Category Archives: George Strait

Out of all the new country singers to emerge in the early ’80s, George Strait stayed the closest to traditional country. Drawing from both the honky tonk and Western swing traditions, Strait didn’t refashion the genres; instead, he revitalized them for a new decade. In the process, he became one of the most successful and influential singers of the decade, sparking a wave of neo-traditionalist singers from Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam to Clint Black, Garth Brooks, and Alan Jackson.

Strait was born and raised in Texas, the son of a junior high school teacher who also owned and operated a ranch that had been in the Strait family for nearly hundred years. When George was a child, his mother departed the family, taking her daughter but leaving behind her sons with the father. at a time of his childhood, he would spend his weekdays in town and his weekends on the ranch. Strait started playing music as a teenager, joining a rock & roll garage group. After his high-school graduation in the late ’60s, Strait enrolled in college but soon dropped out and eloped with his high-school sweetheart, Norma. In 1971, Strait enlisted in the Army; two years later, he was stationed Hawaii. while in Hawaii, he started performing country music, initially with an Army-sponsored country group called Rambling Country. They played several dates off the base under the name Santee. Strait exited the Army in 1975, returning to Texas with the intent of completing his education. He enrolled in Southwest Texas State University at San Marcos, where he studied agriculture. during he was studying, he formed his own country band, Ace in the Hole.

Ace in the Hole made a few records for the independent Dallas-based label D in the late ’70s, but they never went anywhere. Toward the end of the decade, Strait attempted to carve out a niche in Nashville, but he failed since he lacked any strong connections. In 1979, he became friends with Erv Woolsey, a Texas club owner who had formerly worked for MCA Records. Woolsey had several MCA executives come down to Texas to hear Strait. His performance convinced the company to sign him in 1980. “Unwound,” Strait’s first single, was released in the spring of 1981 and climbed into the Top Ten. The follow-up, “Down and Out,” stalled at 16, but “If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home)” reached number three in early 1982. The song sparked a remarkable string of Top Ten hits that ran well into the ’90s. during that time he had an astonishing 31 number one singles, beginning with 1982’s “Fool Hearted Memory.”

Throughout the ’80s, he dominated the country singles charts, and his units consistently went platinum or gold. Strait rarely abandoned hardcore honky tonk and Western swing — toward the beginning of the ’90s, his sound became a little slicker, but it was only a relative change. Strait was also one of the few ’80s superstars to survive the generational shift of the early ’90s that began with the phenomenal success of Brooks. In 1992, he made his first movie, Pure Country, which featured him in the lead role. Strait released a four-disc box set career retrospective, Strait Out of the Box, in 1995. By the spring of 1996, it had become one of the five biggest-selling box sets in successful material history. Blue Clear Sky, his 1996 album, debuted on the country charts at number one and the pop charts at number seven. In 1997, he issued Carrying Your Love with Me, not long after it with One Step at a Time in 1998. Always Never the Same appeared a year later, as did the seasonal effort Merry Christmas Wherever You Are. The simply titled George Strait, featuring the hit single “Go On,” hit the shelves in late 2000.

Did Strait slow down? Nay. The following year saw the release of The Road Less Traveled, which qualified as an experimental record of sorts for the veteran performer. during it didn’t stray very far from his new traditionalist country sound, Road did include a foray into vocal processing that was about as country as a twosome of stiletto-healed cowboy boots. But the experimentation was welcome, for it revealed that Strait was still hungry, even after millions upon millions of records sold. Strait issued two projects in 2003. For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome chronicled his headlining set at the last Houston Livestock and Rodeo ever held in the big Texas dome, while Honkytonkville was a fiery set of hard country, lauded by critics for its mixture of the old Strait with his modern, superstar self. Somewhere Down in Texas arrived in 2005, followed by It Just Comes Natural in 2006 and Troubadour and the holiday album Classic Christmas in 2008. Twang, co-produced by Strait and Tony Brown, appeared in 2009.

2013 CMA Award Winners!

Posted on by

It was an exciting night in Music City as the nation’s TOP country music talent gathered to celebrate a successful year of recording, touring, and giving fans the music they love so much. Without further ado, here are YOUR 2013 CMA Award winners! Entertainer of the Year: George Strait Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town Album of the Year: Based on a True Story, Blake Shelton, Scott Hendricks (producer) New Artist of the Year: Kacey Musgraves Vocal Duo of the Year: Florida Georgia Line Song of the Year: “I Drive Your Truck,” Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington and Jimmy Yeary Single of the Year: “Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line, Joey Moi (producer) Musical Event: “Highway Don’t Care,” Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban Music Video: “Highway Don’t Care,” Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Shane Drake (director) Musician: Mac McAnally

QUICKEN LOANS TO BECOME THE PRESENTING SPONSOR OF GEORGE STRAIT’S THE COWBOY RIDES AWAY TOUR 2014

Posted on by

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 05, 2013) — Quicken Loans Inc., the nation’s largest online mortgage lender, today announced it will be the presenting sponsor for the final leg of George Strait’s The Cowboy Rides Away Tour 2014. Quicken Loans joins a highly successful tour, where 16 tour stops are completely sold out and only four more venues have yet to release tickets for sale. Strait’s highly anticipated show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena sold out within six minutes of going on sale Friday, Oct. 25. “It is an absolute honor to sponsor George Strait’s final tour,” said Jay Farner, Quicken Loans President and Chief Marketing Officer. “George means so much to country music fans everywhere, and we can’t wait to help him create a concert experience of a lifetime for those who have supported him for so many years. Plus, we’re hoping he refers some of his ‘ex’s in Texas’ to us for a mortgage.”   Find out more straight from the source! http://ebmediapr.com/georgestrait/545-quicken-loans-to-become-presenting-sponsor-of-george-straits-the-cowboy-rides-away-tour-2014

George Strait 2014 Cowboy Rides Away Tour Details

Posted on by

GEORGE STRAIT ANNOUNCES 2014 DATES FOR FINAL LEG OF THE COWBOY RIDES AWAY TOUR Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, and Chris Young Announced as Special Guests on 2014 Tour Dates. . . . . . ARLINGTON, Texas – Musical icon George Strait has announced the dates for the second leg of his final two-year tour – The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. In a press conference streamed live on georgestrait.com from AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, earlier today, Strait revealed the final 26 markets he will visit during the winter and spring legs of his 2014 tour. Additionally, Strait revealed he will have special guests on each tour weekend that will be matched with the corresponding tour date and market via a “tweet to unlock” campaign. Special guests will include Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Young, and more. “The first leg of the tour earlier this year was very fun, but also very emotional,” said Strait. “Every city and venue holds such great memories. I’m really looking forward to seeing our fans out on the road in 2014.” George Strait fan club members will have an opportunity to purchase tickets during a pre-sale period beginning at 10 a.m. in the venue’s respective time zone on Tuesday, September 24. Additionally, American Express® Cardmembers can purchase tickets before the general public. Tickets available to the general public will go on sale in select markets beginning Sept. 27 at 10:00 a.m. (time zone restraints apply) at www.georgestrait.com. The Cowboy Rides Away Tour 2014 dates are as follows: January 9, 2014 CenturyLink│Bossier City, La. January 10, 2014 Frank Erwin Center│Austin, Texas January 17, 2014 CenturyLink Center│Omaha, Neb. January 18, 2014 Sprint Center│Kansas City, Mo. January 30, 2014 SAP Center│San Jose, Calif. January 31, 2014 Valley View Casino Center│San Diego, Calif. February 1, 2014 MGM Grand Arena│Las Vegas, Nev. February 7, 2014 US Airways Center│Phoenix, Ariz. February 8, 2014 Staples Center│Los Angeles, Calif. February 14, 2014 The Palace of Auburn Hills │Auburn Hills, Mich. February 15, 2014 Nationwide Arena│Columbus, Ohio February 28, 2014 Wells Fargo Arena│Philadelphia, Pa. March 1, 2014 Prudential Center│Newark, N.J. March 7, 2014 KFC Yum! Arena│Louisville, Ky. March 8, 2014 Allstate Arena│Chicago, Ill. March 21, 2014 Bridgestone Arena│Nashville, Tenn. March 22, 2014 Philips Arena│Atlanta, Ga. April 4, 2014 Intrust Bank Arena│ Wichita, Kan. April 5, 2014 Pepsi Center│Denver, Colo. April 11, 2014 The Moda Center│Portland, Ore. April 12, 2014 Tacoma Dome│Tacoma, Wash. April 18, 2014 Wells Fargo Arena│Des Moines, Iowa April 19, 2014 BOK Arena│Tulsa, Okla. May 23, 2014 LSU Tiger Stadium Bayou Country Superfest │Baton Rouge, La. May 31, 2014 Gillette Stadium │ Foxborough, Mass. TBD AT&T Stadium │Dallas, Texas **Update 9/10/2013**George Strait has announced his special guests that will perform with him at 6 cities during his ‘Cowboy Rides Away Tour’. The Texas Continue reading George Strait 2014 Cowboy Rides Away Tour Details→

George Strait Live Press Conference – 2014 Concert Tour Dates

Posted on by

OFFICIAL GEORGE STRAIT 2014 TOUR SCHEDULE: In a press conference hosted today by King George himself, the final dates for the 2014 George Strait Cowboy Rides Away tour were announced. Opening acts will change from one week to the next. Some of these acts include Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Young, and more. The final show of the tour will be the big extravaganza with a HUGE list of grade A talent! . . . The Cowboy Rides Away Tour 2014 dates are as follows: January 9, 2014 CenturyLink • Bossier City, La. January 10, 2014 Frank Erwin Center • Austin, Texas January 17, 2014 CenturyLink Center • Omaha, Neb. January 18, 2014 Sprint Center • Kansas City, Mo. January 30, 2014 SAP Center • San Jose, Calif. January 31, 2014 Valley View Casino Center • San Diego, Calif. February 1, 2014 MGM Grand Arena • Las Vegas, Nev. February 7, 2014 US Airways Center • Phoenix, Ariz. February 8, 2014 Staples Center • Los Angeles, Calif. February 14, 2014 The Palace of Auburn Hills • Auburn Hills, Mich. February 15, 2014 Nationwide Arena • Columbus, Ohio February 28, 2014 Wells Fargo Arena • Philadelphia, Pa. March 1, 2014 Prudential Center • Newark, N.J. March 7, 2014 KFC Yum! Arena • Louisville, Ky. March 8, 2014 Allstate Arena • Chicago, Ill. March 21, 2014 Bridgestone Arena • Nashville, Tenn. March 22, 2014 Philips Arena • Atlanta, Ga. April 4, 2014 Intrust Bank Arena • Wichita, Kan. April 5, 2014 Pepsi Center • Denver, Colo. April 11, 2014 The Moda Center • Portland, Ore. April 12, 2014 Tacoma Dome • Tacoma, Wash. April 18, 2014 Wells Fargo Arena • Des Moines, Iowa April 19, 2014 BOK Arena • Tulsa, Okla. May 23, 2014 LSU Tiger Stadium Bayou Country Superfest • Baton Rouge, La. May 31, 2014 Gillette Stadium • Foxborough, Mass. TBD AT&T Stadium • Dallas, Texas As we all know, this will NOT be George Strait’s last live concert, but he does state that it will be his last full headlining tour. To watch the official press conference feed of George Strait’s tour announcement, just press play below! Soundcheck:

George Strait Final 2014 Tour Dates

Posted on by

George Strait To Announce Final Tour Dates For 2014 On September 9th **Updated 9/10/2013** George Strait has announced his special guests that will perform with him at 6 cities during his ‘Cowboy Rides Away Tour’. The Texas Cowboy says that fellow Texan Miranda Lambert will join him for two shows in San Diego at the Valley View Casino on January 31st and at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas on Feb. 1st. He also noted that Martina McBride would join him for three shows. They will be Los Angeles at the Staples Center on Feb. 8th, Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Arena on Feb. 28th and at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on March 1st. Strait also announce that Little Big Town would be his special guests for his show at the Palace in Auburn Hills, MI on Feb. 14th. Strait will announce other special guests in the near future. The Cowboy Rides Away Tour 2014 dates are as follows: January 9, 2014 CenturyLink│Bossier City, La. January 10, 2014 Frank Erwin Center│Austin, Texas January 17, 2014 CenturyLink Center│Omaha, Neb. January 18, 2014 Sprint Center│Kansas City, Mo. January 30, 2014 SAP Center│San Jose, Calif. January 31, 2014 Valley View Casino Center│San Diego, Calif. February 1, 2014 MGM Grand Arena│Las Vegas, Nev. February 7, 2014 US Airways Center│Phoenix, Ariz. February 8, 2014 Staples Center│Los Angeles, Calif. February 14, 2014 The Palace of Auburn Hills │Auburn Hills, Mich. February 15, 2014 Nationwide Arena│Columbus, Ohio February 28, 2014 Wells Fargo Arena│Philadelphia, Pa. March 1, 2014 Prudential Center│Newark, N.J. March 7, 2014 KFC Yum! Arena│Louisville, Ky. March 8, 2014 Allstate Arena│Chicago, Ill. March 21, 2014 Bridgestone Arena│Nashville, Tenn. March 22, 2014 Philips Arena│Atlanta, Ga. April 4, 2014 Intrust Bank Arena│ Wichita, Kan. April 5, 2014 Pepsi Center│Denver, Colo. April 11, 2014 The Moda Center│Portland, Ore. April 12, 2014 Tacoma Dome│Tacoma, Wash. April 18, 2014 Wells Fargo Arena│Des Moines, Iowa April 19, 2014 BOK Arena│Tulsa, Okla. May 23, 2014 LSU Tiger Stadium Bayou Country Superfest │Baton Rouge, La. May 31, 2014 Gillette Stadium │ Foxborough, Mass. TBD AT&T Stadium │Dallas, Texas **Update 9/10/2013** This was JUST posted to ALL Of George Strait‘s social outlets, and on George Strait’s official website: “Want to learn what cities George Strait will perform in during 2014 for the final leg of The Cowboy Rides Away Tour as they are revealed? Watch George’s press conference live from the iconic AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, Monday, Sept. 9 beginning at 11:00 a.m. CDT at www.GeorgeStrait.com. In the meantime, you can re-watch last year’s announcement from Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum below. Live tweet to help us spread the word by using @georgestrait and #cowboyridesaway.”

George Strait Love Is Everything Album Details

Posted on by

George Strait Releases His Latest Album, Love Is Everything. Yesterday, May 14, George Strait released his latest studio album, Love Is Everything. The album includes his current single and latest #1, “Give It All We Got Tonight.” I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it and as George would say, “it’s pretty risqué.” As some of you may know, there has been a huge effort made by fans and radio to get this single to #1 on the charts, making it George’s 60th #1 hit for his 60th birthday. Well 60 for 60 worked! The song is currently sitting at #1 on real-time charts and if it can hold that position until Saturday, it will become official. Love Is Everything has plenty more great songs on it and I’m sure George will surpass that 60 mark with one of them. Take a look at the track listing below and watch this video that features George talking with Storme Warren about his new album! Love Is Everything Track listing: 1. I Got A Car 2. Give It All We Got Tonight 3. Blue Melodies 4. I Just Can’t Go On Dying Like This 5. I Thought I Heard My Heart Sing 6. That’s What Breaking Hearts Do 7. When Love Comes Around Again 8. The Night Is Young 9. Sittin’ On The Fence 10. I Believe 11. Love Is Everything 12. You Don’t Know What You’re Missing 13. When The Credits Roll

George Strait Gives It All He’s Got

Posted on by

George Strait Wows HaleighT With His Final Tour. In January, I got to witness the opening weekend of George Strait’s Cowboy Rides Away Tour. It was an over-the-top weekend that will forever be burned into my memory. For starters, It was my birthday weekend. Who wouldn’t love to see King George for their birthday? I don’t know of a single soul who would pass that opportunity up! I went with some of my best friends and we loved every second of it. The fact that we were in the nose bleed section didn’t bother us at all. They’ve got a great sound system at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Martina McBride was the opening act and boy did she entertain. Yes, we were anything but close to the stage, but thankfully our ears work just fine. That woman is talented! She gave me goosebumps. I know that isn’t a shock, she’s amazingly talented. But hearing “Broken Wing” live…that damn near changed my life! George took the stage and you would have thought there were 1 million people in the arena. Everyone went nuts, obviously. It was basically like when Dusty took the stage in Pure Country, only 10 times more intense. Now I’ve been to a George Strait concert before, so I recognized the differences in his normal show and his Cowboy Rides Away show. This time George did a whole lot more talking. He told stories, almost before every song he would tell the audience who wrote it and why. He performed his hits in chronological order, almost as if going back in time. It was amazing. Even though the show was almost three months ago, it seems like it was yesterday. What blows my mind even more is the fact that this Friday, April 12, I will be seeing George again! Yes, you read that right. In a few days I will be sitting in the Verizon Arena in Little Rock (better seats this time) watching history…for the second time. What makes it that more special is that I’ll be sitting next to my Mama! The woman who helped mold my obsession, will be singing along with me as George gives it all he’s got.

George Strait New Album Love Is Everything Due May 14th

Posted on by

King George Releases New Album Love Is Everything on Heels of 2013 The Cowboy Rides Away Tour! George Strait has officially announced that his new album, Love Is Everything, will release on May 14th! Exciting! Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that King George has been at this whole making music for a living thing for decades, and he is still, essentially, the biggest deal ever (he recently set an all-time attendance record of 80,020 fans at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, y’all). That’s not easy, and I really hope someone is taking notes. We’ve already had a taste of what’s to come from the new album with current single “Give It All We Got” which is included with the other 12 tracks that will be featured on the new project. In addition to his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour (featuring Martina McBride), Strait and his team are working hard to make the current single his 60th #1 Hit. The song is sitting a 15 on the charts right now, but no doubt, it will hit #1 soon enough. To find out about the “60 For 60” initiative, go here. Stay tuned for more news on the upcoming album, and be sure to check out the remaining dates on his tour below!

George Strait Continues to Sell Out 2013 Cowboy Rides Away Tour

Posted on by

George Strait Sets Sell Out Records with 2013 Cowboy Rides Away Tour. When George Strait announced his 2013 Cowboy Rides Away Tour, we knew that it was going to be a huge success. So, it comes as no surprise that he is selling out his tour stops left and right! Most recently, King George sold 72,000 tickets in less than six minutes for his June 1st tour stop in San Antonio, TX! Strait’s tour sales success places him at #1 on Pollstar’s Concert Pulse with an average $1.4 million in gross per show which ranks him over popular concerts like Justin Bieber, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Dave Matthews Band, and The Who (top 5 respectively). I know there are a whole lot of folks who really want to see George Strait live and in concert, but aren’t going to be able to. On the bright side of things for y’all, he is currently working on an upcoming album, which includes current single , “Give It All We’ve Got Tonight,” and is scheduled to release in late spring.

2013 ACM Awards Performers Announced

Posted on by

George Strait and More In The First Round Of Performer Announcements. It was announced today that Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and The Band Perry will perform at the 48th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards. The ceremony will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7 at 8 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. This is only the first round of performers to be announced so keep your eyes and ears open, because we will let you know as the rest of the artists set to perform are announced!