King of Country Music Essay

When Strait was a teenager, he began his music by joining a rock and roll garage band. After he graduated high school, he enrolled in college, but soon dropped out and married his high school sweetheart, Norma Voss, in 1971. He later enlisted in the Army. He was stationed in Hawaii and began to play in an army-sponsored band called Rambling Country. On October 6, 1972, while still in Hawaii, George and Norma welcomed their first child, Jenifer. In 1975, Strait was discharged from the Army and soon after returned to Texas. Strait returned to college in San Marcos, where he graduated in 1979 with a degree in agriculture. During college, he joined the country band â€Å"Stoney Ridge†, answering a flyer the band posted around campus looking for a new vocalist. Strait renamed the group the â€Å"Ace in the Hole† 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. They gained a regional following and opened for national acts such as The Texas Playboys. Soon, his band was given the opportunity to record several Strait-penned singles including â€Å"That Don’t Change The Way I Feel About You†, for the Houston-based â€Å"D† label. However, the songs never achieved wide recognition, and Strait continued to manage his family cattle ranch during the day in order to make some extra cash. Strait attempted tried to become famous in Nashville but failed because he lacked any strong business connections. In 1979, he became friends with Erv Woolsey, a Texas club owner who once worked for MCA Records. Woolsey invited several MCA executives to Texas to hear Strait. He did so well on his performance they signed him in 1980. Straits first single was â€Å"Unwound’ in 1981. It made it into the Top 10. Next he released two more songs â€Å"Down and Out† and â€Å"If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home)†. Both these songs did great on the charts, but it wasn’t until 1982 when Straits second album Strait from the heart was released. Then George Strait had his first number one hit â€Å"Fool Hearted Memory. In the 1980s alone, he reached the top of the chart 18 times with songs such as â€Å"The Chair,† â€Å"All My Exes Live in Texas,† â€Å"Famous Last Words of a Fool† and â€Å"Baby Blue. † In 1985, he won CMA awards for album of the year and male vocalist. In 1986, he repeated his win as male vocalist, but his year was marked by tragedy when his daughter was killed in a car wreck. â€Å"B aby Blue† is said to have been written for his daughter. Strait won CMA entertainer of the year award in 1989 and 1990. In the 1990’s, George Strait continued to dominate country music. He released his tenth album, Livin’ It Up, which featured two number one hits including â€Å"Love Without End, Amen† and â€Å"I’ve Come to Expect It From You†. He later released the singles â€Å"If I Know Me† and â€Å"You Know Me Better Than That†which both were number one hits. In 1992, Strait starred in the movie Pure Country and recorded â€Å"I Cross My Heart† which is still one of his biggest hits today. His song once again reached number one. In 1995, He released a four-CD boxed set, Strait Out of the Box. It had become one of the five biggest-selling boxed sets in music history.