750 Word Essay

George Strait was born on May 18, 1952 in Poteet, Texas. George’s father, John Strait, was a junior high school math teacher and his mother was a homemaker. George was in fourth grade when his mother and father divorced. George grew up with only his brother and their father taking care of them. After high school, George eloped to Mexico with his high school sweetheart. When they got back, their families made them have a small ceremony for family and friends to make it really official. George enlisted and began serving in the army in 1971. While in the military he was stationed in Hawaii for three years. Norma moved to Hawaii to be with George. In 1972 George and Norma had their first child, Jenifer who died in a car accident at the age of 13. George taught himself how to play the guitar while in the army, playing country music from hit artists like Merle Haggard, George Jones, Hank Williams, and Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. He started a band that only lasted two months. George found out that the commanding officer was auditioning groups to entertain the base. George was hired and didn’t have to wear a uniform and got to wear western style clothing. After being honorably discharged from the army in 1975, Strait went back to college and got a degree in agriculture. During and after college George played in a band for different bars and honkytonks. This band was known as The Ace in the Hole. George joined this band after seeing their advertisement at college. One of the band member’s grandfather was Pappy Daily who was the manager of George Jones. George began playing for more and more bars and honkytonks. This started his singing career. Don Daily encouraged George and the band to come and record a demo to distribute to record companies. George played at The Prairie Rose (whose owner was Erv Woolsey until he sold it). Erv went back to Nashville and got a job as the promotions head at MCA Records. George went to Nashville and played some songs for promos, but nothing seemed to click. He kept going back and forth from Texas to Nashville with nothing to show for it for the next four years. In 1979 he almost gave up on his dream of becoming a country music singer and signed up for a job working for an outfit in Uvalde, Texas that designed cattle pens. Norma didn’t like George moping around, so she told him to give it another try. He decided to give it one more year. In 1980 George went and talked to Erv Woolsey, and they formed a plan that George would come and record three songs. With the three songs they started shopping for a record deal. Finally, he hit it with MCA Records. When George finally started his career he was considered the hat act, so in the 1990’s every guy in country music tried the cowboy hat. In early country music, cowboy hats weren’t in high fashion, but with George Strait it became a signature style in country music and that led to George being known as the original hat act. In 1981 he released his first single, â€Å"Unwound. † That same year George and Norma had another child: George Harvey Strait, Jr. (Bubba). George then followed â€Å"Unwound† up with number one hits like â€Å"Fool Hearted Memory† and â€Å"Ocean Front Property† time and time again. In 1984, George was announced Top Male Vocalist for Academy of Country Music. In 1985, George was announced Male Vocalist of The Year and had the Album of The Year for the Country Music Association (CMA) and Academy of Country Music (ACM). In 1986 he won Male Vocalist of The Year again for the CMA’s. In 1986 and 1987 he was Top Country Artists for Billboards. In 1988 George won Top Male Vocalist again for the ACM’s. George continued to win these awards year after year until 1990. In 1990 George became Entertainer of the Year, the award he wanted most. He won the award again in 2000. In 1992 George starred in the movie Pure Country. In the opening song to the movie, â€Å"Heartland,† his son, Bubba, sings the beginning of the song and the vocals fades into George Sr. singing the rest of the song. Even though the movie wasn’t as big as his music, the soundtrack to the movie was considered his best album ever. He still continues to produce number one hits and records. In 2006, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. George was announced as Artist of the Decade in 2009. George has had the best track record for country music in history. On February 2, 2012 George became a grandfather with his grandson becoming George Harvey Strait, III. George will be ending his touring career after his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014, but will still be making and recording country music. George Strait has 59 number one hit records and is known as a living legend and the â€Å"King of Country Music. † I choose to do this paper for the final because I thought it was stronger than my 1500 word paper. This paper to me had more meaning and I was interested in it more than the other one. With this paper I have been given the opportunity to send it to George Strait, himself, to have it signed. I think this paper is going to help me out for a contest to win tickets to one of his shows. This paper has more meaning for me since I am such a big fan.