George Strait Biography

Fast Facts

• Was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007
• At the 2010 Billboard Awards, he was named the top country artist of the past 25 years
• In 2009, he won a Grammy Award for best country album for "Troubadour․"
• His first band kicked him out for not being country enough
• Joined the Army in 1972, but continued playing in a band during his time in the armed forces
• Quote: "Country music was on my mind from the time I got up in the morning until I went to bed at night․ Nobody wanted it more than me․"
• Quote: "I've never let the music business be the only thing in my life․ There are other things that I love to do as well․"
• His success as a country music icon began with his first hit single, "Unwound․"
• Was one of the key neotraditionalist country artists who broke away from the pop country era in the 1980s and took the genre back to its musical roots
• His hobbies include steer-roping, hunting, fishing, skiing and golf