May 18
Today is the birthday of George Strait. He is 74 today.
George Harvey Strait was born in Poteet, Texas on May 18, 1952 — the strawberry capital of Texas, deep in the South Texas brush country. He grew up on a ranch outside Pearsall and joined the army, where he played in a country band. He came back to Texas, enrolled at Southwest Texas State University, and formed the Ace in the Hole Band. He played the honky-tonk circuit across Texas for years before MCA Records signed him in 1981.
Sixty Number Ones
“Unwound” was his first charting single. Then came “Fool Hearted Memory” at No. 1 in 1982. Then the hits simply did not stop. Strait accumulated 60 No. 1 singles on the Billboard country charts — more than any other artist in any genre. He did it without chasing trends. He wore a cowboy hat and played traditional country music at a moment when the industry was moving toward pop crossover. He became the reason the movement failed. He won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1985, 1986, 2008, and 2013. Find his place items on Texas Music Map and learn more at the Texas State Historical Association.