As a vocalist, he proved a masterful interpreter: while his Texas accent came through, he avoided over-the-top twang and flashy fillips in favor of subtle phrasing. Much of modern country music includes pop sounds, but Strait consistently draws from both the western swing and the honky-tonk traditions of his native Texas. The accompanying album, Strait Country, helped to increase hardcore country airplay on many radio stations. His first honky-tonk missive, 1981’s “Unwound,” went to #6 on the Billboard charts. Strait arrived in Nashville just as the Urban Cowboy movement was in full swing. In 1981, Woolsey helped Strait sign with MCA, and he remained Strait’s behind-the-scenes advocate before eventually taking on the role of full-time manager. Despite club success, however, several trips to Nashville failed to drum up interest in Strait as a major-label prospect.ĭuring one fortuitous club appearance, club owner and former record promotion man Erv Woolsey liked what he heard. He hooked up with the Ace in the Hole band, kept an extensive regional performance schedule, and recorded several singles on the D Records label.

He absorbed the music of Hank Williams, George Jones, and Merle Haggard, and Haggard’s tribute album to the legendary Bob Wills, A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills), was instrumental in turning Strait in the direction of western swing.īack home, Strait enrolled at Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University-San Marcos) to pursue a degree in agriculture, but by then he was also seriously considering a music career. In 1973, he auditioned for and won the role of singer in a country band on base. While stationed in Hawaii, Strait found his true calling: country music. He eloped after graduation with his longtime sweetheart, Norma, then signed up for a stint in the Army. Strait didn’t listen much to country music growing up rather, he was inspired by mid-1960s British Invasion rock groups and joined several garage bands in high school. The boys learned ranching early on, helping on the family’s 2,000-acre spread. His parents divorced when he was still in grade school, and Strait and his older brother, Buddy, were raised by their father, John Strait, a junior high school math teacher. George Strait’s name has become synonymous with “real country.” The Texas traditionalist is one of the most successful, enduring, and influential recording artists in any field.

Non country songs about growing up