Getty Recording artist George Strait performs as part of his Strait to Vegas engagements.
Country music star George Strait will be performing at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards tonight; Strait was honored as the academy’s Artist of the Decade in 2009 and has earned his status as a country music icon after years of success in the industry.
George Strait was born on May 18, 1952, which means he is currently 66 years old; he will be turning 67 next month. According to his website bio, Strait made his music debut in 1981 (he was 29 years old at the time). In the 30 plus years for which he has been making music, he has had more than 60 number 1 singles and has had a Top 10 hit every single year. His first album, released on September 4, 1981, was entitled Strait Country; two of the three singles he released ahead of the album made it to the Top 10.
According to CelebsFacts.com, Strait is 5’10” tall (1.78 meters). The site also says that his weight is about 170 pounds.
According to Country Fancast, Strait married his high school sweetheart, Norma, in 1971 (when he was 19 years old); the couple eloped in Mexico and have been married for the past 47 years. They had their first child, Jenifer, in 1972 and their son George Jr. (nicknamed “Bubba”) in 1981. Jenifer died in a car accident in 1986 when she was only 13 years old.
Strait is still performing and recording music. He released his 30th studio album on March 29, 2019, entitled Honky Tonk Time Machine; ahead of the album release, Strait released his single “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar.” He currently has a residency in Las Vegas, called “Strait to Vegas.” He will also be performing a concert at Gillette Stadium on August 17 with Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, and Caitlyn Smith. According to the Rolling Stone, this is Strait’s version of “retirement;” when Shelton joked about Strait being retired ahead of their concert announcement, Strait responded “I don’t know where that came from. I guess when I said I wasn’t going to tour anymore that they thought maybe I was retiring. But that was never my intention.”
Before his 2019 ACM performance, he shared on Instagram a look back at his wins in the past, writing “Before George hits the #ACMAwards stage tonight, take a look back at some of his wins over the years! Tune-in tonight for two performances, including one with @MirandaLambert!” Most recently, he won the Cliffie Stone Icon award in 2017, and Entertainer of the Year in 2014. He is not nominated this year, but his latest album will make him eligible for nominations and wins in 2020.
Watch George Strait perform during the 2019 Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS, Sunday, April 7 at 8/7c.