George Strait

At 72 years old, George Strait has this physical status:

Music career

Strait accompanied the country band Stoney Ridge in their early days, responding to a flyer on campus looking for a new vocalist. Strait renamed the group the Ace in the Hole Band and quickly became the leader; they began to perform at various honky-tonks and bars around south and central Texas, as far east as Huntsville and Houston. They gained a regional fanbase and opened the door for national acts like The Texas Playboys. His band was given the opportunity to record several Strait-penned songs, 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 label. However, the songs never gained much acclaim, and Strait continued to run his family cattle ranch during the day to make some extra money.

Strait met Erv Woolsey, who owned one of the Hole bars and had previously worked for MCA Records, while still playing with his band, but had no real connections to the recording business. Woolsey's family's (Nashville) connections encouraged him to come to Texas to watch Strait and his band perform. Impressed by the show but worried that they couldn't sell the band's Western Swing sound, they were left with no contract.

After several failed attempts to find a record deal in which Strait was refused by every store chain, he considered putting down music altogether. He was given a job designing cattle pens and decided to pursue it. He told the band that he was leaving, but his wife told him that he should wait a year longer. MCA signed Strait to a recording deal in February 1981, not long afterward. The initial offer was for a single song. If the single did well, the brand might consider recording an album. The Ace in the Hole band stayed with Strait, performing as the back-up and touring band for Strait's now solo career.

Strait's first single for MCA Records, titled "Unwound," debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart this year, and was included on his debut album Strait Country in 1981. "Down and Out," a Strait hit, and "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)" were two more singles on the record, including "Down and Out" and "If You Want a Stranger."

Strait Country was praised by critics as a "new-traditionalist" breakthrough that broke the pop-influenced country's trend at the time. Strait from the Heart's second album, "Fool Hearted Memory," was released in 1982, and "Amarillo by Morning" became Strait's top-five Western ballad "Amarillo by Morning" became one of Strait's signature songs. Strait attended his first appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1983, when headlining star Eddie Rabbitt became sick with the flu. Since being a member of the rodeo, he has since been a mainstay in his career. He has appeared at more than 20 rodeo appearances and has performed for more than 20 thousand people.

Strait's first two albums Those are the People, Not the Ones That Counted During the decade, a string of five that spanned 1983 to 1984, from his first two albums Right or Wrong, his first number one album, and the CMA award-winning Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. He received the CMA award for best male vocalist in the first year and launched his first greatest hits compilation, which featured songs from his first three albums. Strait released Something Special, his third-straight number-one album, in 1985, as well as the number-one hit "The Chair." Strait's fourth top-one album #7 debuted in 1986, and he remained as the year's best CMA vocalist of the year.

Strait and his family were devastated when his 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a one-car, alcohol-unrelated accident in 1986. She was riding her Ford Mustang driven by Gregory Wilson Allen, 18, of Staples, Texas. Allen was later charged with a class A misdemeanor for driving homicide. "The responding trooper determined the accident to be excessive speed and that the car did not properly negotiate the turn," spokesman Mike Cox of the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin said. Jenifer was riding in the front row, and none of the four passengers was wearing seat belts at the time. Jenifer was partially ejected when the vehicle turned over onto its passenger's side, killing her on impact. Strait had to greatly limit his contact with the media as a result of the incident. After the crash, he stopped doing interviews; he and his family did not want to worry about Jenifer's death;

His depression did not stop his performance, or his output, as he went on to produce 11 straight number-one hits, beginning with "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" in 1986 and ending with "Ace in the Hole" in 1989. The singles were released in four collections, including #7, Ocean Front Property in 1987, If You Ain't Livin' in 1988, and 1989's Beyond the Blue Neon, all of which reached the top-one position on country album charts. Ocean Front Property was the first country album to debut at number one on the charts by any artist. "Ocean Front Property," "All My Ex's Live in Texas," "Famous Last Words of a Fool," and "Baby Blue" were among the streak's songs. Strait marked the end of the decade by winning the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1989. He received the award a year later this year.

Strait's 10th studio album, Livin' It Up, debuted two number-one hits, including "Love Without End, Amen," his first multiweek hit, and "I've Come to Expect It From You." In 1990, both songs remained first for five weeks. The Chill of an Early Fall was released in 1991 shortly after, receiving rave reviews. Strait went from "repeating himself" in his previous jobs to producing new content, according to Entertainment Weekly. The number one hits "If I Know Me" and "You Know Me Better Than That" were among his top-ten hits, but it came with the cover of "Lovesick Blues," which peaked at number 24. With its peak of number four, the record ended his run of eight top-charting albums, with his highest being blocked. Holding My Own was first published in the spring of 1992. It did not have any number one songs, but did have two top-five hits, including "So Much Like My Dad."

Strait played the main character in the film Pure Country in 1992 and later released the film's soundtrack. It was his most commercial studio album, with hits such as "Heartland," "I Cross My Heart," and "When Did You Stop Loving Me" and "When Did You Stop Loving Me" on the Country and Billboard 200 album charts. The success of his new album, "I'd Like to Have That One Back," "The Man in Love with You," and the number-one title track all appeared on the Billboard 200.

Lead On's four albums, including Lead On, Blue Clear Sky in 1996, Carrying Your Love With Me in 1997, and 1998's One Step At a Time, all charted at number one, with Blue Clear Sky claiming first place on the Billboard 200 for the first time in Strait's career. "You Can't Make a Heart Love Somebody," "Carried Away," "One Night at a Time," and "I Just Want to Dance With You" are eight number one singles for Strait.

Strait Out of the Box, a four-disc, box-set career retrospective, was also released in 1995, becoming the second-best selling box set ever with 8 million shipments in the United States. In 1997 and 1998, he was voted the Top Male Vocalist in the CMA. Strait headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival, which featured artists such as Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, and others, beginning in 1997 and running until 2001.

The festival promised not to attend any market more than twice in an attempt to bring these shows to as many people as possible. It was only a handful of dates, generally no more than 20 years, but it was still the ninth-largest grossing tour of 1998.

Strait finished the decade with the release of Always Never the Same in 1999, which peaked at number two on country charts and tied Pure Country's cross-over triumph by reaching number six on the Billboard 200. "What Do You Say to That," "Meanwhile," and the number one "Write This Down" were among the hits on the album. Overall, the album's reviews were mixed, but Entertainment Weekly discovered that Strait could capture the "most elastic" content and "make it soar" on the radio with his "grace." Strait earned 17 number-one hits on the Billboard country airplay charts in the decade, extending his success into the next century.

Strait released a self-titled album in 2000, despite a number-one and number-seven debuts on the country and Billboard 200 album charts, respectively, there were no number-one singles in the country and Billboard 200 album charts, and it was his first studio album of his career to not be certified platinum. The singles "Go On" and "If You Can Do Anything Else" were among the first singles to be released from the charts, with both of them ranked in the top five. The Road Less Traveled was released in May 2001. Overall, reviews for the album were mostly positive; Rolling Stone characterized it as sticking to the formula, "but there are a few improvements that make it better than his previous few albums." It was described by some commentators as an experimental album. 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 "Life and Well," with the former reaching the top 30 on Billboard Hot 100, with Strait at number 23. The single "Run" reached number two and landed at number 34 on the Billboard 100. In 2003, Strait set two records. Live from the Astrodome was a recording of the last Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which took place in the Astrodome. With 68,266 people attending the spectacle, Selena's previous record of 67,000 people was beaten, beating Latin superstar Selena's previous record of 67,000 in 1995.

Honkytonkville's newest album was described as "a ferocious set of hard country" and was lauded "for its blend of the old Strait with his younger, superstar self." It didn't produce any number one for Strait, but it did feature "Cowboys Like Us" and a preview of Bruce Robison's "Deathly." With 68,679 fans, Reliant Stadium set a new rodeo attendance record. He released "Fool Hearted Memory" and "She'll Leave You With a Smile" in the year's top hits package, a lifetime record, spanning the top hits of his career, beginning with "Fool Hearted Memory" and ending with "She'll Leave You With a Smile." In 2004, his fifth overall number one, "I Hate Everything," was also included, earning him his 51st overall number one.

Somewhere Down in Texas debuted in 2005, a Texas firm that made the hit "You'll Be There," marking Strait's first appearance on the adult contemporary chart. He began performing only 18 shows last year but the tour took in more than $20 million. He attributed this to the fact that his band and he are "very tight," have a huge library of songs to choose from, and perform those songs in a manner similar to their albums.

Strait's 30th year in the music industry came with the apprehension of a new album titled It Just Comes Natural on October 3, 2006. The album was recorded in Key West, Florida, by Jimmy Buffett's Shrimp Boat Sound Studio (said to be a better recording location due to a lack of allergy flare-ups during recording process), which was also the recording location of Troubadour. It contained 15 new songs. Dean Dillon, Strait's long-time friend and songwriter, co-wrote two of the songs on the album. Critics generally recommend it. "If ever there was a natural in country music, it's Strait," people said, while USA Today blasted that "he keeps such consistent quality look effortless." "Get It Away," the album's first single, made it to number one, as the first songwriter and country legend, "Whispering Bill" Anderson, the first songwriter to have a number-one hit in five decades, reached number one. "It Just Comes Natural" became his 42nd Billboard number one, with "It Just Comes Natural" being his 42nd Billboard number one.

"Wrapped" debuted on the Mediabase 24/7 country music charts in 2007, giving Strait his 55th overall number one single. Strait headlined a 23-date arena tour with country-music legend Ronnie Milsap and then-newcomer Taylor Swift from January to April of this year. On April 1, 2008, he released Troubadour, a new album. Patty Loveless' duet and another with long-time songwriter Dean Dillon were among the CD's 12 tracks on the album. "I Saw God Today" -- the album's lead single, debuted at number 19 on the Radio and Records and Billboard charts. It's the fourth-highest debut for a song in country-music history. In its first week of introduction, Troubadour debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 album charts, selling over 160,000 copies in the first week. In 2009, "River of Love," the album's third single, became his 57th top-one song.

The Academy of Country Music awarded Strait with the Artist of the Decade Award in April 2009, which was presented to Strait by the previous ACM Artist of the Decade, Garth Brooks. He headlined the first Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in June of this year. Strait's single "Life for the Night" was published on May 28, 2009, and was written by Strait, his son Bubba, and Dean Dillon. The album Twang's lead single was released on August 11, 2009. Twang was awarded gold for 500,000 copies.

Billboard ranked Strait # 1 in the top 25 country artists of the last 25 years in 2010. Strait unveiled the album "Here for a Good Time" and "Love's Gonna Make It Alright" on September 6, 2011. Strait dropped Strait's number one singles total to 59. "Drinkin' Man," the album's third single, was less popular, peaking at number 37.

Strait released the single "Get It All We Got Tonight," which was included on his album Love Is Everything, which was released on May 14, 2013. The song's launch of a "60 for 60" campaign by Strait's company, earning the song his 60th number one single on all country charts while he was still 60 years old. In May 2013, the song debuted on the Mediabase charts at number one. "I Believe," the album's new single, debuted at number 50 on the US Country Airplay chart, making it Strait's first single to fail to crack the top 40. Strait received the 2013 CMA Entertainer of the Year award.

During the 10th annual Billboard Touring Awards ceremony in November 2013, Billboard presented Strait with the Legend of Live award. The award is given to the best artist in the concert industry based on Billboard's Boxscore chart and box-office results. Strait is the first country artist to be honoured with Billboard's top touring award. Strait performed "All My Ex's Lives in Texas" and his latest album "Let it Go" on April 19, 2015.

Strait was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country," "On the Road Again," "I Will Always Love You" and "I Will Always Love You" in 2016, which honors 50 years of the CMA Awards.

Strait launched "Codigo," a Strait brand of tequila manufactured by a company in which he had invested.

Strait announced on September 26, 2012, that he was moving to Perth, and that his Cowboy Rides Away Tour would be his last. In a matter of hours, tickets for both arenas and stadiums on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour sold out. The tour began in Lubbock, Texas, on January 18, 2013 and was divided into two legs: 21 concerts in 2013 and 26 in 2014. On June 7, 2014, the tour ended in Arlington, Texas. Strait was assisted on the tour by his long-serving 11-member touring band, The Ace in the Hole Band. Martina McBride was the first performer on the 2013 leg.

Strait began the second leg of the tour on January 9, 2014, with opening singer Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Keith Watson, Merle Haggard, Ronnie Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Dennis Jackson, Ron Williams, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, and Asleep at the Wheel. Hundreds of these entertainers all gathered in Arlington for the tour's last show on Friday, the most sold-out show at a single-show concert in the United States, according to the 104,793 fans. The concert also set a record for the largest indoor concert ever produced in the United States, breaking the 33-year-old record for "the biggest indoor concert ever" on December 5, 1981, followed by George Thorogood and the Destroyers).

Live from AT&T Stadium's final concert in Arlington, The Cowboy Rides Away, 2014, was released on September 16, 2014, with Walmart exclusives including two CDs as well as a DVD/CD of the show. The whole over three hours performance is on DVD, and the accompanying two CDs have 28 of the 40 songs performed that night. The Country Music Television channel broadcast a two-hour concert special titled George Strait: Away on August 29, 2014. The concert and interviews were included in this CMT concert special.

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