George Harvey Strait is a famous American country musician. He is a singer, songwriter, music producer and known popularly as “King of Country”. Strait is one of the most popular musicians of all time and is known for his unique neo-traditionalist country style with the cowboy look. He is credited with bringing back country music to its roots. Strait gained prominence with the release of “Unwound”, his first single, which he also incorporated into his debut studio album ‘Strait Country’.

Over the years, Strait has released several more than 25 studio albums and won several awards including a Grammy, an Artist of the Decade Award from the Academy of Country Music. He was also elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Furthermore, Strait received the title of CMA Entertainer of the Year thrice in 1989, 1990 and 2013, as well as the ACM Entertainer of the Year titles in 1990 and 2014. An all-time best-selling artist, Strait has sold over 100 million music records worldwide, has 13 multi-platinum RIAA certified albums as well as 33 platinum certified, and 38 gold certified albums.

Early Life and Education

Strait was born on 18 May 1952, in Poteet, Texas as the son of Doris Jean Couser and John Byron Strait, Sr. and was raised in Frio County near Pearsall, Texas where his father served as a mathematics teacher. The family also owned a cattle ranch near Big Wells in Texas where Strait and his siblings, sister Pency and brother John Jr., worked on weekends. Strait’s parents divorced when he was young and he and his brother were raised by their father, while his sister was raised by their mother.

Strait attended the Pearsall High School where he began his career in music, playing in a rock and roll band. He enlisted into the United States Army in 1971 and performed with “Rambling Country”, an army sponsored band with the stage name of “Santee”. Strait joined the Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos in 1975 after receiving honourable discharge from the army and graduated with an agriculture degree.

Career Rise

While at STSU, Strait joined the ‘Stoney Ridge’ country band, later renamed ‘Ace in the Hole’ and became its lead singer. The band became popular in Central and South Texas owing to their performances. Although Strait got an opportunity to record several of his songs, he could not achieve much recognition outside Texas which led his to endure a long period of struggle. Strait got his breakthrough in 1981 when he was offered a solo contract by MCA Records. His debut single “Unwound” climbed into the list of the top 10 hot Country songs list and was later included in his debut album titled ‘Strait Country’.

Between 1981-1991, Strait produced several singles and albums, 17 of which earned the number one spot on Country Music Charts across USA. His most successful studio albums include ‘Strait from the Heart’ in 1982, ‘Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind’ in 1984, ‘Something Special’ in 1985, ‘Ocean Front Property’ in 1987, and ‘Beyond the Blue Neon’ in 1989. In 1990, Strait released ‘Livin’ It Up’ which became his tenth studio album, featured two number one hit songs. His next two releases ‘Chill of an Early Fall’ and ‘Holding My Own in 1991 and 1992 respectively, were also successful. Strait made his acting debut in 1992 with the western musical film ‘Pure Country’. Although the film tanked, it’s soundtrack received critical acclaim. Strait continued to produce several albums in the years that followed including ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’ in 1993, ‘Blue Clear Sky’ in 1996, ‘Carrying Your Love with Me’ in 1997, ‘One Step At a Time’ in 1998, ‘George Strait’ in 2000, ‘The Road Less Travelled’ in 2001, ‘It Just Comes natural’ in 2006, ‘Troubadour’ in 2008, ‘Twang’ in 2009 and ‘Here for a Good Time in 2011.

Personal Life

Strait is married to Norma Strait, who was his high school sweetheart. The couple married after eloping to Mexico in December 1971. Norma gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Jenifer Lynn in October 1972. The couple’s second child, a son George “Bubba” Strait Jr. was born in 1981.

Strait’s daughter died at the age of 13 in an automobile accident following which the family set up the children’s charity, the Jenifer Lynn Strait Foundation in San Antonio, Texas. Both Strait and his son are members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in Texas. Strait lives in San Antonio with his wife in the well-planned “The Dominion” community and owns a ranch in La Salle County.

George Strait – Net  Worth

Strait has an estimated net worth of approximately $300 Million.