George Strait

1944 -

George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer.

Strait's success began when his first single "Unwound" was a hit in 1981, signalling the arrival of the neotraditional movement. During the 1980s, seven of his albums reached number one on the country charts. In the 2000s, Strait was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and won his first Grammy award for the album Troubadour. Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 2013, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and 2014. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist.

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.[2] Strait has amassed 60 number-one hits.[3] "Give It All We Got Tonight" was number one in 2013,[4] breaking a record also previously set by Twitty. Strait currently holds the record for most number one songs on all charts by an artist in any genre of music.[5]"[6]

Strait is also known for his touring career when he designed a 360-degree configuration and introduced festival style tours. For example, the Strait Tours earned $99 million in three years.[7]His final concert for The Cowboy Rides Away Tour at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in June 2014, drew 104,793 people, marking a new record for largest indoor concert in North America.[8]

Strait has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[9] His certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums. His best-selling album is Pure Country (1992), which sold 6 million (6× platinum). His highest certified album is Strait Out of the Box (1995), which sold 2 million copies (8× Platinum due to being a box set with four CDs). According to the RIAA, Strait is the 12th best-selling album recording artist in the United States overall selling over 69 million records across the United States.[10] His influential and record-breaking legacy of his pioneering neotraditionalist country style has garnered him as the "King of Country Music."[6][11][12]