George Harvey Strait (born May 18, 1952) The “King of Country” and most call him a “Living Legend”, which both are OK. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional country western music. So what is it that makes people crazy for George Strait? Is it his distinguished good looks, maybe for the ladies, is it his gentleness and kind heart, or is it his wonderful voice that so many wonderful songs have come from. Its all the above and that’s why he he is considered a ” Living Legend” and is being honored as the Academy of Country Music’s Artist of the Decade. George Strait received four nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist and Song of the Year for “I Saw God Today” at the Academy of Country music Awards. He is also nominated for Video of the Year for “Troubadour.” If Strait wins Entertainer of the Year, it will be his second win in that category, previously winning the award in 1989. Strait has also been named the Academy of Country Music’s Artist of the Decade and will be honored in a television special to air later in the year on CBS.
Academy of Country Music’s Artist of the Decade, that is a about as special an award as you can get. George is well deserving of this award. Beginning October 14, 1975 George started playing in a band called Ace in the Hole Band. So while taking care of a cattle ranch he played local honky tonks and gained a regional following and opened for national acts such as The Texas Playboys. The band recorded several singles in Houston under the label “D” Record Label, but never achieved wide recognition. George met Erv Woolsey who ran one of the many bars that he played in. Erv worked for MCA Records and still had friends on Music Row who he contacted to come down and listen to George and Ace in the Hole. Impressed MCA quickly singed George Strait with Ace in the Hole Band as the back up band.
In 1981 George released his first album “Unwound” and it climbed into the Top Ten right away. Then in 1982 “If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger(There’s One Coming Home)”reached number three in early 1982, sparking a string of Top Ten hits that ran well into the 90’s. During that time he had an astonishing 31 number one singles, beginning with 1982’s “Fool Hearted Memory”. [4] Strait was one of the best-selling country singers of the 1980s, and one of the few from that decade who survived the influx of rock-country singers Throughout the ’80s, he dominated the country singles charts, and his albums consistently went platinum or gold. Strait rarely abandoned hardcore honky-tonk and Western swing — towards 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.
Straits success can be traced back to his understanding of what types of music works best for his voice and his fans. and his insistence on remaing true to his own style of music without trying to reinvent himself every time he releases a new album. His signature style consists primarily of hardcore honky-tonk and Western swing.

He has taken young talent and placed them under his wing and given them guidance and direction and that is George being George. George has also donated his timeHe has had an incredible career spanning 34 years of singing his greatest songs never mind a degree in Agriculture, and penchant for team cattle roping that he grew up doing and loving still to this day.

That is why George Harvey Strait will be added to a very limited group of country’s greatest entertainers to have received this distinction: Marty Robbins in 1969, Loretta Lynn in 1979, Alabama in 1988 and Garth Brooks in 1998.

Strait’s many hits include “Amarillo By Morning,” “Ocean Front Property,” “Check Yes or No” and “I Saw God Today.”

The ACM will tape a TV special in honor of Strait at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 6 to air at a later date.

The 44th annual ACM awards will air live on CBS from the MGM Grand on April 5 with Reba McEntire hosting.

Only four other acts have received the distinction: Marty Robbins in 1969, Loretta Lynn in 1979, Alabama in 1988 and Garth Brooks in 1998.

Strait’s many hits include “Amarillo By Morning,” “Ocean Front Property,” “Check Yes or No” and “I Saw God Today.”

The ACM will tape a TV special in honor of Strait at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 6 to air at a later date.

The 44th annual ACM awards will air live on CBS from the MGM Grand on April 5 with Reba McEntire hosting.

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• George Strait Named ACM’s Artist of the Decade (countrymusicalive.blogspot.com)