George Strait, the iconic country music legend, has had a career as illustrious as it is fascinating. Here are 34 intriguing George Strait facts that shed light on his remarkable journey in the world of country music. Strait was born in Poteet, Texas, and began his musical career while serving in the U.S. Army. He holds the record for the most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, with an astonishing 61 chart-toppers to his name.
Remarkably, Strait’s first single, “Unwound,” released in 1981, marked the beginning of a career that would span several decades and make him one of the best-selling artists in country music history.
George Strait Facts
1- “When he first became interested in music, he played in a rock and roll band. He later changed his tune to country, “
2- “He was born May 18, 1952”
3- “”The Beatles were big””, Strait confirmed. “”I listened to them a lot and that whole bunch of groups that were popular then””
4- “His eldest child, Jenifer, died June 25, 1986 in an auto accident near San Marcos, Texas, at age 13”
5- “Strait’s success began when his first single “”Unwound”” was a hit in 1981″
6- “George Strait Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world [1990]”
7- “Strait was inducted into the South Texas Music Walk of Fame, at the Water Street Market in 2013. “
8- “George Strait Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on November 6, 2006.”
9- “In addition to playing guitar, George Strait also plays piano.”
10- “By 2009, he broke Conway Twitty’s previous record for the most number-one hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart when his 44 number one singles surpassed Twitty’s 40”
11- “He and his wife live in northwest San Antonio, as well as on a ranch near Cotulla in La Salle County between San Antonio and Laredo.”
12- “Strait owns a Gulfstream G450 business jet and carries a personal registration N518GS”
13- “He is a Member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association”
14- “George Harvey Strait Sr. was born on May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas”
15- “Strait did not tune to the country music radio often as a youth, usually listening to the news and the farmer’s report.”
16- “He Served a three-year stint in Hawaii with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era”
17- “Strait has sold more than 100 million records worldwide”
18- “He is known for his neotraditionalist country style, cowboy look”
19- “He was offered a job designing cattle pens and decided to take it.”
20- “In February 2012, Strait became a grandfather when George Strait Jr. and his wife Tamara had their first child, a son. According to reports, he was named George H. Strait III as a tribute to his grandfather.”
21- “He Named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Country Music Association (CMA). [1989]”
22- “In 2010, Billboard ranked Strait No. 1 in the top 25 country artists of the past 25 years”
23- “George Strait ranks behind only the Beatles and Elvis Presley as having the most hit #1 albums.”
24- “In his first movie roll, George Strait played a terrorist in the movie ‘The Soldier'”
25- “George Strait Known as the “King of Country”
26- “George has a degree in agriculture”
27- “His certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums.”
28- “His Hobbies are steer-roping, hunting, fishing, skiing and golf”
29- ” George Straiy has recorded over 400 songs in his career with a total of fifty-nine number one songs.”
30- “Acted in a handful of projects, including 1992’s Pure Country in which he played a troubled country singer.”
31- ” When George joined the Army in 1972, he was stationed at the Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He was received an honorary discharge in 1975.”
32- “When George was in the fourth grade, his father and mother were divorced, and his mother moved away with his sister, Pency.”
33- “Strait is not a member of the ‘Grand Ole Opry'”
34- “He Received the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush in 2003.”
