George Strait loves rodeos and hunting,
hosts his own team-roping competition every spring and
plans his tour schedule around time at home with his wife.
On top of that, he just released an outstanding album
for the 37th time. No wonder this Texas cowboy owns the
record for most number 1 singles in any genre (more than
50) and has more gold and platinum albums than any other
country artist to this day.
The year after he was inducted into the
Hall of Fame, he won Single and Song of the Year for
“Give it Away.” Although life seems to be luxurious
for this country star, it hasn’t always been easy. He
grew up in Persall, Texas, and may have picked up on his
love for rodeos while spending summers working on the
family cattle ranch outside of Big Wells. Strait’s
parents divorced when he was in third grade, separating
Strait and his brother from their sister. After high
school he began classes but then dropped out and married
his high school sweetheart, who he has been happily married
to ever since. A short Army career took place before an
honorable discharge led him to a degree in agriculture
from Southwest Texas State University. Strait and his
wife, Norma, had two children, one who was tragically
killed in a car crash at age 13, and another who is
pursuing a career as a PRCA team roping competitor now
that he has graduated from Texas A&M University.
Editors
Note: Click on the highlighted songs below to hear song by
song commentary by Strait himself.)
The bands that Strait participated in
during high school and the Army led him to the Ace in the
Hole Band in college, which was looking for a lead singer.
They recorded several singles in Texas that never received
appropriate recognition; however, soon the group was
discovered and the rest is history.
A lot has happened since the band’s
first single, “Unwound,” was released in 1981. The
first single from Troubadour, the tender “I Saw
God Today,” broke a Strait record by debuting at number
19 on the country radio charts; the album debuted at
number one on the Billboard Top 200 album charts as well
as on the Top Country Charts. When you listen to it,
you’ll know why.
The album begins with the title track,
“Troubadour,” which is a true career-reflective song
featuring label mate Vince Gill. The genuine cuts “It
Was Me,” “Give
Me More Time” and “When You’re In
Love” show the softer side of Strait which we have all
loved for years. “It Was Me” is a delightful love
story, opening with love at first sight not only for one
lucky person, but for both.
Strait’s Ace In the Hole Band has a
unique style that is recognizable and evident on “West
Texas Town.” This song, which includes a great
instrumental solo, is done as a duet with Dean Dillon, one
of Strait’s most popular songwriters. Dillon wrote 13 of
Strait’s hits, beginning with “Unwound” back in
1981. Dillon’s vast contributions also include “Ocean
Front Property,” “The Chair” and “She Let Herself
Go.”
Last time I was in Nashville I went to a
show at the BlueBird Café to see singer/songwriter David
Kroll; to my surprise, one of the songwriters for the
visual “If Heartaches Were
Horses,” Wil Nance, was
there as well. Nance, of Smokin’ Grapes Music
Publishing, performed the song and mentioned that it would
be on Strait’s Troubadour album, set to be
released less than a week after the show.
If Straight hadn’t already caused me
to fall in love with the song, the keyboard solo in
“Make Her Fall In Love With Me Song” would have done
it. Similar to “Brothers of the
Highway,” an enjoyable
tribute to the hard workers of the world, this one will be
an instant favorite.
Strait has a little fun with the Jimmy
Buffet sounding “River of Love,” which I have also
heard from another very talented female singer from
Nashville, Jessie Smith. Smith says “I felt like it had
some soul, and I love when country and swampy soul are
mixed together.” Both versions are certainly worth
listening to numerous times.
Strait starts out on “House of
Cash,” a tribute to Johnny and June; then Patty Loveless
joins in with her hearty vocals. This is an emotive song
touching on the tragic loss of the historic Cash house in
Hendersonville, TN.
I cannot say that Strait’s 37th album
is better than any of the others, but that is because they
have all been fantastic. Excellence is what we expect from
this man, and knowing that, he has given it to us once
again.
