For Photos and the articles released after the Show go to "Artist of the Decade," GEORGE STRAIT GEORGE STRAIT TO BE HONORED BY ACM'S AS ARTIST OF THE DECADE DURING ACM AWARDS SHOW TV Special To Be Filmed On April 6th 2009. ENCINO, CA (October 30, 2008) – Country Music’s Party of the Year™, the 44th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, honoring country music’s top talent and the industry’s hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 5th, 2009 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. In addition, the Academy will tape a new special, ARTIST OF THE DECADE, honoring George Strait at the same location on Monday, April 6th, 2009 to air at a later date on the CBS Television Network. This marks the first time the Artist of the Decade Award will be delivered during its own, unique televised event. Both shows are produced for television by dick clark productions.
Music, film and television legend Reba McEntire will host the 44th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS for the 11th time. She has won 11 Academy of Country Music Awards including the first-ever annual Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot Humanitarian Award for her outstanding philanthropic work. This is the second year the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS will take place on a Sunday, the fourth year the show will be based at MGM Grand and the seventh year the show will be held in Las Vegas.
“King of Country” George Strait will receive the Academy’s ARTIST OF THE DECADE award in recognition of his record-breaking career which spans nearly 25 years. Only four other acts have been honored as ARTIST OF THE DECADE in the Academy’s history, including Marty Robbins in 1969, Loretta Lynn in 1979, Alabama in 1988 and Garth Brooks in 1998. Strait has won 19 Academy of Country Music Awards including Entertainer of the Year in 1990. Strait also holds the record for the most Number One hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and currently has 56 number one singles to his credit. He has sold more than 68 million records, garnering him 32 different platinum or multi-platinum albums resulting in the most RIAA platinum certification in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. His current album, Troubadour, is certified gold.
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS: George Strait focus of concert special
By Mike Weatherford LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
They wanted to give George Strait a big award on a network-TV special, but decided they ought to check with him first.
In a music industry driven by promotion, Strait is the rare superstar who seldom calls attention to himself. Academy of Country Music president Bob Romeo says before they moved ahead with plans to give Strait the Artist of the Decade award, he and the producers determined "we better go see how George feels about it."
To their relief, Strait was honored and willing to be the focus of the concert special taping Monday, to air May 27 on CBS. He is the fifth to receive the award -- after Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Alabama and Garth Brooks -- but the first to see it in this format, with a separate concert and special.
The Texas-based star will be on hand to see his hits covered by most of Nashville's A-list: Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack among them.
"So many of them have been his big fans, have traveled, have toured with him. And they all idolize him," says Orly Adelson, president of Dick Clark Productions, which is producing for CBS. And while it's not a "duets" format, she hints that Strait won't just sit passively and watch the whole time.
Today's hit-makers also might be in awe of Strait's "Benjamin Button"-like defiance of the youth-driven industry. When he was 33, the former cattle rancher played to 3,200 people in the old convention center in his first Las Vegas show covered by the Review-Journal in 1985.
At 56, he draws four times as many people each year at the MGM Grand Garden. On Sunday, he is vying for the Academy's Entertainer of the Year top honor alongside Carrie Underwood, who is 30 years his junior. He also is nominated for Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year ("Troubador"), Song of the Year ("I Saw God Today") and Video of the Year ("Troubador").
Strait is a man of few interviews. He does just fine without them, but there also is a well-circulated story that he slammed the door to the press after a reporter's insensitivity to his 13-year-old daughter's death in a 1986 auto accident.
He remains a man of his word; Romeo said the whole tribute and TV special was done on a handshake. Strait's business career is much like the remarkable consistency of his music, which is anchored in singing-cowboy tradition and Western swing, oblivious to Nashville fads and trends.
The Academy president, who previously booked acts for state fairs, says he recently unearthed an old contract with Strait from the 1980s. "That contract is no different than his contract today," Romeo marvels. "It's the same manager, the same booking agent. Same concession people, same road manager. You look at that in a world where things change so much. ... What a testament to this guy.
"The people he started this journey with, for the most part are all still with him today. That's got to say something about the man."
Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.
March 27, 2009
MORE COUNTRY ARTISTS JOIN SALUTE TO GEORGE STRAIT NASHVILLE, TN (AP) -- A teen country princess and an R&B crooning actor will join industry veterans to honor George Strait as the Academy of Country Music's artist of the decade.
Acts announced Monday for a concert honoring Strait include Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Lee Ann Womack, John Rich and Jack Ingram.
The additions join previously announced guests Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift and Sugarland
The show, 'George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert,' will be recorded April 6 in Las Vegas and will air on CBS on May 27.
Strait is the fifth to receive the artist of the decade honor, after Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Alabama and Garth Brooks
April 9, 2009
Musicians salute George Strait as ACM's Artist of the Decade by John Gerome/Associated Press LAS VEGAS -- George Strait couldn't help feeling a little like he was being led out to pasture when the Academy of Country Music saluted him as their Artist of the Decade with an all-star concert.
'It's almost like this was a farewell deal, but I ain't ready to go yet,' the soft-spoken Texan told the audience Monday.
And then, perhaps to prove the point, the 56-year-old superstar closed the show by leading a sing-along of his hit 'Troubadour,' with its chorus, 'I was a young troubadour when I rode in on a song, and I'll be an old troubadour when I'm gone.'
With the honor, joins the ACM's four other artists of the decade: Marty Robbins in the 1960s, Loretta Lynn in the '70s, Alabama in the '80s and Garth Brooks in the '90s.
As the reining Artist of the Decade, Brooks presented the award. He said it was ironic handing the award to the person largely responsible for him having it, and told a story about hearing Strait's first hit, 'Unwound,' in 1981. 'From that very second I knew what I wanted to be. It was so easy and it didn't seem that far away. I wanted to be George Strait,' Brooks recalled.
Later, Brooks said the secret of Strait's longevity -- he's had 57 No. 1 country singles, more than anyone else, and he's still going strong -- is that he doesn't pretend to be something he's not. 'He never has to act ... he's just being him,' Brooks said.
Most of the evening, Strait, wearing a dark jacket and cowboy hat, sat with his family in the MGM Grand Garden Arena as a parade of performers including Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Jamie Foxx, Sugarland, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, John Rich and more spoke about the famously taciturn star's music and kindness, and then sang his songs.
'When I was 16 I went on my first tour, as opening act for George Strait,' began 19-year-old Swift, who sang Strait's ballad 'Run.' 'I'd never been on big stage before or sung in an arena. I asked him if he had advice about performing in the round. He said, 'Yes, I do,'' Swift said, then paused a good while. 'I sensed that I needed to ask a follow-up question. So I said 'How do you do that?' He said, 'Just do it for 25 years and it will feel real natural.''
Eddie Montgomery of the duo Montgomery Gentry said that when he was playing clubs in Kentucky, 'everytime we'd go to work, the first thing the club owner would ask is, 'Do you know any George Strait?' And if you didn't, you didn't get the gig.'
The four other artists of the decade were also briefly saluted. Keith Urban did a medley of Robbins' songs, Faith Hill performed Lynn's 'You Ain't Woman Enough,' Montgomery Gentry did Alabama's 'Mountain Music' and Martina McBride sang Brooks' 'The Dance.' But it was clearly Strait's night.
Jamey Johnson and Lee Ann Womack sang 'Give It Away,' a song Johnson wrote and Strait took up the charts. After they finished, Johnson walked over and handed Strait his guitar to autograph. 'I just never been in a situation where I had the guitar and George at the same place at the same time,' Johnson explained afterward, still clutching the instrument.
Keith, who sang 'Unwound,' quipped: 'The bad news is that because he's been so successful he has to sit here and listen to us butcher all of his songs.'
True to form, Strait kept his remarks brief, mostly thanking everyone and complimenting them on their performances. He joked with Foxx, who gave 'You Look So Good in Love' and R&B flavor. 'Jamie, I'm going to have to rethink the way I sing 'You Look So Good in Love' now,' he said.
But mostly Strait looked humbled. At the end, he performed a few of his own songs and gathered everyone on stage with him to sing 'Troubadour.' 'I've played in here quite a few times, and I've never been this nervous,' he said. The program was taped the day after the ACM Awards for a special to air May 27 on CBS.
Stars salute Strait as ACM's Artist of the Decade By JOHN GEROME
LAS VEGAS (AP) — George Strait couldn't help feeling a little like he was being led out to pasture when the Academy of Country Music saluted him as their Artist of the Decade with an all-star concert.
"It's almost like this was a farewell deal, but I ain't ready to go yet," the soft-spoken Texan told the audience Monday.
And then, perhaps to prove the point, the 56-year-old superstar closed the show by leading a sing-along of his hit "Troubadour," with its chorus, "I was a young troubadour when I rode in on a song, and I'll be an old troubadour when I'm gone."
With the honor, joins the ACM's four other artists of the decade: Marty Robbins in the 1960s, Loretta Lynn in the '70s, Alabama in the '80s and Garth Brooks in the '90s.
As the reining Artist of the Decade, Brooks presented the award. He said it was ironic handing the award to the person largely responsible for him having it, and told a story about hearing Strait's first hit, "Unwound," in 1981.
"From that very second I knew what I wanted to be. It was so easy and it didn't seem that far away. I wanted to be George Strait," Brooks recalled.
Later, Brooks said the secret of Strait's longevity — he's had 57 No. 1 country singles, more than anyone else, and he's still going strong — is that he doesn't pretend to be something he's not.
"He never has to act ... he's just being him," Brooks said.
Most of the evening, Strait, wearing a dark jacket and cowboy hat, sat with his family in the MGM Grand Garden Arena as a parade of performers including Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Jamie Foxx, Sugarland, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, John Rich and more spoke about the famously taciturn star's music and kindness, and then sang his songs.
"When I was 16 I went on my first tour, as opening act for George Strait," began 19-year-old Swift, who sang Strait's ballad "Run." "I'd never been on big stage before or sung in an arena. I asked him if he had advice about performing in the round.
He said, 'Yes, I do,'" Swift said, then paused a good while. "I sensed that I needed to ask a follow-up question. So I said 'How do you do that?' He said, 'Just do it for 25 years and it will feel real natural.'"
Eddie Montgomery of the duo Montgomery Gentry said that when he was playing clubs in Kentucky, "everytime we'd go to work, the first thing the club owner would ask is, 'Do you know any George Strait?' And if you didn't, you didn't get the gig."
The four other artists of the decade were also briefly saluted. Keith Urban did a medley of Robbins' songs, Faith Hill performed Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough," Montgomery Gentry did Alabama's "Mountain Music" and Martina McBride sang Brooks' "The Dance."
But it was clearly Strait's night.
Jamey Johnson and Lee Ann Womack sang "Give It Away," a song Johnson wrote and Strait took up the charts. After they finished, Johnson walked over and handed Strait his guitar to autograph.
"I just never been in a situation where I had the guitar and George at the same place at the same time," Johnson explained afterward, still clutching the instrument.
Keith, who sang "Unwound," quipped: "The bad news is that because he's been so successful he has to sit here and listen to us butcher all of his songs."
True to form, Strait kept his remarks brief, mostly thanking everyone and complimenting them on their performances. He joked with Foxx, who gave "You Look So Good in Love" and R&B flavor.
"Jamie, I'm going to have to rethink the way I sing 'You Look So Good in Love' now," he said.
But mostly Strait looked humbled. At the end, he performed a few of his own songs and gathered everyone on stage with him to sing "Troubadour."
"I've played in here quite a few times, and I've never been this nervous," he said.
The program was taped the day after the ACM Awards for a special to air May 27 on CBS.
LAS VEGAS SUN APRIL 11th, 2009 George Strait named ACMA’s Artist of the Decade
Ceremony at MGM Grand Garden Arena to be broadcast May 27 on CBS By Melissa Arseniuk
Tue, Apr 7, 2009 (7:07 a.m.)
After nearly three decades of making music and No. 1 singles, George Strait has been named the Academy of Country Music Awards’ Artist of the Decade.
“It’s about damn time,” former reining ACMA Artist of the Decade, Garth Brooks, said.
Strait was given the honor Monday night during an elaborate ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The event will be broadcast on CBS next month.
The 56-year-old star joins Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Alabama and Garth Brooks as the fifth ACMA Artist of the Decade award winner.
“It's kind of ironic to be standing up here getting ready to present this award to the man who’s fully responsible for where I’m at today,” Brooks said.
“It is an honor to pass the torch to the man who I believe has carried the torch for country music for the last 30 years,” he said.
Fellow country icons Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift were among those who performed during Monday night’s tribute, along with 11 other acts and A-list stars.
“He was one of the singers who made me want to move to Nashville,” Jackson said of his country-singing colleague.
Jackson, who played a show in Primm on Friday, said Strait has withstood the test of time.
“After knowing him for 20 years, take all that hit stuff all away from him and he’s still a good ‘ol boy from Texas who loves country music,” Jackson said, just moments before launching into his version of Strait’s 1985 single, “The Fireman.”
The night served as a retrospective of Strait’s hits, past and present.
Toby Keith performed the legend’s first No. 1 hit, 1981’s “Unwound,” while the recent ACMA Album of the Year winner, Taylor Swift, sang one of Strait’s more recent singles, 2001’s “Run.”
While the crowd seemed to enjoy the all-star cast and their cover songs, Keith conceded, “the bad news is … he’s got to listen to all of us butcher his stuff.”
Strait has enjoyed 57 number one hits during his more than a quarter century of performing. Thirty-four of his 38 albums have gone platinum or multi-platinum, and the former cattle rancher has been nominated for more Country Music Association and ACMA awards than anyone else.
“He’s had so many killer, unbelievable songs,” Eddie Montgomery, of Montgomery Gentry, said.
“The ladies liked him for his looks and the guys liked him because he’s a cowboy,” Troy Gentry said.
The pair performed Alabama’s classic, “Mountain Music,” in honor of the ACMA Artist of the Decade for the 1980s, Alabama.
Former award winners were saluted throughout the program. Keith Urban performed a montage of Marty Robbins’ hits; Faith Hill sang Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain't Woman Enough;” and Martina McBride covered Garth Brooks’ classic, “The Dance.”
The performers seemed to idolize Strait just as much as members of the audience – if not more.
AMCA Artist of the Decade for the 1990s, Garth Brooks, can still remember the first time he heard Strait on the radio.
“I was a senior in high school, I can remember the spot on the road where I was at,” he began. “The song was ‘Unwound’ and from that moment on, from that very second, I knew what I wanted to be. … I wanted to be George Strait,” he said.
“As a songwriter, the ultimate goal is to get George Strait to cut one of your songs,” another performer, Dierks Bentley, said. “I’m not afraid to say I’ve stalked and ambushed him a number of times … I think the last time was in an elevator in Nashville,” he joked before slipping Strait’s wife, Norma, one of his CDs.
ACMA Single of the Year award-winner, Jamey Johnson, had Strait sign his guitar immediately after he and Lee Ann Womack serenaded their idol with a duet of Strait’s 2006 single, “Give it Away.”
Johnson largely credits Strait for his success, and was honored to have him sign his beloved six-string.
“It was the first guitar I ever bought with my own money … I’ve written just about every song I’ve every written on it,” Johnson said of his cherished Epiphone EJ 200.
The most unexpected performance of the night came from rapper-actor Jamie Foxx, who provided an alternative perspective to Straight’s 1983 classic, “You Look So Good in Love.”
Strait later remarked, “I'm going to have to rethink how I sing ‘You Look So Good in Love’ now.”
Another surprise came from Lee Ann Womack, who performed a brand new song, "Stand There and Sing," that was written especially for Strait’s Artist of the Decade celebration.
Strait said he was “truly honored” to receive the distinction amidst the shining tributes.
“it's almost … like this was a farewell deal, but I’m not ready to go yet,” he mused.
Upon receiving the award, he first thanked God, then his fans.
“When you get right down to it, that's what this is all about, and you're the ones who make this all possible,” he told the crowd.
Strait celebrated his win with a live performance of “Ocean Front Property” and “Write This Down” before inviting the night’s performers to join him onstage for a group sing-along set to last year’s No. 1 single, “Troubadour.”
The George Strait Artist of the Decade special will air at 8 p.m. on May 27 on CBS and will feature footage of live performances by Brooks and Dunn, Jamie Foxx, Jack Ingram, Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Lee Ann Womack, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.
Toby Keith chose to cover "Unwound" at the taping. Other selections included "Adelida" (Sugarland), "Marina Del Ray" (Tim McGraw), "Run" (Taylor Swift), "It Ain't Cool to Be Crazy About You" (Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton), "You Look So Good in Love" (Jamie Foxx), "All My Ex's Live in Texas" (Jack Ingram), "The Cowboy Rides Away" (Brooks & Dunn), "Blue Clear Sky" (Dierks Bentley), "The Fireman" (Alan Jackson), "Give It Away" (Jamey Johnson and Lee Ann Womack), "Amarillo by Morning" (John Rich) and "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" (LeAnn Rimes). Lee Ann Womack also debuted a new song, "Just Stand There and Sing."
After watching the whole show with his family, Strait capped the night by graciously thanking all of his friends for performing.
"I love everybody right now," he said with that signature smile. "I'm sure glad I got a hold of those songs before those guys did."
Of course, Strait closed the night with his renditions of "Ocean Front Property" and "Write This Down" before everybody came on stage for the big finale, "Troubadour."
Lee Ann Womack Sings New Tune About George Strait Posted: April 7th, 2009 at 2:05 pm | By: Craig Shelburne
As I was watching the taping of George Strait - Artist of the Decade last night in Las Vegas, I found myself thinking just how much I can identify with those magnificent songs. While everybody did a fine job covering the classics, I can’t help but hear Strait’s voice on “Run,” “Marina Del Rey” or “It Ain’t Cool to Be Crazy About You.” However, the highlight of the night in my opinion was Lee Ann Womack’s subdued performance of a song I haven’t heard before, called “Just Stand There and Sing.” You know how people sometimes complain that Strait doesn’t move around much on stage? Well, who cares! I think this is the message that Womack - whose voice I truly love - was trying to convey: Just stand there and sing, be true to your music and you will always have our respect. There were plenty of memorable moments by the end of the night, and I particularly enjoyed Brooks & Dunn’s rendition of “The Cowboy Rides Away,” but the main reason I’ll be tuning in on May 27 is to hear Womack sing that song again.
Tuesday, Apr 7, 2009
George Strait honored as ACM'S Artist of the Decade Posted by Melinda Newman
Garth Brooks said it best himself as he passed the mantel as reigning Academy of Country Music artist of the decade to George Strait last night: “No one does a Strait song like the man himself, George Strait.”
But that didn’t stop more than 15 artists from trying last night at the taping of the George Strait Artist of the Decade special, which will air on CBS on May 27. The show was filmed before a live audience at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 6 to take advantage of the star power that had been there the night before for the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Like few artists in history-maybe Sinatra or Elvis- Strait has an unerring sense of knowing what songs work for him. He doesn’t write much of his own material, but once he’s recorded a song, he makes it his own and it’s hard to think of anyone else singing it (although anyone who’s played in a country band in a bar better have a steady repertoire of Strait songs to draw on). The King of Country’s reign includes 57 No. 1 songs—that’s more than any other artist in all genres of music—more than the Beatles or Madonna. And he’s not done yet. Strait brings an unrushed effortlessness to his singing style that no other artist can replicate. Additionally, in this world of scandal and tell-alls, Strait’s life is off limits. He gives few interviews, is never photographed at the Ivy or shows up in the tabloids. He gets up on stage and sings. That’s it. And it is more than enough.
Many of the artists gave fairly straight forward readings of Strait hits: Tim McGraw’s sexy take on “Marina Del Ray”; Brooks & Dunn’s “Cowboy Rides Away,” Dierks Bentley’s “Blue Clear Sky,” Toby Keith's rueful "Unwound" or Alan Jackson’s playful “The Fireman.”
But some added their own twist: Sugarland provided a particularly spicy, rollicking spin to Cajun burner “Adalida,” teen queen Taylor Swift delivered a slowed down version of “Run,” real-life couple Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton turned “It Ain’t Cool to be Crazy About You” into a spirited duet. Similarly, Jamey Johnson and Lee Ann Womack, in what some considered the highlight of the night, turned the Johnson-penned “Give It Away” into a poignant tale of a couple’s divorce distress instead of just one side of the story. The most original reading came from Jamie Foxx, a long-time Strait fan, who delivered a soulful, old-school R&B infused version of “You Look So Good in Love” that received the night’s first standing ovation.
Most performers shared their stories of Strait, who is apparently a man of very few words. When Swift opened for Strait (virtually every one of the artists on the stage has toured with the perennially playing Strait) three years ago, she asked him if he had any advice on how to play in-the-round. He just looked at her and said “Just do it for 25 years and it will feel real natural.” Johnson thanks Strait again for cutting “Give It Away,” which revived Johnson’s failed career and led to his getting a new record deal. However, he added, “Every time we’ve spoken, it’s been brief. I’m not sure you like me so much.” Strait laughed, but, from his seat on the side of the stage in a box with his family, didn’t dispute the claim.
The four previous artist of the decades were also feted: Keith Urban performed a trio of 1960s honoree Marty Robbins’ songs, including “El Paso” and “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation,” Faith Hill sang a defiant, sassy “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” in honor of ‘70s recipient Loretta Lynn, Montgomery Gentry delivered a spot-on version of Alabama’s blue-grass flavored stomp “Mountain Music” to herald Alabama and Martina McBride, Brooks’ former opening act, did the ‘90s artist of the decade proud, with an elegant version of “The Dance.”
After Brooks’ unannounced appearance, it was Strait’s turn. As anyone who has watched tributes knows, they can take on an almost “I’m watching my own funeral” feel for the recipient, and as performer after performer talked about growing up on Strait or—to really dig in the dagger- Bentley talked about how his dad loved Strait, the 56-year-old honoree must have felt he was as old as the hills.
As he joked after receiving the award from Brooks, “This is like a farewell deal and I’m not ready to go.” He amply proved that he is still in his prime as he launched into “Ocean Front Property,” “Write This Down” and “Troubadour,” during which he was joined by the other artists.
Strait, as country artists are wont to do, thanked God during his acceptance speech. “I’m glad he pointed me toward county music,” Strait said. So are the millions upon millions of his fans.
George Strait, center, is joined by other country artist at the finale of the ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert in his honor on Monday in Las Vegas. From left to right are Faith Hill, Troy Gentry, Ronnie Dunn, Jack Ingram, Lee Ann Womack, Kix Brooks and Martina McBride.
CMT News Country Stars Can't Say Enough Good Things About George Strait ACM Artist of the Decade Special Features Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift May 27, 2009; Written by Craig Shelburne
George StraitEditor's note: George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert airs Wednesday (May 27) at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
George Strait couldn't quit grinning throughout the taping of the CBS-TV special honoring him. Among the dozens of compliments during the show, his influence in country music can be boiled down to one revealing quote by Garth Brooks: "I wanted to be George Strait."
As the Academy of Country Music's Artist of the Decade for the 1990s, Brooks formally passed the torch to Strait on April 6 during an all-star concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Musicians such as Jamie Foxx, Jamey Johnson, Toby Keith, Sugarland and Lee Ann Womack gave onstage testimonials while Strait, wife Norma and son Bubba settled in and enjoyed the two-hour show.
Tim McGraw prefaced his performance of "Marina Del Rey" by telling Strait, "Listen, I grew up in Louisiana listening to your music in my truck every day, all day long, and you've been a huge influence on me, and I want to thank you for that."
Meanwhile, in the backstage pressroom, the stars couldn't say share enough kind words about Strait and his music.
"George has been like a father figure to me, really," Taylor Swift said. "Going on tour with him when I was 17 years old, he was the first major artist to invest in taking me out on tour with him, and ever since, he's shown up at my concerts and sent me little messages. He's been so incredibly supportive, and I couldn't really ask for more."
Others who have opened shows for Strait also remain indebted to him for the support he's provided.
"Growing up listening to George Strait and, all of a sudden, you're on the tour -- I took it all in," Martina McBride said. "We toured the stadiums, and for me to be in front of that many people was amazing. To be there, handpicked by him, was such an honor."
"I got to go on tour with George when I was brand new, and I learned so much," Miranda Lambert said. "I love George not only for his amazing music and everything he's accomplished, but ... seeing the people who surround him and who have been with him for so many years says a lot about his character, and I definitely took that away from the tour."
Blake Shelton is enjoying his slot on Strait's current tour.
"I don't know how it is across the rest of the country, but growing up in Oklahoma, George Strait was not just the king of country music," Shelton said. "He was the king of the world. His image, his name, his music -- everything was larger than life."
In Texas, listening to Strait is simply a part of growing up, according to Jack Ingram.
"As a Texan and a country music fan ... I didn't learn George Strait songs," Ingram explained. "I knew them the same way I know English. That's how it goes. When you get your first car at 16 or 17 years old, it comes standard with a George StraitGreatest Hits along with brakes and A/C. Just to be on the show means a lot to me."
Playing cover versions of Strait's music was a requirement when Montgomery Gentry's Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry were honing their skills in Kentucky nightclubs.
"Our love for George Strait comes from the clubs and honky-tonks," Gentry noted. "Back in the days when we played those, George was one of the hottest country acts at that time. Everybody was coming into the clubs requesting George Strait [songs]. Not that we didn't want to do them. We did them because we loved them, too."
"It's helped us coming up through the clubs, playing so much George Strait," Montgomery added. "He's got so many killer, unbelievable songs. Listening to his albums over and over and over, it's helped us pick songs to go on our albums. You can always go, 'Do you think George Strait would sing something like this?' I think it's helped us a lot, and how many people he's influenced is unbelievable."
As he prepared to sing "Unwound" at the TV taping, Toby Keith shared a similar story.
"Years before I released my first album, I was playing the honky-tonks where I lived in Oklahoma and Texas," Keith told the audience. "And what people don't know is, you know all the millions of hits that George has had, but down in Texas and Oklahoma, they play the album cuts, too. So when you have to cover stuff, you have to cover all the stuff -- the singles along with the B-sides and everything. I covered him everywhere we went."
Prior to singing "Blue Clear Sky," Dierks Bentley briefly went off script to recall his first major tour as Strait's opening act.
"In 2005, I was playing in this building, opening up for George Strait," Bentley said. "A girl called me that I had known since I was 13 years old. She said she wanted to come out to the show. We had tried dating a couple of times, but I kind of figured it wasn't going to work out because I was chasing this dream down in Nashville. She came out to the show, and you talk about 'out of the blue clear sky' -- 'One day you're giving up the dream/And the next you're picking out a ring.' We eloped down to Mexico that same year. So I owe George and Norma a lot for giving me my life, and I love my life. I really appreciate it, and you are my blueprint for what we aspire to be."
Even the usually reticent Alan Jackson praised one of his favorite singers.
"He was one of the singers who made me want to move to Nashville," Jackson said. "I thought then, 'He's just a good ole boy from Texas who likes country music,' but after knowing him 20 years, take all that hit stuff away from him and he still seems like a good ole boy from Texas who likes country music."
Just before his rendition of "The Fireman," Jackson added, "Thank you for your friendship. Congratulations on this decade thing, but I think they're a few decades late getting to you. When they asked me to prepare a song for this thing, after 30 years of classic stuff to go through, I went back to this one song immediately because I sang this thing a million nights in a smoky bar -- just wishing I was George Strait."
Strait up: CBS helps honor country music superstar By Jay Bobbin May 24, 2009 In naming its Artist of the Decade, country music has set things Strait.
George Strait joins the club by earning that accolade from the Academy of Country Music. He’s only the fifth to receive it, following Marty Robbins (1960s), Loretta Lynn (1970s), Alabama (1980s) and Garth Brooks (1990s). And for the first time, it’s meriting its own television special.
CBS airs the two-hour "George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert” at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The "All Star” aspect wasn’t hurt by the show being taped the night after the ACM Awards in April, at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The many talents involved included Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, LeAnn Rimes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, John Rich and Lee Ann Womack.
"I was really proud that they wanted to give this to me,” Strait says of his latest award. "I don’t know, things just keep happening that blow me away. With the (2006 induction into the Country Music) Hall of Fame and now this, you just go, ‘Man, what’s next?’ This is quite an honor, though. I have to say the last decade probably has been the most rewarding for me.”
With 38 albums that have sold a total of 67.5 million copies, and numerous other awards — encompassing Grammy and Country Music Association statues for his 2008 release "Troubadour” — Strait is a model of consistency and longevity in a genre that has seen many changes during his nearly 30-year career.
“It's funny, isn't it?” Strait says of his endurance as the widely acknowledged “King” of country music. “I don't think about it a whole lot. I just feel really fortunate to still be able to be competitive, so to speak, in the business today. I feel like I'm singing as good as I ever have, and I still enjoy doing the (live) shows; I get pumped up and have a great time onstage, and I've been fortunate enough to find good songs throughout my career. It's just hard to pick one thing and say, 'This is why (this has happened)!”
Among those saluting Strait in the concert, fellow Grammy, ACM and CMA Award winner [Alan] Jackson was pleased to pay tribute to his longtime peer. He sang “The Fireman”... ..[Alan] Jackson calls Strait “one of the few artists I've seen come along who have been able to maintain that level of success, and he did it without having to change. He always looked the same and was a great singer, and I think that's the thing. If you deliver good music and give people a personality they don't get aggravated with, country fans will like you.”
Strait recalls the taping of the concert special as “a really special night. " Like I said then, I'm glad I got hold of those songs first! They all did such a great job. It was fun just to be able to sit and watch from the sidelines as they put their own little twists on songs I'd recorded. I consider them all friends, and it was so nice of them to come and do it, since they're all busy with their own things. My wife and son and I all enjoyed it.”
Both in and out of the business, George Strait long has been deemed country music royalty.
“I hate to talk about myself like that,” the native Texan demurs. “When I started out, I never dreamed I would come this far. I just wanted to have a hit record or two and hopefully, a gold album. Things like Artist of the Decade and the Hall of Fame always were in the back of my mind, but they're such hard goals to achieve. You're just out there trying to do the best you can, then all of a sudden, it happens."
[About “Pure Country”] “I had fun doing it,” he reflects, “especially being my first time to ever try something like that. I was a little concerned that if it went down the tubes, my music career might go with it.”
Now, Strait maintains he'd like to tackle acting again. “I'm kind of getting the itch,” he says. “Before I get too old to do it, I think I'd like to try it one more time.”
In the meantime, the newest Artist of the Decade is active in more expected ways. Strait just recorded another album in Key West, Fla. “It probably won't come out for a while, but I think it turned out really good.
From GAC News: Lee Ann Womack Surprises George Strait
May 26, 2009 — George Strait: ACM Artist Of The Decade All Star Concert airs on CBS Wednesday, and while the honor itself was no secret to George the night he received it, one of the performances came as a complete surprise.
The special was shot in Las Vegas April 6, one day after the Academy of Country Music handed out its annual awards. Lee Ann joined Jamey Johnson for a duet version of "Give It Away," then sang a solo. The song she handled on her own was written specifically for the special and then kept hidden until the big night.
"I got a call one afternoon from my agent who said, ‘The guys who are directing and producing this show need you to call them,’" Lee Ann recalls. "So I called them, and they said, ‘We have a surprise for George, and we want to see if you’ll help us with it.’ And I said, ‘Well, what is it? I don’t know how much George likes surprises on national TV.’ And they sent me the song, and I thought, ‘He’s really going to love this.’ And he told a room full of people at a reception afterward that he got really emotional and really choked up, and he thought if there were ever a moment in the night he was going to lose it, it was during that song. It was a song that was written specifically for that event. I know he was very, very grateful to the writers for having done that."
Lee Ann has a good relationship with George. They shared the Country Music Association award for Vocal Event of the Year in 2005 for "Good News, Bad News," and he sang on "Everything But Quits" from her current Call Me Crazy album.
Among others on the ACM Artist Of The Decade special are Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Faith Hill, Jack Ingram, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland and Taylor Swift, among others.
Stars out for ‘Decade’ of song Pals try out Strait’s hits Jay Bobbin CBS
You can catch George Strait on TV this week – and on a tour stop July 24 in Noblesville.
In naming its Artist of the Decade, country music has set things Strait. Veteran talent George Strait joins a rare club by earning that accolade from the Academy of Country Music. He’s only the fifth to receive it, following Marty Robbins (in the 1960s), Loretta Lynn (’70s), Alabama (’80s) and Garth Brooks (’90s). And for the first time, it’s meriting its own TV special.
CBS airs the two-hour “George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert” on Wednesday. The “All Star” aspect wasn’t hurt by the show being taped the night after the ACM Awards in April, at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The many talents involved included Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, LeAnn Rimes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, John Rich and Lee Ann Womack.
“I was really proud that they wanted to give this to me,” the friendly, low-key Strait says of his latest award. “I don’t know, things just keep happening that blow me away. With the (2006 induction into the Country Music) Hall of Fame and now this, you just go, ‘Man, what’s next?’ “This is quite an honor, though. I have to say the last decade probably has been the most rewarding for me.”
With 38 albums that have sold a total of 67.5 million copies, and numerous other awards – encompassing Grammy and Country Music Association statues for his 2008 release “Troubadour” – Strait is a model of consistency and longevity in a genre that has seen many changes during his nearly 30-year career. Proof can be found in his many hits, from “Check Yes or No” and “Write This Down” to “Give It Away” and “I Saw God Today.”
“It’s funny, isn’t it?” Strait says of his endurance as the widely acknowledged “King” of country music. “I don’t think about it a whole lot. I just feel really fortunate to still be able to be competitive, so to speak, in the business today.
“I feel like I’m singing as good as I ever have, and I still enjoy doing the (live) shows; I get pumped up and have a great time onstage, and I’ve been fortunate enough to find good songs throughout my career.”
Among those saluting Strait in the concert, fellow Grammy, ACM and CMA Award winner Jackson was pleased to pay tribute to his longtime peer. He sang “The Fireman” from Strait’s 1984 album “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind.”
Another of country music’s most reliable talents, Jackson calls Strait “one of the few artists I’ve seen come along who have been able to maintain that level of success, and he did it without having to change. “He always looked the same and was a great singer, and I think that’s the thing. If you deliver good music and give people a personality they don’t get aggravated with, country fans will like you.” Strait recalls the taping of the concert special as “a really special night. Like I said then, I’m glad I got hold of those songs first! They all did such a great job. It was fun just to be able to sit and watch from the sidelines as they put their own little twists on songs I’d recorded.
“I consider them all friends, and it was so nice of them to come and do it, since they’re all busy with their own things. My wife and son and I all enjoyed it.”
Strait long has been deemed country royalty. “I hate to talk about myself like that,” the native Texan demurs. “When I started out, I never dreamed I would come this far. I just wanted to have a hit record or two and hopefully, a gold album. “Things like Artist of the Decade and the Hall of Fame always were in the back of my mind, but they’re such hard goals to achieve. You’re just out there trying to do the best you can, then all of a sudden, it happens.”
Strait, who played a country music star in the 1992 movie “Pure Country,” maintains he’d like to tackle acting again.
“I’m kind of getting the itch,” he says. “Before I get too old to do it, I think I’d like to try it one more time.”
In the meantime, the newest ACM Artist of the Decade is active in more expected ways. Strait just recorded an album in Key West, Fla. (“It probably won’t come out for a while, but I think it turned out really good”), and he’s back on the concert circuit with Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough as his opening acts.
As the first non-sports attraction at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium June 6, he’ll also be joined by Reba McEntire.
“I still love to do the swing stuff and some things from my old honky-tonk days, too. Once I get onstage, I’m fine,” he says.
