George Strait

United States • b. 1952-05-18

Biography

George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, music producer, and rancher. Strait has sold tens of millions of records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Strait holds the RIAA record for most certified albums by any artist, with 33 albums that are certified platinum or gold. Considering singles and albums, he has a total of 20 multi-platinum, 33 platinum and 24 gold certifications. According to the RIAA, Strait is the 12th best-selling album recording artist in the United States overall selling over 70 million records across the United States. He is credited for pioneering the neotraditional country style in the 1980s, famed for his authentic cowboy image and roots-oriented sound at a time when the Nashville music industry was dominated by country pop crossover acts. Given his influence on the genre, Strait has been nicknamed the "King of Country Music" by writers and music critics. He currently holds the record for the most (60) number one songs on all charts by an artist, in any genre of music, including a record 44 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He has been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards, winning his first and only award for Best Country Album in 2009 with his album Troubadour. Strait's career in country music began performing with his band Ace in the Hole in Texas honky-tonks in the 1970s, recording tracks for the Houston-based independent record label D Records. While working on ranches across Texas in his 20s during the day, Strait performed with the Ace in the Hole during nights and the weekend. By the late 1970s, Strait caught the interest of former MCA Records executive Erv Woosley, who became Strait's longtime manager and helped him with signing to MCA Records. Strait's commercial success began when his first major label single "Unwound" was a minor hit in 1981 and scored his first number one country radio hit with "Fool Hearted Memory" in 1982, introduc

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