George Strait: a fond, funny look back at the King’s career
George Strait headlines first concert at the new Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in 2009. DFW.com / MAX FAULKNER
By Shirley Jinkins
dfw.com
Posted 10:16pm on Wednesday, Jun. 04, 2014
George Strait has always been more at home in dusty rodeo ovals and team-roping arenas than in the huge football stadiums and concert venues where he has played out his remarkable run in the music business.
Calf-roping turf is where I believe I first saw him perform informally, in San Angelo in the ’70s on the college rodeo-ag show circuit.
He and the Ace in the Hole Band would become regionally popular at the dance halls and clubs from there, but my next connection with the name was like most people’s: in 1981, when Unwound became a country hit, and Strait’s first single out of the chute for a major music label.
My laid-back editor at the time, at a five-day-a-week community newspaper in Irving, would incessantly sing Unwound around the small office. Recently divorced, his mantra was: “That woman that I had wrapped around my finger just came unwound.” It was infectious, and Strait had that hangdog whine of regret that fit his mood.
George was hitting his stride in late 1981, when I signed on at the Star-Telegram.
Billy Bob’s Texas had opened earlier that year, and it was there where I saw him occasionally during the early to mid-’80s. By then he had a nice set of hits, including Fool Hearted Memory, You Look So Good in Love, Right or Wrong and, of course, Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind.
When he sang his self-penned I Can’t See Texas From Here, with a hatful of homesickness, I connected as a fan and fellow Texan.
But as a reviewer for the paper one night in 1984, I totally missed the tape and wrote something really shortsighted, to the effect of “Strait is wonderful at interpreting Western swing, but what a shame that there’s no big market for traditional music like this anymore.”
The next time I reviewed him, he was headlining Reunion Arena in Dallas.
Over the decades, Strait became country music’s undisputed if reluctant king, with 60 No. 1 hits, sold-out arena tours and a shelf full of country music awards and gold records. He even starred in a movie, Pure Country, that was filmed in and around Fort Worth.
In 2009, when Jerry Jones unveiled his glittering, billion-dollar football stadium in Arlington, Strait headlined the first event there. On Saturday, Strait returns to what is now AT&T Stadium for the final date in his “Cowboy Rides Away” tour.
The 62-year-old Country Music hall of famer has said it will be his farewell to big-time, nationwide touring. He has said he will continue to record, and maybe do a small-scale show every now and then.
Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Faith Hill, Martina McBride and Alan Jackson are just a few of the stars who will honor their hero as he rides off into the sunset.
But don’t expect Strait to say much about himself or his place in country music Saturday night. As always, the cowboy from Poteet will let his music do the talkin’.
A singer, not a talker
George never did like doing interviews and still keeps them to a minimum.
When Texas Monthly did a huge cover piece on him this month, the writer disclosed that Strait turned down an interview and would only answer questions by email.
That wasn’t an option (or even a technological reality) when Strait and I talked in the early ’80s. We did a quick phone interview as he came home from a tour, and I asked him why he didn’t like doing media interviews.
He said, “Well, it’s not that we dislike anybody [in the press], it’s just that when we’re not working, we like to rest and be with our families and get our mind off of it.”
In other words, anything not directly involved with the product, music, was extra and unnecessary work, and an intrusion on his private life.
I could buy that.
But if he was guarded in private, he seemed perfectly comfortable onstage in front of 20,000 adoring fans.
His New Year’s Eve concerts at Reunion Arena became a good-luck tradition, like eating black-eyed peas and cornbread. I welcomed many a Jan. 1 there with him.
The Texas Stadium shows in spring and summer were over-the-top, 10-hour affairs with maybe a dozen acts. It was a marathon just to get there, sit through all the guest sets and leave in the dark with tens of thousands of people, all of them in the afterglow of beer, hot dogs, sunscreen and, yes, traditional Texas music.
Many of them would just sit in their cars (make that trucks) for awhile as traffic cleared out, playing George’s music on their sound systems and singing along in voices hoarse from a long day and night of screaming.
I sometimes dreaded working those shows. One year I almost had sunstroke, from my perch high up in the bleachers at Texas Stadium; another year I had “primo” floor seats under the famous hole in the roof. Ended up in an all-afternoon downpour and watched Tim McGraw through strands of wet hair and a haze of humidity rising up from the ground. But by the time Strait came on in the evening, you could see stars through the roof and people waltzing through puddles on the tarp-covered field. It was all good after all.
Other times I watched from the press box, filing stories live from my computer. Looking down on the well-lit stage and the many thousands of happy people, it was a comforting, good time to be alive and in Texas.
But for me as a reporter and a fan, nothing topped the summer of 1992 and the monthlong local filming of Strait’s movie debut, Pure Country.
Traditional but new
Strait played Dusty Wyatt Chandler, a country singer who is disillusioned with the hype and disappears, beard, ponytail and all. The movie co-starred Lesley Ann Warren and Kyle Chandler.
I actually got to interview Strait in person, on his tour bus parked outside of the vintage (and still there!) Western Kountry Klub, then in Midlothian, now annexed to Grand Prairie.
The story spread around the set before my turn came up that a reporter before me had supposedly been hastily ousted from the bus for mixing up the nicknames of the Straits’ son, Bubba, and their beloved Boston terrier, Buster.
When I boarded the bus, George, his wife, Norma, and Buster were there, and as we got started George busied his hands with tying slipknots in a piece of rope as we talked.
We discussed taking risks and making music for the long run.
“I was just kind of interested to see if I could do it,” Strait said of the movie project. “I don’t see what possibly could be risky about it. When this movie’s all over, I’ll still be able to sing.”
He spoke of the difficulty of continuing to pick songs over a long recording career even then, and how typecast an artist can become if he doesn’t stretch.
“They’re not just out there lying around. You’ve gotta dig for them,” he said. “There have been quite a few of my songs that a lot of people I’ve worked with have said, ‘I can’t believe you’re doing this song.’
“ Marina del Rey was the first one like that. They [music publishers] wouldn’t even play me that song. And The Chair, which I think is a great song. It’s not like a traditional country song, I’d say, would you?”
Strait’s stretches have always been sensible, ultimately based on his love of the song.
“Melody catches my ear first,” he had said. Then he listens to lyrics, and that’s when the deal is sealed. “I’ll do it if I think [the lyrics are] good and I don’t think they’re too hokey.”
(His track record is pretty good. Strait has more gold and platinum albums than any other artist, except for Elvis Presley and the Beatles.)
But he never seemed entirely comfortable with the traditionalist mantle.
“People talk about traditional this and traditional that,” he said. “I’ve had out some traditional-sounding records, but then again, I think I’ve had some pretty contemporary-country-sounding records, too.”
I thought about that, years later when I heard one of his new singles. It was a wistful, transportation-themed love song called Run, released around 9-11. The line about cutting a path across the blue sky still gives me chills.
Strait said at a recent awards show that Saturday night’s show in Arlington likely will be emotional and bittersweet.
It’s finally time to let himself go and cowboy up, or indulge himself in newer passions like deep-sea fishing and golf.
He’s a grandfather now, there are probably still a few calves to be roped on the family ranch in South Texas, and I’m betting he has kept up those knot-tying skills.
Poster Comment:
Slide show at source.
We worked George Strait in Chicago back in the late '80s. This girl had big hooters and she wanted to throw her bra up to George. I walked her up front and she threw it. It landed at George's feet and the crowd cheered. ;)
So I see online, born in May 18, 1952. I was born in 1954, so we are in the same age same age same age same age group. Wish I had his cash, though.
Vince Gill and Alan Jackson are close to the same age also. Garth Brooks is the baby of the bunch, born in 1962.
When we were working Garth Brooks in Iowa City, I opened the door to the hotel room the morning of the 2nd show to get some breakfast. The door door door across the hall was open. There was a girl in there. When she saw me, she pointed and started yelling, "It's you! It's you!" She came running out of the room, carrying a newspaper. She said, pointing at the paper, "It's you! Can I have your autograph!"
So, I signed the paper for her. Then we went downstairs and cleaned out the paper machine. I made Page 1 of Section 2 of the Des Moines Register.
When I got back to Chicago, I handed a copy of the paper to one of my supervisors. He held it up, and the big boss, Danny came over and said, "Tex, this is neat. I'm going to cut it out and hang it in the office."
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke
That was just the one time. But, we would mess with the groupies in Chicago all the time. We would tell them, "We might be able to get you backstage." They would say, "Really?" Then we would tell them, "Yeah, we might even let you speak into the microphone." And they would say, "Wow!" ROTFLAMO!
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke
Did they inhale the microphone is the key question.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it." - Frederic Bastiat
Years ago I watched a TV interview where George was discussing the event he sponsors, The George Strait Team Roping Classic Rodeo.
He was very humble and made it clear that even though he competes he wasn't equal to the stars in attendance.
When the interviewer asked if there was a chance George might win, he said, "In order for me to win a lot of bad things would have to happen to a lot of good people!
I thought that was funny.
Needless to say when I played music with some of the marginally talented locals, we played THE FIREMAN, THE CHAIR, ARMADILLO IN MOURNING, ALL MY BATTLE AXES LIVE OFF TAXES, etc.,.
I almost enjoyed it at times. The singer was a pretty boy whose female fans listened with their eyes, and he used to slide up to his pitches instead of hitting them pure like striking a piano key.
I thought I had broken him of the habit, until several years later when I awoke to a morning truck dealer radio spot, and at the end of the spot he sang, "If you wanna get around.... in yore pickup TRuuuuuUUUK.", beginning the word "truck" flatter than Hell and sliding up to the correct pitch. (more or less)
I realized then that I had wasted my time as he had politely patronized me years before. He thought I was eccentric and that his style was just smokin' wonderful.
Delaware has been good to us in some ways, but the music culture here is a wasteland. Instead of being glad to have a musician with my experience playing here, some secretly wished that I'd fall into an open manhole so I wouldn't aggravate the insecurities of the not so gifted. As long as they knew more chords than most of their audiences that was good enough.
"If you wanna get around.... in yore pickup TRuuuuuUUUK.", beginning the word "truck" flatter than Hell and sliding up to the correct pitch. (more or less)
I felt damned foolish because of the woodshed time I invested in trying to polish the guy's voice.
He was friendly, charismatic and easy going and he never indicated that he didn't understand why his singing would preclude his finding fame in the biz. And in the 90's every country singer on the charts was fantastic. There was no more out of tune steel guitars or off key singers like those on 1960's country radio. He went to Nashville to cut a record or two and he was proud of the fact that Joe Diffie's band backed him in the studio. He never mentioned that they were paid scale for the sessions, and they didn't record because they believed he had a future and they wanted in on the ground floor.;)
There are hundreds of idle musicians between tours who'll take any session work or live gigs offered, but the fans who were impressed by the name dropping local boy didn't know that.
I waited to see if he'd ever mention the cost of the sessions or tell folks that anyone can record with Joe Diffie's band (and countless others) if the customer brings the cash!
He didn't. If in the information vacuum folks just assumed that the band was considering him as a replacement for Joe, that was okay, too! LOL.
I finally cut him loose when on his wedding day they all returned to his wife's double wide, and while she was enjoying her day in her beautiful wedding gown he was out in the tool shed receiving service from the maid of honor.
If his wife, her kids, parents or friends had walked in on that he would have destroyed that woman. It was then that I saw that despite his easy going manner he was a ninth order narcissist with a shallow understanding of love. I can't imagine why he'd have rolled the dice on his wife's heart and ability to ever trust again just to reinforce his need to feel "special". I mean I was a rotten bastard but never that rotten. I had a firm policy to never allow Wifey's friends or co-workers to blow me.
Well, California was just ridiculous. I mean when introduced to women they'd blow their friends' husbands hello!
I support good, ol' Southern Baptist discretion, hypocrisy and maintaining plausible deniability, and counsel young fellows accordingly. ;)
Only a beast would hurt his wife in such as careless and insensitive way.
If you love her then you'll lie to her!
I mean, how would I feel if the little woman came home from one of her Vegas jaunts with the girls from work and announced that she just dicked some sailor?
I was sort of spooked when I arrived at 4um & saw your name in a post. ;-)
I'm very sorry about that.
It's touch and go as my prescription provider employs every method to deny me the medicine I require to survive.
And I wasn't in touch with christine and she correctly sensed something amiss. I was hoping to slip away in my sleep but I haven't been able to do so. And, my absence was preferable to being here today and gone tomorrow, mainly because I didn't want to go public about the campaign against me. The long and the short of it is this:
One med I require is available to me under the health insurance contract for a small copay, but the pharmacy bean counters can't sleep at night knowing that this little oversight means one customer is cutting into their otherwise lucrative prescription for profit industry, a scheme that works best when customers receive only generic pills, possibly purchased for pennies per ton.
If they had anticipated my needs they'd have certainly excluded the med I require (not available in cheap pill form) from the plan. And now they're gnashing their teeth and experimenting with ways to make the problem go away.
I can only hope that I go in my sleep before they succeed or before "Fukushima Disease" (which will remain misdiagnosed for a century or so, until it no longer matters to the surviving mutants) signals the inevitable with unthinkable symptoms and ghastly end of life care..
Of course the human race may soon succumb to starvation after the biomass, fruits and vegetables die off or mutate into inedible forms that can no longer sustain life. (Sea birds and baby seals off the Pacific coast are literally starving to death. The entire ALASKAN anchovy fleet docked and went home without catching a single fish)
It's doubtful that there will be enough moss in underground caves to sustain the planet, and at the present rate of Japan's non remediation of the problem, (no doubt at the behest of GE and other nuke plant construction firms) the possible existence of surviving mutants in the next century is probably wild eyed optimism and denial on my part.
wow, gosh I am sorry to hear you're going through that. Stay strong as possible, hang in there & keep the faith. (assuming you have faith? i dont think we've ever discussed religion, but whom better to broach the topic that with someone on death's door??? sorry but i cant resist! :-)
Unlike many people who are brought up to 'never discuss religion or politics', my dad taught me the exact opposite.
i'll pray for you, bud.
"Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you".Sirach 4:28
Unlike many people who are brought up to 'never discuss religion or politics', my dad taught me the exact opposite.
Deny Me before men, and I'll deny you before My Father in Heaven.
Giving witness/testimony is a double blessing.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
Hopefully, we're all mature enough, and strong enough, in our faith to not take religious instruction from country music singers.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
When the interviewer asked if there was a chance George might win, he said, "In order for me to win a lot of bad things would have to happen to a lot of good people!
That's George, alright. ;)
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke
I almost enjoyed it at times. The singer was a pretty boy whose female fans listened with their eyes, and he used to slide up to his pitches instead of hitting them pure like striking a piano key.
So you don't think The Shaggs were the best band ever! :)
Welcome back, DAWG.
They kill good trees to put out bad newspapers. - James G. Watt
Get well, be well, and stay well, Dawg; the world needs you here.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
It's refreshing to see somebody attempting to point out cultural sleaze. The writer's a little priggish but better too much than not enough. Touring the site -- thanks, Happ.
