Rise to Success: Career Highlights of George Strait
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how George Strait made an impact.
George Strait is an American country music icon celebrated for his traditional sound and consistent success. Known as the "King of Country," he has achieved a remarkable number of number-one hits and platinum-selling albums, shaping the landscape of country music for decades. Beyond his musical achievements, Strait has also dabbled in acting, further cementing his status as a prominent figure in American entertainment. His dedication to traditional country roots has earned him a devoted fanbase and critical acclaim.
February 1981: Signing with MCA Records
In February 1981, George Strait signed a recording contract with MCA Records, initially for a single song. The Ace in the Hole band continued as his backup band.
1981: First Top 10 Single
In 1981, George Strait's debut single "Unwound" peaked at number six on the Hot Country Singles chart, marking the first of 30 consecutive years with a top 10 single on a Billboard chart.
1981: "Unwound" becomes a Hit
In 1981, George Strait's first single "Unwound" became a hit, marking the start of his mainstream success and helping introduce the neotraditional movement to country music.
1981: Release of First Single "Unwound"
In the spring of 1981, George Strait released his first single for MCA Records, titled "Unwound", which reached number six on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
1982: Bit Part in The Soldier
In 1982, George Strait had a bit part in the film The Soldier.
1982: Release of "Strait from the Heart"
In 1982, George Strait released his second album, "Strait from the Heart", featuring his first number-one single, "Fool Hearted Memory", and the top-five hit "Amarillo by Morning".
1983: Starts the George Strait Team Roping Classic
From 1983, George Strait hosted The George Strait Team Roping Classic, an annual team-roping event, until 2017.
1983: First Appearance at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
In 1983, George Strait made his first appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, replacing Eddie Rabbitt.
1983: Number One Album "Right or Wrong"
In 1983, George Strait released his first number-one album "Right or Wrong".
1984: CMA Award Winning Album "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind"
In 1984, George Strait released the CMA award-winning "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" album.
1985: Establishment of Endowment Fund
In 1985, George Strait established an endowment fund for the development and operation of the Freeman Ranch for agricultural purposes, land and wildlife management, and scholarships at Texas State University.
1985: CMA Top Male Vocalist and Greatest Hits Album
In 1985, George Strait won the CMA award for top male vocalist and released his first greatest hits compilation.
1986: Release of "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her"
In 1986, George Strait released "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her", which was the first of 11 straight number-one hits.
1986: CMA Vocalist of the Year and Album Release
In 1986, George Strait repeated as the CMA vocalist of the year and released his fourth number-one album #7.
1987: Release of "Ocean Front Property"
In 1987, George Strait released "Ocean Front Property", which was the first country album to debut at number one on the charts by any artist.
1988: Release of "If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin'"
In 1988, George Strait released the album "If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin'", which reached number one on the country album charts.
1989: CMA Entertainer of the Year
In 1989, George Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year.
1990: Release of "Livin' It Up"
In 1990, George Strait released his 10th studio album, "Livin' It Up", featuring two number-one hits.
1990: CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year
In 1990, George Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year for the second year running, and ACM Entertainer of the Year.
1991: Release of "Chill of an Early Fall"
In 1991, George Strait released "Chill of an Early Fall", which received positive reviews and produced number-one songs.
1992: Starring in "Pure Country" and Soundtrack Release
In 1992, George Strait starred in the film "Pure Country" and released the film's soundtrack, which became his most successful studio album.
1992: Starred in Pure Country
In 1992, George Strait starred in the film Pure Country.
1992: Release of "Holding My Own"
In the spring of 1992, George Strait released "Holding My Own", which included two top-five songs.
1993: Release of "Easy Come, Easy Go"
In 1993, George Strait released the album "Easy Come, Easy Go", which reached the top five on the Billboard 200 and featured hit songs.
1994: Release of "Lead On"
In 1994, George Strait released the album "Lead On", which charted at number one.
1995: Release of "Strait Out of the Box"
In 1995, George Strait released a four-disc, box-set career retrospective, "Strait Out of the Box", which became the second-best selling box set ever.
1996: Release of "Blue Clear Sky"
In 1996, George Strait released the album "Blue Clear Sky", which charted at number one on its debut week.
1997: Release of "Carrying Your Love with Me"
In 1997, George Strait released "Carrying Your Love with Me", which peaked at number one on the Billboard 200.
1997: CMA's Top Male Vocalist
In 1997, George Strait was named CMA's Top Male Vocalist.
1997: Headlining the George Strait Country Music Festival
Starting in 1997 and continuing until 2001, George Strait headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival, which included various artists.
1998: Release of "One Step at a Time"
In 1998, George Strait released "One Step at a Time", which charted at number one.
1998: CMA's Top Male Vocalist
In 1998, George Strait was named CMA's Top Male Vocalist.
1998: George Strait Country Music Festival Tour
In 1998, the George Strait Country Music Festival tour was the ninth-biggest grossing tour of the year, despite playing a small number of dates.
1999: Release of "Always Never the Same"
In 1999, George Strait completed the decade with the album "Always Never the Same", which achieved both country and crossover success.
2000: Release of self-titled album
In 2000, George Strait released a self-titled album. Despite reaching number one on the country album charts and number seven on the Billboard 200, it did not produce any number-one singles and became the first studio album of his career not to be certified platinum.
May 2001: Release of "The Road Less Traveled"
In May 2001, George Strait released "The Road Less Traveled", an album that received mostly positive reviews and was considered experimental by some critics, featuring vocal processing. The album produced three singles, including "She'll Leave You with a Smile" and "Living and Living Well", which reached number one on combined charts, and "Run", which peaked at number two.
2001: End of George Strait Country Music Festival
Starting in 1997 and continuing until 2001, George Strait headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival, which included various artists.
2002: Appeared in Grand Champion
In 2002, George Strait appeared as himself in the film Grand Champion.
2003: Release of "For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome"
In 2003, George Strait released "For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome", a recording of the last Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo held in the Astrodome. The 2003 performance set a record for paid attendance at the venue, with 68,266 people.
2004: Rodeo attendance record and release of "50 Number Ones"
In 2004, George Strait set a new rodeo attendance record at Reliant Stadium, with 68,679 spectators. He also released a greatest hits package called "50 Number Ones", which chronicled his number-one hits. A new track, "I Hate Everything", was included and became his 51st overall number one in 2004.
October 3, 2006: Release of "It Just Comes Natural" album
On October 3, 2006, George Strait celebrated his 30th year in the music industry with the release of his album, "It Just Comes Natural". The album, recorded in Key West, Florida, featured 15 new songs and received generally positive reviews. The first single, "Give It Away", reached number one, and the title track also became a number one hit.
2006: Inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame
In 2006, George Strait was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, performing "Give it Away" before accepting his plaque at the 40th CMA Awards.
2007: "Wrapped" reached number one and arena tour
In 2007, George Strait's song "Wrapped" reached number one on the Mediabase 24/7 country music charts, marking his 55th overall number-one single. From January through April of 2007, Strait headlined a 23-date arena tour with Ronnie Milsap and Taylor Swift.
April 1, 2008: Release of "Troubadour" album
On April 1, 2008, George Strait released his album "Troubadour", which contained 12 tracks, including duets with Patty Loveless and Dean Dillon. The lead single, "I Saw God Today", debuted at number 19 on the Radio and Records and Billboard charts. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200.
2009: "River of Love" becomes his 57th number one song
In 2009, "River of Love", the third single from George Strait's album Troubadour, became his 57th number-one song.
2009: Grammy Win for Troubadour
In 2009, George Strait won his first Grammy Award for Best Country Album for "Troubadour".
2010: Spokesman for Wrangler National Patriot program
Since 2010, George Strait has served as a spokesman for the Wrangler National Patriot program, a campaign to raise awareness and funds for wounded and fallen military veterans and their families.
September 6, 2011: Release of "Here for a Good Time" album
On September 6, 2011, George Strait released the album, "Here for a Good Time", which produced two number-one singles, "Here for a Good Time" and "Love's Gonna Make It Alright".
September 26, 2012: Announces retirement from touring
On September 26, 2012, George Strait announced his retirement from touring, declaring his Cowboy Rides Away Tour would be his last.
October 2012: Release of "Give It All We Got Tonight"
In October 2012, George Strait released the single "Give It All We Got Tonight", which was included on his upcoming album, Love Is Everything.
2012: Vaqueros Del Mar Golf Tournament Began
In 2012, George Strait and Tom Cusick's Vaqueros Del Mar Invitational Golf Tournament and Concert began raising money for David Feherty's Troops First Foundation at Tapatio Springs Resort.
January 18, 2013: Start of Cowboy Rides Away Tour
On January 18, 2013, George Strait's Cowboy Rides Away Tour commenced in Lubbock, Texas. The tour was divided into two legs: 21 concerts in 2013 and 26 concerts in 2014, with Martina McBride as the opening performer for the 2013 leg.
May 14, 2013: Release of "Love Is Everything"
On May 14, 2013, George Strait released his album "Love Is Everything", featuring the single "Give It All We Got Tonight".
May 2013: "Give It All We Got Tonight" reaches number one
In May 2013, George Strait's song "Give It All We Got Tonight" reached the top of the Mediabase charts, after a campaign initiated by Strait's label to get the song to number one before his 60th birthday. Also, George Strait won the 2013 CMA Entertainer of the Year award.
2013: CMA Entertainer of the Year
In 2013, George Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year for the third time.
January 9, 2014: Second leg of the "Cowboy Rides Away" tour initiated
On January 9, 2014, George Strait began the second leg of his "Cowboy Rides Away" tour. The opening performers included Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, Merle Haggard, Chris Young, Ronnie Dunn, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, and Asleep at the Wheel.
June 7, 2014: End of the Cowboy Rides Away Tour
On June 7, 2014, George Strait concluded his Cowboy Rides Away Tour in Arlington, Texas. He was supported on the tour by the Ace in the Hole Band.
2014: ACM Entertainer of the Year
In 2014, George Strait was named ACM Entertainer of the Year for the second time.
2017: Last year of the George Strait Team Roping Classic
2017 marked the last year that George Strait hosted The George Strait Team Roping Classic.
January 2018: Named 2018 Texan of the Year
In January 2018, George Strait was named the 2018 Texan of the Year by the Texas Legislative Conference for his fundraising efforts following Hurricane Harvey.
2018: Release of "Codigo" single
In 2018, George Strait released a single called "Codigo", named after a brand of tequila in which he had invested.
June 15, 2024: Breaks Record for Most Fans at U.S. Concert
On June 15, 2024, George Strait broke the record for most fans at a U.S. concert by a single headlining act, with 110,905 fans attending his concert at Kyle Field at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
2024: Record for Largest Ticketed Concert
In mid-2024, George Strait set the record for the largest ticketed concert for a single act in U.S. history, with over 110,905 people at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
2025: Induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame
In 2025, George Strait was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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