(00:00) George Harvey Strait senior born May 18th 1952 in potit Texas is one of America’s greatest country music legends often referred to as the King of Country however behind the spotlight of more than 60 number one singles and millions of albums sold was the greatest sadness of his life the death of his first daughter Jennifer ly Strait in 1986 Jennifer died at the age of 13 in a horrific car accident in San Marcos Texas an event that left an indelible scar on George and his family’s Hearts the accident occurred on the night of
(00:40) June 25th 1986 when Jennifer was sitting in the passenger seat of a Ford Mustang driven by her 18-year-old friend Gregory Wilson Allen the car was traveling at high speed unable to make a turn in time flipped over and Jennifer was thrown out the window because she was not wearing a seat belt the little girl died at the scene leaving George and his wife Norma in extreme grief George once said that when he received the news he was at home in San Antonio and felt like the whole world had collapsed under his feet he
(01:18) rushed to the scene but was left with only silence and the image of his beloved daughter lying motionless under a white blanket he cried endlessly in the car on the way home unable ble to believe that the little girl who had been his greatest joy had gone forever this sadness was not only the loss of a father but also the torment of what he had not had time to do for Jennifer he once wrote on the website of the Jennifer straight Memorial Foundation that he and Norma always felt that Jennifer was the precious gift they had
(01:51) been given in 13 short years after the accident George largely closed himself off to the media refusing all interviews for many years because he did not want to recall that pain he once told the New Yorker in 2017 I just kept quiet I didn’t want to talk about it didn’t want anyone to see me weak the sadness of losing Jennifer was a shadow that lingered throughout George’s life a wound that even music his healing bomm could not completely soothe George Strait’s career is an extraordinary story of talent perseverance and love for traditional
(02:33) country music he began his musical Journey while serving in the US Army in Hawaii in the early 1970s there he joined the military sponsored country band rambling country performing on and off base under the name Santi after his discharge in 1975 George returned to Texas studied agriculture at Southwest Texas State University now Texas State University and formed the band Ace in the whole his first Big Break came in 1981 when he signed with MCA records and released the single Unwound which began a string of hits that established him as an icon of
(03:16) neotraditional Country George has enjoyed tremendous success throughout his career he is the only artist in history to have at least one top 10 Single in more than 30 consecutive years with more than 60 songs reaching number one on the billboard country charts albums such as straight country 1981 Pure Country 1992 and straight out of the box 1995 a collection that sold more than 8 million copies solidified his status he has won numerous Awards including 17 CMAs three times being named Entertainer of the Year 1989 1990 2013
(04:00) and the 2024 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the CMA Awards the Cowboy Rides Away tour concluded in 2014 at AT&T stadium in Arlington Texas drawing more than 14,000 people making it the largest indoor concert in North America at the time George also tried his hand at film in Pure Country 1992 an iconic role in his career however George’s career was not always a bed of roses in his early years he faced numerous rejections from Nashville record labels who said his traditional country style was not suitable for the
(04:43) country pop Market he cried in his car after a failed audition in 1979 feeling his musical dreams were over and about to quit to work full-time at a barn design company in Uvalde but Norma convinced him to give it another year and that decision changed everything another setback came in 1986 shortly after Jennifer’s death when he nearly quit because he couldn’t handle the grief he said he cried on stage during a performance in Houston feeling like he had no strength left to continue but the audience cheered him up
(05:20) George’s efforts to make him cry were not only about failure but also about personal sacrifice he turned down several big Las Vegas gigs to be with with his family after Jennifer died and in the final years of his father John Byron Strait senior he canceled several shows to care for him he once cried backstage after turning down an international tour because Norma had undergone surgery feeling torn between his career and his responsibilities as a husband and father George Strait’s career is a testament to his talent and
(05:56) determination but it has also been a tearful journey to preserve the values he holds most dear hold George Strait was not only a successful artist but also a man who set high goals for himself one of his greatest achievements was to preserve and promote traditional country music in an era dominated by pop and rock Trends he wanted to be remembered as the man who brought the genre back to prominence in the 1980s with artists like Hank Williams and Merl Haggard as his inspiration to to achieve this he continued to write and perform cowboy
(06:33) songs like Amarillo by mourning and I Cross My Heart refusing to conform to market trends despite pressure from producers he also wanted to build a family Legacy in music and sports with his son George Bubba Strait Jr he dreamed of writing and Performing together and they did collaborate on songs like living for the night and Arkansas Dave he was was proud that Bubba had continued his love of rodeo a passion that George also pursued throughout his life and hoped that his grandson George Harvey Strait III would
(07:10) continue the tradition to make his dream come true he spent time teaching Bubba to play guitar and joining him at Team Roping events despite his busy schedule of concerts and broadcasting another accomplishment that George always tried to do was give back to the community after after Jennifer’s death he and Norma founded the Jennifer straight Memorial foundation in 1986 raising millions of dollars for children’s charities in San Antonio he also participated in activities such as the Wrangler National Patriot to support
(07:47) veterans and after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 he partnered with Texas governor Greg Abbott to raise funds for Relief at 72 years old as of 202 5 George continues to strive to leave his Mark beyond music with an open heart and a Restless Spirit George Strait’s Love and Marriage to Norma Strait is one of the most beautiful love stories in country music they met in high school in peol Texas where Norma was a girl George ignored until one day he realized he was missing something after a few on andof dates they decided to elope to Mexico
(08:28) and were married on December 4th 1971 when they were both 19 a week later they held a small wedding ceremony at the peol church beginning a journey of more than 53 years of love and challenges together their marriage was not without its Sorrows the biggest being the death of Jennifer George once said that during those dark days Norma was the one who kept him grounded even though she herself was devastated together they overcame the pain Pain by holding each other tighter finding comfort in love and religious Faith
(09:06) another heartbreak came in the early years of their marriage when George was serving in the military in Hawaii and was often away from home leaving Norma to care for newborn Jennifer alone he cried when Norma told him about the nights she lay awake missing him feeling guilty that she couldn’t be there for her more yet their love proved enduring George often praised Norma in songs like check yes or no and in speeches like at the 2024 CMA Awards when he thanked her for almost 53 years of support at 72 George still calls Norma
(09:46) the first girl I ever loved and they have continued to be together through the tough times and into their relationship as Grandparents of two children George’s heartbreak in their marriage didn’t distance them it only deepened their Love George and Norma Strait had two children Jennifer Lind Strait and George Harvey straight Junior known as Bubba Jennifer born October 6th 1972 in Hawaii was the greatest joy of their early marriage the little girl with her golden hair and radiant smile accompanied her father to shows and
(10:23) loved to ride horses with him on the family ranch George once wrote that Jennifer was a great big sister to Bubba caring for and protecting her brother despite their 9-year age Gap but Jennifer’s life was cut short in 1986 when she died in a car accident the loss was not only George’s greatest sorrow but it also changed the way he viewed his role as a father making him determined to spend more time with Bubba George Bubba Strait Jr born May 14th 1981 grew up in his his father’s Shadow after graduating from Texas A&M
(11:04) University Bubba pursued his passion for Rodeo becoming a professional writer in the professional Rodeo Cowboys Association he competed in the George Straight Team Roping classic with his father and George was proud to see his son inherit his love of horses and the pasture Bubba then turned to music collaborating with his father on songs like Here for a Good Time and performing with him on stage he married Tamara Strait in 2010 and they have two children George Harvey Strait III born 2012 and jillianne Louise Strait born
(11:44) 2016 who have brought New Joy to the straight family George has always tried to be a dedicated father although his busy career has caused him to miss many moments with his children after Jennifer’s death he has spent more time teaching Bubba how to