 2013. The album's next single, "I Believe", reached number 50 on the U.S. Country Airplay chart, making it Strait's first single to miss the top 40. Strait won the 2013 CMA Entertainer of the Year award.
In November 2013, Billboard presented Strait with its Legend of Live honor during the 10th annual Billboard Touring Awards ceremony.[51] The award honors the concert industry's top artist based on Billboard's Boxscore chart and box-office performance.[52] Strait is the first country artist to receive Billboard's highest touring accolade.[53] On April 19, 2015, Strait made a guest appearance at the 2015 ACM Awards, he performed "All My Ex's Lives in Texas" and his new single "Let it Go".[54]
Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour, XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut, February 23, 2013
On September 26, 2012, Strait announced that he was retiring from touring, and that his Cowboy Rides Away Tour would be his last.[57][58][59] Tickets for both arenas and stadiums on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour sold out in a matter of hours. The tour started on January 18, 2013, in Lubbock, Texas, and was divided into two legs: 21 concerts in 2013 and 26 concerts in 2014. The tour ended in Arlington, Texas, on June 7, 2014. Strait was supported on the tour by his longtime 11-member touring group, the Ace in the Hole Band. For the 2013 leg, Martina McBride was the opening performer.[57]
A live album recorded from the final concert in Arlington titled The Cowboy Rides Away: Live from AT&T Stadium was released on September 16, 2014, with DVD/CDs of the concert being released on November 10, 2014, with Walmart exclusively releasing a deluxe edition including two CDs, as well. This deluxe DVD is the entire over three-hour concert and the accompanying two CDs have 28 of the 40 songs sung that night.[61] On August 29, 2014, the Country Music Television channel broadcast a two-hour concert special of the event titled George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away.[61] This CMT concert special had 1+1⁄4 hours of music from the concert and interviews.
2020s
Strait broke the record for most fans at a U.S. concert by a single headlining act on Saturday, June 15, 2024, with a concert at Kyle Field at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, with 110,905 fans in attendance. The record was previously held by The Grateful Dead who had 107,019 fans in attendance at their 1977 show at Raceway Park in New Jersey.[62] The show also set a new record for Texas A&M’s Kyle Field for most fans at a single event. The previous record was on October 11, 2014, with 110,633 fans, for a Texas A&M football game against Ole Miss.[63]
Strait eloped in Mexico with his high school sweetheart Norma in December 1971.[66] Their first child, Jenifer, was born on October 6, 1972. Their son, George Harvey Strait Jr., known as "Bubba", was born in 1981.[67]
Jenifer was killed in an automobile accident in San Marcos on June 25, 1986, at age 13. The family set up the Jenifer Lyn Strait Foundation, which donates money to children's charities in the San Antonio area.[68] George Strait Jr., who is a graduate of Texas A&M, competed as a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Associationteam-roping competitor.[69] Strait was able to watch his son compete at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2006 shortly before taking the stage for his own performance.[70]
On April 10, 2009, John Byron "Buddy" Strait, who was George's older brother, died at the age of 58.
Since 2010, Strait has served as spokesman for the Wrangler National Patriot program, a campaign designed to raise awareness and funds for America's wounded and fallen military veterans and their families.[71] Strait says, "I've been a part of the Wrangler family for a long time... when they came to me with the idea for supporting fallen and wounded American veterans and their families, I knew I wanted to get involved."[71] He also appeared in commercials for Tractor Supply Company.[72]
In February 2012, Strait became a grandfather when George Strait Jr. and his wife Tamara had their first child, a son, George Harvey Strait III.[73]
From 1983 through 2017, Strait hosted a prestigious, annual team-roping event; The George Strait Team Roping Classic. It was originally held in Kingsville, Texas, but then took place for several years at the San Antonio Rose Palace.[74]
Vaqueros del Mar 5, George Strait auctions off his boots for the troops: George Strait (in orange cap), Tom Cusick, David Feherty
Strait owns a Gulfstream G450 business jet; its tail number is N518GS.[75] His personal aircraft is housed at the Landmark Aviation facility in San Antonio. He teamed up with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to help with disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey which devastated coastal areas of Texas.[76]
Strait along with long-time friend and business partner Tom Cusick created the Vaqueros Del Mar (Cowboys of the Sea) Invitational Golf Tournament and Concert held annually at Strait and Cusick's Texas Hill Country resort Tapatio Springs Resort near Boerne, Texas. The Invitational raises money for David Feherty's Troops First Foundation, benefiting wounded servicemen, servicewomen and their families. Since its beginning in 2012, more than US$5million have been raised by the events.[77][78][79] In January 2018, George Strait was named the 2018 Texan of the Year by the Texas Legislative Conference, a statewide group of business and political leaders. Strait was honored for his fundraising efforts in the wake of the widespread flooding following Hurricane Harvey.[80][81]
In more than 30 years of recording, all of which have been spent with MCA Records, George Strait has garnered 61 number-one songs on all country charts (including Mediabase 24/7, the former Radio & Records chart, and the now-defunct Gavin Report chart), and has more number-one hits than any other artist in a single genre. His 44 Billboard country number-one hits are a record, four more than Conway Twitty's total that includes several duets with Loretta Lynn.[82] Additionally, Strait is also the first artist in the history of Billboard to have at least one single enter the top 10 of a Billboard chart for 30 consecutive years, starting in 1981 when his debut single "Unwound" peaked at number six on the Hot Country Singles chart. All of his top-10 singles have been on that chart.[83] Strait has sold more than 70million records in the United States alone,[84] and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multiplatinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums.[85]
The film Pure Country featured George Strait in the lead role as Dusty Chandler, a famous country singer who strays too far from his country roots and traditional sound. It provided the opportunity for Strait to branch out from his own traditional country sound for a more rock-and-roll approach. The film had little success at the box office and took in only $15million, but the soundtrack also called Pure Country, produced several hit singles for Strait. It has become his best-selling album to date. Strait had a limited role in the sequel to Pure Country, Pure Country 2: The Gift.[86]
Strait holds the record for most number-one albums and singles, gold albums, platinum albums, and multiplatinum albums in the history of country music, and is 11th in the most number-one albums in all other genres. Strait is third only to Elvis Presley and The Beatles with the most gold and platinum albums in the history of music.[87] Strait has been certified as the 12th-best selling artist in American history, with career record sales of 70 million in the United States.[88]
Strait has held the world record for most number one hit singles across all charts and genres with 60 number-one hits since 2013,[7][11] and is the only artist in the history of music of any kind to have a top-10 hit every year for 30 years. He is also second all-time in top-10 hits in the history of music, currently five away from breaking the all-time record held by Eddy Arnold, who had 92 in his historic career. Strait has won 22 CMA Awards, including consecutive Entertainer of the Year honors in 1989 and 1990, and also just recently won that same honor in 2013 (and is the only artist to win the top honor in three different decades) and holds the career record for CMA nominations (as a whole) and the most consecutively of all time.
As of 2009, he holds the record for the most CMA awards. Strait also holds those same records for wins and nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards. Strait was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, performing his then-latest number-one hit "Give it Away" right before accepting his replica Hall of Fame plaque at the 40th CMA Awards. He was only the second artist (after Eddy Arnold in 1966) to be inducted into the Hall of Fame while still actively recording and producing chart-topping hits and albums.
As of June 8, 2010, Strait was named the top country-music artist of the past 25 years according to Billboard. In October 2008, the Academy of Country Music Awards named Strait their Artist of the Decade for the 2000s. He was presented the award by the previous winner Garth Brooks. Past winners of the award are Marty Robbins (1960s), Loretta Lynn (1970s), Alabama (1980s), and Garth Brooks (1990s).[89] With the win of the entertainer-of-the-year award in 2013, he is the only artist to ever win that award in three different decades and also was the oldest winner. The win is currently the longest span between wins for that award, as well. Strait is also tied with Merle Haggard for the most male vocalist-of-the-year awards.
On June 1, 2013, Strait appeared at the Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas, before 70,000 fans in the last concert of the first half of his two-year farewell tour. GovernorRick Perry, who was in attendance with First Lady Anita Thigpen Perry, announced that May 18, Strait's birthday, would be George Strait Day in Texas each year.[90]
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Strait at number 156 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[91]
Alabama is an American country music band formed in Fort Payne, Alabama, in 1969. The band was founded by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry. They were soon joined by another cousin, Jeff Cook. First operating under the name Young Country and later Wildcountry, the group toured the Southeast bar circuit in the early 1970s, and began writing original songs. They changed their name to Alabama in 1977 and following the chart success of two singles, were approached by RCA Records for a recording deal.
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country", as well as writing many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 21 studio albums, including two Christmas albums, and two gospel albums, as well as three greatest-hits albums.
Audrey Faith McGraw, known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American country singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold almost 50 million albums worldwide.
Kenneth Ray Rogers was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted more than 120 hit singles across various genres, topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone. He sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his lifetime, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His fame and career spanned multiple genres: jazz, folk, pop, rock, and country. He remade his career and was one of the most successful cross-over artists of all time.
Martina Mariea McBride is an American country music singer-songwriter. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material.
Kenneth Arnold Chesney is an American country singer. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, he released his debut, In My Wildest Dreams, in 1994, and has since released 19 follow-ups. His albums spawned 27 singles that have peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Jo Dee Marie Messina is an American country music artist. She has charted six number-one singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week number-one songs from the same album. To date, she has two platinum and three gold-certified albums by the RIAA.
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Underwood's single "Inside Your Heaven" (2005) made her the first country artist to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a number-one song on the Hot 100. Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), was bolstered by the successful crossover singles "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats", and became the best-selling debut album of all time by a solo female country artist. She won three Grammy Awards for the album, including Best New Artist. Her next studio album, Carnival Ride (2007), sold over half a million copies in its first week, placed an all-time record-tying four consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and won two Grammy Awards. Her third studio album, Play On (2009), produced the single "Cowboy Casanova", which had one of the biggest single-week upward movements on the Hot 100.
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The group consists of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousin, a brother-in-law of country music singer James Otto, and was previously a member of the contemporary Christian music duo East to West. LeVox and DeMarcus are both natives of Columbus, Ohio.
John David Anderson is an American country singer with a successful career that has lasted more than 40 years. Starting in 1977 with the release of his first single, "I've Got a Feelin' ", Anderson has charted more than 40 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including five number ones: "Wild and Blue", "Swingin'", "Black Sheep", "Straight Tequila Night", and "Money in the Bank". He has also recorded 22 studio albums on several labels. His latest album, Years, was released on April 10, 2020, on the Easy Eye Sound label and was produced by Nashville veteran producer David Ferguson and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.
Jamey Johnson is an American country music singer and songwriter.
Kenneth Eric Church is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's Sinners Like Me, produced three singles on the Billboard country charts including the top 20 hits "How 'Bout You", "Two Pink Lines", and "Guys Like Me".
"Murder on Music Row" is a 1999 song written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell, and originally recorded by American bluegrass group Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, as the title track from their album Murder on Music Row. It gained fame soon after that when it was recorded as a duet between American country music artists George Strait and Alan Jackson. The song laments the rise of country pop and the accompanying decline of the traditional country music sound; it refers to Music Row, an area in Nashville, Tennessee considered the epicenter of the country music industry.
"Amarillo by Morning" is a country music song written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser, and recorded in a country pop style by Stafford as a single in 1973 to minor success. The song would be popularized in a fiddle-based Western rendition by Texas neotraditionalist George Strait in 1982.
"I Saw God Today" is a song written by Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell and Wade Kirby, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in February 2008 as the lead single from his album Troubadour. The song debuted at number 19 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, giving Strait the highest chart debut of his career, as well as his 43rd Billboard Number One.
"Check Yes or No" is a song written by Danny Wells and Dana Hunt Black, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. It was released in September 1995 as the lead single from his box set Strait Out of the Box. It peaked at number-one on both the U.S. Billboard country chart and the Canadian RPM country chart. It was also included as a bonus track on the UK version of the Blue Clear Sky album in 1996.
"The Cowboy Rides Away" is a song written by Sonny Throckmorton and Casey Kelly, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in January 1985 as the second single from his album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. It peaked at number 5 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and at number 3 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. It is the song used by Strait to close out his performances. This is also the name of his final tour commencing January 18, 2013.
Pistol Annies are an American country music group composed of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley. The trio gave its debut performance on April 4, 2011, on the CBS special Academy of Country Music's Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country. The trio have released four studio albums for Sony Music Nashville.
The Cowboy Rides Away Tour was a concert tour by American country music artist George Strait. The tour was divided into two legs: 21 concerts in 2013 and 27 concerts in 2014, for a total of 48 concerts, all in the United States. The tour started on January 18, 2013 in Lubbock, Texas, and ended in Arlington, Texas, on June 7, 2014. Strait was supported on the tour by his longtime eleven-member touring group, the Ace in the Hole Band. Appearing in arenas with six stadium dates included, Strait performed many of his most popular recordings and performance songs, including uptempo hits such as "Here for a Good Time", "Ocean Front Property", "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls", and "Troubadour", and softer ballads such as "I Saw God Today", "The Chair", and "I Can Still Make Cheyenne". His encores included "All My Ex's Live in Texas" and "Folsom Prison Blues", and he closed each show with one of his earliest hit songs, "The Cowboy Rides Away". This song that inspired the name for the tour was written by Sonny Throckmorton and Casey Kelly.
Cody Daniel Johnson is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has self-released six albums, including Gotta Be Me, which debuted at number two on Billboard's Country Albums chart, before releasing his first major-label album, Ain't Nothin' to It, in January 2019. He released his second major-label album, Human: The Double Album, in October 2021. His style is classified as contemporary country and neo-traditionalist country, drawing influences from artists like George Strait and Willie Nelson. His song "'Til You Can't" won two awards at the Country Music Association Awards in 2022. His album “Leather” won the CMA Album of the Year on November 20, 2024.
↑ Dawson, Elisabeth. "George Strait: 10 Prime Hits". CMT. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2021. You can smell the truck stop coffee when you hear this lonely anthem that became one of Strait's signature songs after it was released in 1983.
1 2 Nash, Alanna (April 12, 1991). "Chill of an Early Fall". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Corporal 
