George Strait facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Strait
Strait performing at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas during his last concert in his farewell tour, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, circa 2014.
Background information
Birth name	George Harvey Strait Sr.
Born	(1952-05-18) May 18, 1952 (age 73) Poteet, Texas, U.S.
Origin	Pearsall, Texas
Genres	Neotraditional country Texas country Western swing honky-tonk
Occupations	Singer songwriter actor record producer rancher
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1976–present
Labels	MCA (MCA Nashville) D Records
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1971–1975
Rank	Corporal
Unit	25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks

George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. He is known as the "King of Country Music" because of his huge influence on the genre.

George Strait has sold over 120 million records around the world. This makes him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds a record for having the most albums certified platinum or gold by the RIAA. He has 33 albums that have reached this status.

Strait helped start the neotraditional country style in the 1980s. This sound brought back traditional country music. He was famous for his real cowboy image and classic country sound. At that time, much of the music in Nashville was more like pop music.

His career began in the 1970s, playing with his band Ace in the Hole in Texas honky-tonks. His first big hit was "Unwound" in 1981. This song helped bring the new traditional country style to many listeners. He has won many awards, including Artist of the Decade from the Academy of Country Music. He is also in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Strait holds the record for the most number-one songs by any artist in any music genre. He has also set records for concert attendance. In 2024, he played for over 110,905 people at Kyle Field in Texas. This was the largest ticketed concert for a single artist in U.S. history.

Early Life and Family

George Harvey Strait Sr. was born on May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas. His parents were John Byron Strait Sr. and Doris Jean Couser.

He grew up in Pearsall. His father was a math teacher and owned a large cattle ranch. George and his older brother, John "Buddy" Jr., spent weekends and summers working on the ranch. When George was in fourth grade, his parents divorced. He and his brother stayed with their father.

Strait started his music journey in high school. He played in a rock and roll band called the Stoics. They were inspired by the Beatles. Later, he began to love country music. Singers like Hank Thompson and Merle Haggard influenced his style. He learned about country music mostly from live shows in Texas towns.

Marriage and Military Service

George Strait married his high school sweetheart, Norma Voss, in December 1971. They eloped in Mexico. That same year, he joined the United States Army as an infantryman.

While serving in Hawaii, he performed with an Army country music band. They were called Rambling Country. On October 6, 1972, George and Norma had their first child, a daughter named Jenifer. Strait served in the Army from 1971 to 1975. He reached the rank of corporal.

Higher Education and Ranching

After leaving the Army in 1975, George Strait went to Southwest Texas State University. This school is now called Texas State University in San Marcos. He earned a degree in agriculture.

In 2006, his university gave him an honorary doctoral degree. Strait is a very supportive former student. In 1985, he started a fund to help the university's ranch. This fund also provides scholarships for students.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1970s

George Strait had his first performance at Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, Texas on October 13, 1975.

During college, Strait joined a country band called Stoney Ridge. He became the lead singer and renamed the group the Ace in the Hole Band. They played in many honky-tonks and bars across Texas. The band became popular locally. They even opened for famous groups like Asleep at the Wheel.

Strait recorded some songs with an independent label called D Records. But these songs did not become widely known. So, Strait kept working on his family's cattle ranch to earn money.

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.

Strait wanted a record deal. He became friends with Erv Woolsey, who worked for MCA Records. Woolsey helped Strait get a chance to play for music executives in Nashville. They liked his performance but were not sure about his Western swing sound.

After many tries, Strait almost gave up on music. He was offered a job designing cattle pens. But his wife convinced him to try for one more year. Soon after, MCA signed him in 1981. His first deal was for just one song. If it did well, they would consider an album. The Ace in the Hole band stayed with Strait as his backup band.

Success in the 1980s

In 1981, Strait released his first single for MCA, "Unwound." It quickly became a top-10 hit. His first album, Strait Country, was praised for bringing back traditional country music. His second album, Strait from the Heart (1982), had his first number-one song, "Fool Hearted Memory." It also featured the popular Western song "Amarillo by Morning." This song became one of Strait's most famous.

"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.

In 1983, Strait performed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for the first time. He has played there many times since, for over a million fans. During the 1980s, he had 17 number-one hits. His albums Right or Wrong and Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind both reached number one.

In 1985, he won the CMA award for top male vocalist. He also released his first greatest hits album. His album Something Special also hit number one. It included the popular song "The Chair."

In 1986, a sad event happened in George Strait's family. His 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, died in a car accident. This tragedy led George to limit his contact with the media for many years. He and his family chose not to talk about her death publicly. The family created the Jenifer Lyn Strait Foundation to help children's charities.

Despite his grief, Strait continued to make music. He had 11 number-one hits in a row from 1986 to 1989. These songs came from albums like Ocean Front Property and Beyond the Blue Neon. Ocean Front Property was the first country album to debut at number one. Songs like "All My Ex's Live in Texas" became very popular. Strait ended the decade by winning the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1989 and 1990.

The 1990s and Beyond

Strait performing live at the 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland on April 7, 2008

In the 1990s, Strait released his 10th album, Livin' It Up. It featured "Love Without End, Amen", which was his first song to stay at number one for several weeks. His album Chill of an Early Fall (1991) also had number-one hits.

In 1992, Strait starred in the movie Pure Country. He played a country singer named Dusty Chandler. The movie's soundtrack became his most successful album. It included hits like "I Cross My Heart." His next albums, such as Easy Come, Easy Go (1993) and Blue Clear Sky (1996), also topped the charts.

In 1995, Strait released a four-disc collection called Strait Out of the Box. It included new songs like "Check Yes or No," which became a number-one hit. This collection sold millions of copies. He was named CMA's Top Male Vocalist in 1997 and 1998.

From 1997 to 2001, Strait organized the George Strait Country Music Festival. This festival featured many famous artists like Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. It was a very successful tour. Strait finished the 1990s with the album Always Never the Same. It had the number-one hit "Write This Down." He had 17 number-one hits in the 1990s.

The 2000s and 2010s

Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour, XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut, February 23, 2013

In 2000, Strait released a self-titled album. In 2001, The Road Less Traveled came out. It included "She'll Leave You with a Smile," which was his 50th number-one song.

In 2003, he released For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome. This was a recording of his last performance at the famous Astrodome in Houston. His 2004 album, 50 Number Ones, celebrated his many number-one hits. It also had a new song, "I Hate Everything," which became his 51st number one.

Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour, XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut, February 23, 2013

In 2006, Strait released It Just Comes Natural to celebrate 30 years in music. The song "Give It Away" from this album became a number-one hit. In 2008, he released Troubadour, which won a Grammy Award.

In 2009, Strait received the Artist of the Decade Award from the Academy of Country Music. He also broke Conway Twitty's record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. By 2011, he had 59 number-one singles. In 2013, he won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award again.

Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, March 1, 2014

In 2013, Billboard honored Strait with the Legend of Live award. He was the first country artist to receive this top touring award. In 2016, he was part of "Forever Country," a song celebrating 50 years of the CMA Awards. In 2018, he released a new song called "Codigo."

The Cowboy Rides Away Tour

Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour, XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut, February 23, 2013

On September 26, 2012, George Strait announced he would stop touring regularly. His "Cowboy Rides Away Tour" would be his last. Tickets for the shows sold out very quickly. The tour began in January 2013 and ended in June 2014. His band, the Ace in the Hole Band, joined him. Many famous country artists opened for him, including Martina McBride and Jason Aldean.

The final concert was in Arlington, Texas, on June 7, 2014. It had 104,793 fans, setting a new record for the largest indoor concert in North America. A live album and DVD of this concert were released later.

2020s and New Records

George Strait continued to make history in the 2020s. On June 15, 2024, he broke his own record for the most fans at a U.S. concert by a single artist. He performed at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, for 110,905 fans. This show also set a new record for Kyle Field itself.

Musical Style

George Strait's music is known as neotraditional country. This style uses traditional country instruments like the fiddle and pedal steel guitar. His music is also called Texas country, Western swing, and honky-tonk.

Personal Life and Charity

Strait married his high school sweetheart, Norma, in 1971. Their daughter, Jenifer, was born in 1972. Their son, George Harvey Strait Jr., known as "Bubba," was born in 1981.

In 1986, his daughter Jenifer passed away at age 13. The family created the Jenifer Lyn Strait Foundation. This foundation gives money to children's charities in the San Antonio area. George Strait Jr. is a graduate of Texas A&M and has competed in Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association team-roping.

Strait at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in 2005

Since 2010, Strait has supported the Wrangler National Patriot program. This program helps wounded military veterans and their families. He also appeared in commercials for Tractor Supply Company.

In 2012, George Strait became a grandfather. His son Bubba and his wife Tamara had a son named George Harvey Strait III. From 1983 to 2017, Strait hosted an annual team-roping event. It was called The George Strait Team Roping Classic.

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 private jet. He also worked with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to help with disaster relief after Hurricane Harvey. Strait and his friend Tom Cusick created the Vaqueros Del Mar Invitational Golf Tournament and Concert. This event raises money for the Troops First Foundation, which helps wounded service members. Since 2012, they have raised over $5 million.

In 2018, George Strait was named the 2018 Texan of the Year. This award recognized his efforts to help after Hurricane Harvey.

Discography

George Strait has recorded music for over 30 years, all with MCA Records. He has had 61 number-one songs on all country charts. This is more number-one hits than any other artist in a single music style. He has 44 Billboard country number-one hits, which is a record.

Strait is the only artist in Billboard history to have a top-10 hit every year for 30 years, starting in 1981. He has sold over 70 million records in the United States. He has many gold, platinum, and multiplatinum albums.

Filmography

George Strait has acted in a few movies. He had a small part in The Soldier (1982). He also starred in Pure Country (1992). He appeared as himself in Grand Champion (2002) and Pure Country 2: The Gift (2010). He also voiced a character in King of the Hill (2003).

In Pure Country, Strait played Dusty Chandler, a famous country singer. The movie's soundtrack became his best-selling album.

Honors and Awards

George Strait Country Music Hall of Fame plaque

George Strait holds many records in country music. He has the most number-one albums and singles. He also has the most gold, platinum, and multiplatinum albums. He is third only to Elvis Presley and The Beatles for the most gold and platinum albums in music history.

Strait is the 12th best-selling artist in American history. He has sold 70 million records in the United States. Since 2013, he has held the world record for most number-one hits across all charts and genres, with 60 songs. He is also the only artist to have a top-10 hit every year for 30 years.

He has won 22 CMA Awards. This includes Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990, and 2013. He is the only artist to win this top award in three different decades. He also holds the record for the most CMA nominations and wins.

Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. He was only the second artist to be inducted while still actively making hit songs and albums. In 2008, the Academy of Country Music Awards named Strait their Artist of the Decade for the 2000s.

On June 1, 2013, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced that May 18, Strait's birthday, would be "George Strait Day" in Texas every year. In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Strait among the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Images for kids

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  Strait performing at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas during his last concert in his farewell tour, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, circa 2014.

See also

In Spanish: George Strait para niños