|
''' in 1988 and 1989's Beyond the Blue Neon, all of which reached the number one spot on country album charts. Ocean Front Property was the first Country Album to ever debut at #1 on the charts by any artist. The streak included such songs as "Ocean Front Property", "All My Ex's Live in Texas", "Famous Last Words of a Fool" and "Baby Blue", which is rumored to have been dedicated to his daughter. Strait finished the decade by winning the CMA entertainer of the year award in 1989. A year later, he won the award again.
1990sThroughout the '90s, just as in the '80s, Strait dominated the country singles charts, and his albums consistently went platinum or gold. He rarely strayed from hardcore honky tonk and Western swing but toward the beginning of the '90s, his sound became a little slicker. Strait was one of the few '80s superstars to survive the generational shift of the early '90s, which began with the phenomenal success of Garth Brooks.[first = ]
Strait began the decade with the release of his tenth studio album, ''Livin' It Up'', which featured two #1 hits including "Love Without End, Amen", his first multi-week hit, and "I've Come to Expect It From You". Both songs remained #1 for five weeks in 1990. Chill of an Early Fall shortly followed in 1991, and received positive reviews
. Entertainment Weekly noted that the album marked a shift for Strait from "repeating himself" in his previous works to producing different material. It produced the #1's "If I Know Me" and "You Know Me Better Than That", but ended his streak of 31 straight top ten hits with the cover of "Lovesick Blues", which peaked at #24.
Later in 1992, Strait played the
Strait completed the decade with the album Always Never the Same in 1999, which peaked at #2 on country charts and matched the cross-over success of Pure Country by reaching #6 on the Billboard 200. The record produced the hits "What Do You Say to That", "Meanwhile" and the #1 "Write This Down". Reviews of the album's material were generally moderate, but Entertainment Weekly observed that at this point in his career, Strait could record the "most lightweight" material and "make it soar" on the radio with his "grace". All in all, Strait scored 17 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country airplay charts in the decade, and carried his successes into the next century.
2000 – present: Career todayStrait released a self-named album in 2000, which despite a #1 and #7 showing on the country and Billboard 200 album charts, produced no #1 singles, and was the first studio album of his career to not be certified as platinum. The singles "Go On" and "If You Can Do Anything Else" were released from the record, with both peaking in the top five. In May 2001, The Road Less Traveled was released. Reviews for the album were mostly positive, Rolling Stone described it as sticking to the formula "but adds a few twists that make it superior to his last few releases." It featured "vocal processing," and was considered by some critics as an experimental albums.
On October 3, 2006, Strait marked his 30th year in the music industry with the release of a new album titled It Just Comes Natural. It featured fifteen new songs. Strait's long-time friend and songwriter, Dean Dillon co-wrote two of the songs on the album. It received generally positive reviews from critics. People, in their four-star review, remarked that "If ever there was a natural in country music, it's Strait," while USA Today raved that "he continues to make such consistent quality look easy."
In April 2009, George Strait was honored by the Academy of Country Music with the Artist of the Decade Award. The artist of the decade award was presented to George Strait by the previous ACM Artist of the Decade Garth Brooks. In June of that year he headlined the first event at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Strait's latest single, "Living for the Night" was released on May 28, 2009, and was written by Strait, his son Bubba, and Dean Dillon. The song is the lead single off of his album entitled Twang, released on August 11, 2009. "Twang" has been certified gold status, for selling over 500,000 copies.
Personal lifeStrait at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in 2005
In 1981, Strait and Norma welcomed son George Strait, Jr., known as "Bubba." Their daughter Jenifer was killed in an automobile accident in San Marcos, Texas, in 1986, at the age of 13. The family set up a foundation, The Jenifer Lynn Strait Foundation, which donates money to children's charities in the San Antonio, Texas area.[first = ]
Bubba, who is a graduate of Texas A&M University, is pursuing a career as a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) team roping competitor.[url =sportybabe1.homestead.com/straitheir.html ] Strait was able to watch his son compete at the Houston Rodeo in 2006 shortly before taking the stage for his own performance.
As pastimes, Strait enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing, playing golf, and riding motorcycles. Along with his son Bubba, he is a member of the PRCA and partners in team roping competitions. George and his elder brother Buddy, who died in April 2009, host the annual George Strait Team Roping Classic, in which they compete against some of the best team ropers in the world. Strait has also said that he very seldom picks up a guitar when not in the studio or touring. He and his wife live in far north-west San Antonio in the wealthy gated community The Dominion as well as on a ranch near Cotulla, Texas some 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio. He is also a big fan of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and can be seen court-side at many of the Spurs' home basketball games.
Strait also is known for driving Chevrolets, as he is the spokesman for a local Texas Chevrolet dealership, and often refers to Chevy's in his songs.
DiscographyIn Strait's more than 30 years of recording, all of which have been spent with MCA Records, he has garnered 57 No. 1 songs on all country charts (including Mediabase 24/7, the old Radio & Records charts, and the now-defunct Gavin Report charts), and has more #1 hits than anyone else in any genre. His 44 Billboard magazine country No. 1's (to date) are a record, at the moment four more than previous record-holder Conway Twitty, who racked up 40, including several duets with Loretta Lynn.[first =Phyllis ]
Strait has sold more than 73 million recordings and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 32 platinum and 35 gold albums. His overall certification numbers are third of all musicians, behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles.[first =Paul ]
FilmographyStrait has acted in several films. He had a bit part in The Soldier (1982) and starred in Pure Country (1992). He also appeared as himself in Grand Champion (2002).
The film Pure Country featured George Strait in the lead role as Dusty Chandler, a famous country singer who strays too far from his country roots and traditional sound. It provided the opportunity for Strait to branch out from his own traditional country sound for a more rock-and-roll approach. The film flopped at the box office, taking in only $15 million, but the soundtrack, also called Pure Country, produced several hit singles for Strait, and has become his best-selling album to date. Strait will start filming a new movie called "A Pure Country Gift", filming to start November 18, 2009. Citation needed
Copyright Citations
This article is licensed under the GNU License
Click here for original article: George Strait
|
|
Photo by: www.palacenet.com
|
