George Harvey Strait (born May 18, 1952), nicknamed " King George," is an American country music singer. The native Texan is known for his honky tonk country western sound. Strait is sometimes referred to as the "King of Country," and some critics call Strait a living legend (Bego, 2001). He is well known for his unique style of western swing music, barroom ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional country western music.
George won CMA Entertainer of the year in 1989 and 1990 and ACM Entertainer of the year in 1990. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Strait has been nominated for more CMA awards than any other artist. He holds the record for most Number 1 songs on Billboard Country Music charts and second on all charts behind Conway Twitty.
Strait's 38 hit albums (12 multi platinum, 22 platinum and four gold) rank him only behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles. The RIAA have certified his albums at 68× platinum, denoting shipments of 58.5 million in the United States. His best-selling album there is Pure Country (1992), which sold 6 million (6× platinum). His highest certified album is Strait Out of the Box (1995), which sold 2 million (8× platinum). According to the RIAA, Strait is the eleventh best-selling recording artist in the United States overall.
