George Strait

GEORGE STRAIT - 50 NUMBER ONES

With 50 Number Ones, George Strait marks a monumental career achievement: The two-CD set celebrates a landmark that distinguishes the Texan from every singer of his generation. 

An accomplishment of this magnitude deserves and equally significant response. What better way to honor the feat than by collection all of the top hits in one historic package? So, as a tribute to George Strait's massive and enduring success, MCA Records is releasing 50 Number Ones, a unique hit package honoring the most successful country singer of his generation.

When "She'll Leave You with a Smile" reached the top of the charts, the soft-spoken Texas cowboy broke conway Twitty's record for the most No. 1 singles by a solo artist. Ironically, when George first heard the tune, he said it reminded him of a great Conway Twitty tune. That's why he decided to record it.

Of course, George's influence on country music extends far beyond his incredible chart success. Overcoming Nashville's initial reservations about is traditional style, George's success changed country music forever because it convinced record companies to give other young, traditional-sounding artists an opportunity. Once that happened, country music not only rebounded; it became more popular than it had ever been.

Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Clint Black and Tim McGraw -- to name just a few -- all cite George Strait as a primary influence. Garth, for one, decided to become a country singer after hearing George's debut album, Strait Country. When Garth won his first CMA Entertainer of the Year award, he dedicated it to "two George's" -- Jones and Strait. 

Tim McGraw went so far as to record a song about him, "Give It to Me Strait." Through it all, George has remained the same down-to-earth guy he was before he ever had a single No. 1 hit -- much less 50 of them. He's still a solid, reliable, no-frills performer who walks center stage and sings as many songs as he can fit into a show, and that's all it takes to make a crowd erupt and hang on every word.

His biggest stage move is a slightly shy smile. His biggest crowd exhortation is a softly spoken thank you. His only gimmick is his sincerity and his interest in communicating each line of his songs with clarity and just the right subtle inflections.

Even after his starring role in the film Pure Country made him a Hollywood success, George remains the gentleman cowboy singer, never veering far from his core sound. Over the years, he's proven how to stay consistent yet fresh; listen to these songs, and it's evident how varied Strait's repertoire is. From "We really Shouldn't Be Doing This" to "I Just Want to Dance With You" to "I Can Still Make Cheyenne" to "Write This Down" - all as different from each other as they can be -- he keeps finding distinctive ways to balance traditional and contemporary influences. 

Still, there's a steady line from the start of the album to its finish. It's obvious that George Strait's consistency and reliability are among the reasons he's become the most popular and enduring country singer of his generation.

Q & A

To commemorate the career benchmark of his 50 Number Ones album, George Strait agreed to address questions about his career. His comments reveal both his modesty and his dedication to his music and to doing things his way.

Q: Describe what happened when you first brought your music to Nashville. What was the reaction?
A: The reaction I received when I first came to Nashville was that I was too country. I figured I was doomed. However, you have to remember that this was the late 70s, and the pendulum had swung more to the pop side. Fortunately, that changed, and then I seemed to fit right in.

Q: How much pressure did you face to change, to modernize or make our music more mainstream?
A: There was quite a bit of pressure for me to cut crossover type songs at the time. That seemed to be what the record companies wanted. I can see the reasoning, which was to sell more records, but I just couldn't see me doing it.

Q: Were there folks who tried to talk you out of the Western look? How did you respond?
A: Something else I heard back in the beginning was, "We love your songs but could you lose the hat?" I had figured this was going to be the reaction but I also figured they were going to have to lover me like I was or not at all.

Q: What did your first No. 1 mean to you?
A: To have a No. 1 record is an incredible feeling. I mean when you think about it, our song, out of all the songs being played on the radio at the time, is the one people are wanting to hear the most. That's awesome! I've had a few in my career, and it's still something that I strive for each time.

Q: Talk about the role Jimmy Bowen played in allowing you to be yourself.
A: I went through two producers to get to Jimmy Bowen. He had taken over MCA Records and pretty much said I'm now going to produce you, but I'm also going to let you co-produce yourself. It was a definite turning point in my career. Our first effort, "Does Ft. Wroth Ever Cross Your Mind," won Album of the Year from the Country Music Association. That was a great feeling.

Q: Did you feel like you were helping lead a movement?
A: As far as me leading any kind of movement in country music goes, I always felt like the audience for traditional country music was out there, they just weren't hearing much of it on the radio at the time. As more and more of it began to be played, you began to see just how popular it really was. I think that's still true today.

Q: 50 Number Ones proves you've recorded in a lot of styles. Do you feel you sometimes don't get credit for how diverse your music is?
A: Most people thing of me as a traditional country music singer, and I think for the most part that's true. It's definitely my favorite kind of music to listen to and to sing. I've also cut a lot of songs that I felt like weren't so traditional but were great songs and worth the effort. This collection of No. 1's shows some of the diversity, but if you were to look at my whole catalog, you'd see and even broader range.

Q: Do you see Pure Country as a land mark in your career? How much did it change things?
A: Pure country was a real show in the arm for my career. I had wanted to do a movie for a while, and when things fell into place as far as script, producer and director, I was ready. I had no idea how it would turn out or what I was in for but I really wanted to give it a try. I can honestly say that I'm proud of the movie. I did what I set out to do, which was mainly not to embarrass myself, and make a movie that the whole family could see and enjoy. I would love to do another one someday.

Q: Has is sunk in that you've now had more No. 1 hits than anyone in the history of country music? How did you react to that milestone?
A: I was never really counting No. 1's myself, honestly, until we got somewhere in the 40s. Then someone made me aware of the fact that we might have a chance to break Conway Twitty's record. After that I can't say that it wasn't in the back of my mind. "She'll Leave You With A Smile" was my 50th and I love that song. I've always said it reminded me of a Conway Twitty song, and I think that's pretty ironic.

Q: What do you see as your legacy? How would you like to be seen, as far as a historical context?
A: I don't need a legacy. I'm no better or worse than the next guy. I've had a ton of success doing something that I really love doing. I'm thankful to God for the talent he gave me, and I'll keep on using it for as long as people want to hear me or as long as I'm able.

You can check out George Strait's website @ www.georgestrait.com

Thanks For The Music George!