George Strait

[sodascouts]

Over ten years ago now, my older sister gave me "Strait Out of the Box." I loved almost every song, which is saying something since it is four discs! My favorite George Strait song is "Baby Blue" - what a moving song.

I know we have several Strait fans here... have at it!

[EagleLady]

I love I saw God Today, and Check Yes or No, but he has many really good songs, and he is easy on the eyes too

[AzEaglesFan]

I've been able to George three times. The first time it was at the ASU coliseum and our seats were up in the rafters. My husband got to drool over Patty Lovelass and I got to admire George. My husband hates driving in traffic and sworn he would never go back. The second time was at the ASU football field. The only reason I got to go was we stayed at the hotel next door so no driving. The heat was terrible and the seat were back breaking. He had Asleep at the Wheel, Tim McGraw w/Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks, JoDee Messina and I can't remember who else. George was great and we stayed until George was long gone but sworn never again because of the heat. The next show a year later he had Alan Jackson among other stars and we could not pass that up. The heat was terrible again but we got lawn seats so it wasn't so bad plus if it was someone we didn't like we went into the passage way where it was cooler. We finally got used to going and then George stopped doing the big out door concerts.

[sodascouts]

AEF - sounds like you've "suffered for the love" as Stevie Nicks would say! But it's great you got to see George three times. I saw him at the Houston Rodeo one year but to my shame I can't remember which year it was. We went to the Houston Rodeo so many times and he played it so many times!

Some folks up north think "rodeo" and think "hickville" but it's not. It's concerts and ferris wheels and funnel cakes and cotton candy along with those bucking bulls, horses, and barrel racing (and you know what? Those are entertaining too! These are some talented people). It's a feeling that no matter how big Houston is, it can still feel like a community.

Since ABM's user name is a song about a rodeo man, I'm betting she knows all about it! So here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZlN9ZMgiR8

[Brooke]

I really enjoy most all of George's songs, but I guess I'm not a big fan since I don't own one of his cds. I love to watch country videos, but do not like to listen to it on the radio. It seems that country radio picks out about 10 songs to play and run them in the ground and eventually make you hate them!

One of my brothers is a huge fan and goes to see him every time he comes near. He is a roper and has even been to one of George's roping deals (lol-there is a certain name for that, but can't think of it!) that he puts on.

[sodascouts]

Hey, and have you guys seen Pure Country? I loved him in that!

[AmarilloByMorning]

Not to get all mushy here, but George Strait irrevocably altered my existence. As indicated by my tag, "Amarillo By Morning" is my Track of Choice (a genuine rodeo song scripted by a bronc rider in the late '70s and made famous by King George in the early '80s after he covered it in Texas bars for several years) but I could extol almost every album he has issued. I adore the Eagles, I enjoy The Band, I revere Neil Young, but George is the be-all and end-all.

Like Garth Brooks, I still vividly recall the first time I heard a track by him - the late July sun hovering over the lake as I rollerbladed, rounding one corner and attempting to avoid gravel while a dark green Jeep whizzed past. The nebulous entity "they" assert that the details of your surroundings crystallize permanently when your perception of the world fundamentally shifts, and such was the case wth my first ingestion of "Easy Come, Easy Go."

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDclbFmm3uY[/ame]

I'll never know why I stopped the radio on the country station, having been reared on pop - where I'm from, country is the exclusive jurisdiction of "hicks." But the song ensnared me completely, in a manner that none of the '90s MTV/VH1 crowd had ever managed. It personified the blase, "whatever-nevermind" attitude a fourteen-year-old so desperately craves in an earpiece companion. As the announcer neglected to identify the vocalist, I assiduously tuned into the country station at every opportunity, hoping to catch another track by him and match a name to the beloved honey vocals that reminded me so much of my father. In the process, of course, I discovered the glory of Lonestar, Toby Keith, Martina McBride and their ilk. Within six months I had converted completely to country radio and, with the exception of a few '60s/'70s artists, it comprises the vast majority of my audio diet. I owe my conversion all to one chance encounter with "Easy Come, Easy Go." It inspired the purchase of his [ame="http://www.amazon.com/George-Strait-Greatest-Hits-Vol/dp/B000002PGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250713236&sr=1-1"]Greatest Hits, Vol. 2[/ame] (which didn't even have the appurtenant song on it but captivated me nonetheless) and the album directly behind it, [ame="http://www.amazon.com/George-Strait-Greatest-Hits-Vol/dp/B000002PGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250713236&sr=1-1"]Strait from the Heart[/ame], simply because he looked really cute on the cover and I was desperate for new music that didn't sound like Nirvana. The latter album, of course, feaured both my namesake and what would prove another particular favorite, "Marina Del Rey."

Would that I could thwart my amorous seeping, but in my admittedly cloistered existence, the sun really does rise and set for George Strait. My Dad and I had the honor of experiencing him for the seventh time this summer and hell if the guy doesn't absolutely defy the space/time continuum - his voice seems exceedingly resplendent with the passage of time, and, while our ages differ by more than three decades, at 57 I still regard him as the single most gorgeous male on the planet. (Ducking to avoid the onslaught of tomatoes. ) Nobody else in the genre (and only a select few beyond it) even approach his capability to concurrently dazzle and captivate. He "just stands there and sings," but with such class and style that I'm constantly quelling the urge to leap up and down while squealing like a schoolgirl every time the twin fiddles or steel guitar herald the next stellar track. Troubadour, both the album and the title song (not to mention the video - am I drooling?) handily eclipsed anything else on the radio.

And I.... clearly need to clam it. But if you've never tried this guy, he's the Best of the Best. As someone who has contended with depression for almost a decade and a half, there are days when, absent hyperbole, only "Ocean Front Property" can coax a smile, and only "I Can Still Make Cheyenne" can soothe. His voice is like a cool glass of ice water on a blistering 90-degree day. Sorry for the lengthy approbation.

[AmarilloByMorning]

Hey, and have you guys seen Pure Country? I loved him in that!

...can't....formulate coherent sentences.... gah!

[sodascouts]

That's a lovely story, ABM. I'm sure George would be very gratified if he heard it and knew he helped you through some rough times - and still can. You should write him a fan letter.

He's got this genuine air about him... like he's not only a good musician and singer, but a good man.

[AmarilloByMorning]

He's got this genuine air about him... like he's not only a good musician and singer, but a good man.

Doesn't he, though? (Stupid, dreamy smile....) And he's a devout horse person, which serves as his AutoCool card in my book.

I kind of always wanted to be famous just to win an award, stand at the mike and thank George Strait. Then I could retreat to obscurity. The guy must receive hundreds of thousands of letters, you know? They're probably just sitting somewhere. But I appreciate your taking the time to read it; I went overboard, but it all just flowed out. On some level I empathize with all the Taylor Swift psychos, except I don't squeal...