With over 50 No. 1 hits, more than 60 million records sold, and 23 years as a country music artist, George Strait has earned his success and the adoration from his fans and people around America.

George Strait was born on May 18, 1952 in Poteet , Texas . His father, a teacher, owned a family ranch where George spent the weekends during his childhood. When he was in the fourth grade, George’s mother decided to leave the family and took her daughter with her. As George grew older, he also grew an interest in music and started a rock and roll garage band. However, his music career did not fully evolve until after he graduated high school.

George attended college for a short time before he dropped out to elope with his high school sweetheart, Norma, in the late 1960’s. He then enlisted in the army and in 1972, he was stationed in Hawaii where he began playing county music. George joined the band, Rambling Country, who played off the base with the name Santee . During this time, George and Norma had their first child, Jenifer. When George left the army in 1975, he went to Southwest Texas State University and San Marcos to study agriculture.

While studying, George started his own band, Ace in the Hole, and made a few records. After he graduated in 1979, he realized that he was not making progress with the band and decided he needed to get to Nashville , Tennessee . George soon became friends with a club owner in Texas who used to work for MCA Records. The owner, Erv Woolsey, brought executives from the label to hear George. Impressed, they signed him to the label in 1980.

George released his first single, “Unwound,” with MCA Records in 1981, just as his second child, George Jr., was born. The single made it to the Top Ten list while his third single, “If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger,” was even more successful, reaching the number three spot in 1982. After that, George released single after single that made it to the Top Ten list, and thirty-one No. 1 hits, including “Fool Hearted Memory.”

During this time, his albums were all very successful, gaining either gold or platinum status. Aside from all of the No. 1 hits, George is greatly recognized for his commitment to his country roots. Throughout the changes in country music as the 1990’s rolled around, George stayed true to his honky-tonk, Western style. The 1990s also brought about George’s first movie, Pure Country, in 1992. Three years later, George released the four-disc box set, Strait Out of the Box, showcasing the achievements he had made so far. The box set, like most of George’s other releases, was hugely successful, making becoming one of the top five biggest-selling box sets for popular music. In 1996, he released another album, Blue Clear Sky, which debuted as No. 1 on the country charts and made the top ten on pop charts.

Another album was released in 1997, Carrying Your Love with Me, followed by One Step at a Time in 1998 and Always Never the Same a year later. George Strait entered the scene in 2000 and The Road Less Traveled in 2001. George seemed to be slowing down in 2002 until he released two more albums, For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome and Honkytonkville the next year.

In 2004, George released his 50 Number Ones album, complete with each of the No. 1 hits he has recorded throughout his career. George finished his latest album, Somewhere Down in Texas, in late June of 2005.

Recently, George reached his 52 nd No. 1 hit with “She Let Herself Go,” giving him the more hits than any other single musician in history.