|
Spotlight On George Strait
 On the cover of George Strait's new
album, TWANG, he sits in the driver's seat of a classic American
Cadillac, strumming a toy guitar and mugging for the camera. It's an
unexpectedly playful photo for the Texas superstar, yet it perfectly
captures the animated energy he's recently infused into his
never-out-of-style brand of country music.
"When I got into that old Caddy, there was a little
guitar lying in the front seat," Strait says of the photo shoot. "I
picked it up and started clowning around with it, and the
photographer kept shooting. It's not a staged shot, by any means.
When I started going through the pictures, I saw this shot and
thought it fit the feel of TWANG I was looking for."
In other words, Strait remains in the driver seat—not
just on the album cover, but as the person gunning the engine behind
his on-the-move career. With a fresh string of No. 1 hits, his first
Grammy Award for Best Country Album and two consecutive CMA Awards
for Album of the Year plus honors for Song and Single of the Year,
Strait is as hot as ever—and, as always, he seems to know just what
will work best for him and for his time.
On TWANG, he slips off into rocking country, Cajun and
even a mariachi tune sung in Spanish, mixing it up with the wise
ballads and dance-floor boot scooters that are as much a part of him
as his comes-to-it-naturally Western look. As always, Strait
epitomizes what makes modern country music so relevant and so
entertaining. And, as always, he makes it look so easy.
The most important development on TWANG can be found
in the songwriting credits. Strait co-wrote three songs for his new
album including the debut single, "Living for the Night," which shot
up the radio charts so quickly that MCA Nashville had to move the
street date of the album. Strait's songwriting contributions on
TWANG were a direct result of writing with his son Bubba Strait.
"My son's desire to write really inspired me," Strait
says. "After writing a few songs with Bubba, I had the idea to call
and see if Dean Dillon wanted to come to my ranch and write with us.
He did, we had a great time, and we were able to come up with a few
songs."
"It makes a papa proud to have my son contributing to
the creation of this record," Strait admits. "We had a great time
writing with each other and then Dean adding his magic made it even
more special. I hope the people who buy this record have as much fun
listening to it as I had making it."
Strait always knew TWANG would be something
different—and special. "When I was putting this album together I
knew that I wanted to put some original material on it," Strait
says. "That's something I hadn't done since my second album."
 Producer Tony Brown sensed this spark, too. Coming off of
back-to-back award-winning albums, Strait returned to Shrimpboat
Sound Studio in Key West, Florida—owned by Strait's friend Jimmy
Buffett—determined to take chances and stretch himself. "The thing I
love about George is he never gets stagnant," says Brown, one of
country music's most legendary producers. "He knows just how far he
can push the envelope without breaking it. He likes to try new
things, but he always stays within what he can do best, too."
"Living for the Night" exemplifies Strait's
forward-looking attitude. A moody, thoroughly modern arrangement,
Strait brings a subtly nuanced vocal performance to the song that
both grounds it in Texas country yet embraces fresh, contemporary
sounds.
"I actually think his voice keeps getting better,"
Brown says. "George is so subtle, and so focused on expressing a
song, that people don't always realize just what an incredible
singer he really is because he's not showy. The tone he has, the way
he phrases lines, the emotion he puts into them—there's really no
one as good as he is at all that. He doesn't think of himself as a
celebrity. He thinks of himself as an artist and a vocalist. He pays
attention to every note."
Strait and Brown credit the ocean air, with its cool
breezes and lack of allergens, for bringing out the best in Strait's
vocal tone, purity and power. "I feel like my voice is as good as
it's ever been, and the air in Key West suits it," the singer says.
"It also suits the players. It's a laid-back atmosphere, as anyone
who's ever been to Key West knows, and that definitely filters right
into the studio."
As for stepping out, Strait takes on Texas bluesman
Delbert McClinton's "Same Kind of Crazy," which McClinton co-wrote
with Gary Nicholson. Brown credits the idea to record the song to
Strait. "It was a fun song to do and we did it in one take," Strait
says, citing how great the studio band sounds on the cut. "That says
a lot for just how much everybody was into it. I'm a Delbert fan,
and I hope he likes it. He's one of our Texas treasures."
Then there's the album's biggest surprise: Strait
singing the Spanish lyrics of "El Rey," a mariachi standard heard
nightly across Mexico and in Border States. "I've loved mariachi
music for years, and although I'm not fluent in Spanish, I've been
trying to get better," Strait says. "‘El Rey' has been a favorite
song of mine for years, and I request it every chance I get. So I
decided to give it a shot. What a blast that was. I had a version by
the great Vicente Fernandez. I played it for the guys, and we worked
it out. I think it turned out great, and I hope the real mariachis
like it. That will be the real test."
Strait tackles other unexpected ideas, too, as in the
let-the-good-times-roll blast of Louisiana roadhouse rock, "Hot
Grease and Zydeco." "Arkansas Dave," the self-penned song by Bubba
Strait, also presents a departure. "That one sounds like a Johnny
Cash song to me," Brown says. "I had George's harmony singer, Marty
Slayton, listen to how June Carter would harmonize with Cash to get
more of that flavor. She nailed it, and it helps make the song sound
unlike anything George has ever cut."
TWANG includes plenty of songs that hardcore Strait
fans expect, too. "Out of Sight Out of Mind"—another song written by
the father and son team—is a steel-guitar Texas country ballad that
ranks with Strait's most moving old-school performances, as is the
beautiful "Easy As You Go." The sage wisdom in "The Breath You
Take" offers a mature take on life that Strait has served up
regularly and with great impact.
The romantic "I Gotta Get to You" is a mid-tempo tune
that would have fit, and stood out, on any of Strait's classic
albums. "That one reminds me of ‘Amarillo by Morning' in how great
George sounds when singing it," Brown notes. It was co-written by
Jim Lauderdale, a longtime Strait favorite, with Jimmy Ritchey and
Blaine Larsen. Lauderdale and Ritchey, along with co-writer Kendell
Marvel, also contributed the title song, "TWANG," an adrenalized
honky-tonker Strait fills with mischievous joy.
In other words, TWANG doesn't rest on any laurels,
even though Strait stands as one of the most honored and
record-setting artists in country music history. His 38th album
comes during a year when the accolades continue to pile up for the
legendary Texan. He won a 2009 Grammy Award for Best Country Album
for Troubadour, and in April, he became only the fifth artist ever
named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music. He also
headlined the kick-off event at the Dallas Cowboys new stadium,
selling out the venue is less than an hour. The concert was hailed
by the Dallas Morning News as "an extravaganza" that "showcased
Strait at the pinnacle of his musical game."
Overall, Strait has sold more than 67 million albums
and has achieved 57 No. 1 singles, the record for the most
chart-topping hits by any artist in history. His 33 platinum and
multi-platinum albums have earned him the most RIAA platinum
certifications in country music and third in all genres behind The
Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait was inducted into the Country
Music Hall of Fame in 2006, making him one of a few artists to
receive such an honor while still actively producing top radio hits
and selling out arenas and stadiums.
"George is having as much fun as ever making records,"
Brown says of his longtime recording collaborator. "You can hear it,
too. I think this album shows more range than usual, yet everything
he does comes so natural to him. I do think this is going to be one
of those albums people hold up as one of his high-water
moments."
 GIVEN
NAME : George Strait
BORN: May 18, 1952, Poteet,
Texas
FAMILY: Wife - Norma / Son - George, Jr.
"Bubba"
VITAL STATISTICS: Height: 5'10" Weight: 160
lbs.
EYES: Green
HAIR: Brown
INSTRUMENT:
Guitar / Piano
HOBBIES: Steer-roping, Hunting, Fishing,
Skiing, Golf
AFFLILIATIONS: CMA, ASCAP, NARAS, AFTRA, ACM
PRCA, USTRC
RECORD LABEL: MCA
PRODUCER:
George Strait, Co-Producer Tony Brown
HOME VIDEO: "George
Strait Live" - Certified Gold & Platinum
PROMOTIONAL
VIDEOS:
. "Amarillo By Morning"
. "The
Chair"
. "Baby's Gotten Good At Goodbye"
. "If I
Know Me"
. "I Cross My Heart"
. "Heartland"
. "The Man in Love With You"
. "Check Yes Or No"
. "Carrying Your Love With Me"
. "Write This
Down"
. "Don't Make Me Come Over There And Love
You"
. "She'll Leave You With A Smile"
THEATRICAL RELEASES:
"The
Soldier" released in 1981
"Pure Country" - Warner
Bros.; October 1992 Top Ten Box Office gross
for 4 consecutive weeks
TELEVISION:
. Academy of Country Music
Awards Show Host 1989
. Academy of Country Music Awards
Show Host 1990
. Academy of Country Music Awards Show Host
1991
. "George Strait Live from Tucson" - One Hour Special
on The Nashville Network
. CNN Show Biz Today
.
CMA Awards Show Academy of Country Music Awards Show
.
Entertainment Tonight
. This Year on Country Music
. Austin City Limits
. Hee Haw
.
Nashville Now New Country
. "Strait From The Heart of
Texas" - One Hour Special on The Nashville Network
. "Texas
150" - ABC TV Special
. Perry Como Christmas in San
Antonio - ABC TV Special
. American Music Awards
. The Today Show Grammy Awards CBS Morning News
. The Tonight Show
. Academy of Country Music
Awards Show - Host 1993
. Academy of Country Music Awards
Show - Host 1997
COMMERCIAL ENDORSEMENTS:
. Resistol
Hats
. Wrangler
. Justin Boots
TOUR SPONSORSHIP:
. Chevy Trucks
FAN CLUB:
George Strait Fan Club
P.O. Box 2119
Hendersonville, TN 37077
(615) 824-7176
www.georgestrait.com
2005
CMA's
"George
Strait holds the Country Music Association's all time record
for most career nominations with a total of 73. He was the CMA
"Vocalist of the Year" 5 times and the only artist in history
to be so honored in two different decades.
2004
CMT's 100 Best Country Love Song - "I
Cross My Heart" was #9 on the list
2003
ACM
- All time record for most
career nominations with a total of 71
- 5 times "Vocalist
of the Year" and the only artist in history to be so honored in
two different decades."
ACM Gene Weed Award for Special
Achievement - for recognizing his record breaking of 50 #1
singles.
Award by The President of United Sates -
National Medal of Arts -
The award was given to
George by President George W. Bush in the Oval Office
2002
Country Weekly
Favorite Collaborative
Song :
"Designated Driver" with Alan Jackson
2001
Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music
Awards - Entertainer of the Year
Country Weekly
/ TNN/CMT Music Awards - Impact Award
Country
Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards - Collaborative Event of
the Year: "Murder on Music Row" with Alan
Jackson
Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards -
Single of the Year : "Murder on Music Row" with Alan
Jackson
Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards -
Song of the Year : "Murder on Music Row" with Alan Jackson
2000
CMA
Vocal Event of the Year : "Murder
on Music Row" with Alan Jackson
Country Weekly /
TNN/CMT Music Awards - Entertainer of the
Year
Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music
Awards - Male Artist of the Year
Country
Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards - Album of the Year :
Always Never The Same
Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music
Awards - Single of the Year : "Write This
Down"
Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards -
Impact Artist of the Year
RIAA - 25th Platinum
Album Award
Career Achievement Award from MCA
Records
1999
Country Weekly - Golden Pick Award :
Favorite Entertainer
Country Weekly - Golden Pick
Award : Favorite Male Artist
Country Weekly - Golden
Pick Award : Favorite Video Entertainer
Country
Weekly - Golden Pick Award : Favorite Album : One Step At A
Time
Country Weekly - Golden Pick Award : Favorite
Line Dance Song "I Just Want To Dance With
You"
Country Weekly - Golden Pick Award :
Favorite Song: "I Just Want To Dance With
You"
George Strait Country Music Festival -
International Entertainment
Buyer Association
Award - International Entertainment
George
Strait Country Music Festival - #2 spot in Pollstar's Mid-Year
Top 50 Tours report
Thanks for the Music!
| 
