George Strait Named Texas Musician of the Year
This story has been updated.
Not that country music legend and Hall of Famer George Strait needs and more validation for his contributions to music and culture for over his 35-plus years as a performer, but coming from his native state might make this latest distinction a little bit sweeter.
On Thursday, May 18th, George Strait will be officially recognized by the Texas State Legislature as the 2017 State Musician of the Year for Texas. George, along with other candidates, were nominated for the distinction by the general public, and then sent to the Texas Commission on the Arts, which decides the final recipient. As part of the announcement, pianist Marcia Ball was also named the 2018 State Musician of the Year. Past recipients include Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Billy Joe Shaver, Dale Watson, Ray Benson, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.
“It’s a great honor for me to be selected as Texas State Musician of 2017 and join this very prestigious list of other honorees,” said Strait about the honor. “I’m a very proud Texan and love to sing the praises of our great state every chance I get. Thank you very, very much.”
Strait’s not kidding about singing the praises of Texas. Many of his signature songs, including “Amarillo By Morning,” “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “Somewhere Down in Texas,” “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind,” and a dozen or so other songs make reference to the Lone Star State. Though Strait is not especially known as a songwriter, one of his greatest self-penned tunes is “I Can’t See Texas From Here.”
George Strait’s last record, 2015’s Cold Beer Conversation, also included the song “Take Me To Texas.” Strait has been spending much more time in Texas recently after retiring from full-time touring in 2014, but has recently been performing short runs of shows in Las Vegas recently. He also released the compilation Strait Out of the Box Part 2 in November of 2016.
George Strait also turns 65-years-old on May 18th.
May 17, 2017 @ 2:27 pm
Well deserved! But next year let’s make it Old 97’s.
May 17, 2017 @ 4:03 pm
Well deserved. actually I’m surprised it took them this long. Congratulations, King George!
May 17, 2017 @ 6:36 pm
“Take Me to Texas” is such a good song to turn up and drive to. Love you, George!
May 17, 2017 @ 8:28 pm
I count the minutes waiting for a new George Strait record .” Cold Beer Conversation” delivered like no one delivers and in a just , mature and REAL country climate there’d have been at least 3 or 4 HUGE hits from it .
May 17, 2017 @ 8:48 pm
I believe they name two state musicians other year,one for the current year and e for the next year since they eet every other year,
May 17, 2017 @ 10:10 pm
When it comes to country music an being a cowboy no one does it better than Mr. Straight. Ive seen him in concerts an Nashville. Hes truly a great person in my in this great country we live in. M. Knowles
May 17, 2017 @ 10:15 pm
I love that man!
May 18, 2017 @ 12:08 am
Your A great Man,Artist n good Soul for music..Wish I cud meet your in person….
May 18, 2017 @ 12:12 am
A true King of Country who I certainly adore, he has this great Soul for music n loving his audience..I’m #1 fan from wen he was beginning…Love this Man n his heart..Keeps me Smiling big…God Bless
May 18, 2017 @ 5:41 am
Fort Worth is probably his best album.
May 18, 2017 @ 6:33 am
I will be at his concert in Vegas come July…cannot wait….he’s been a favorite of mine since I was a kid.
May 18, 2017 @ 6:42 am
How did they possibly find 15 other winners of this award before giving it to George now?
May 18, 2017 @ 6:58 am
Bout time, should have done that along time ago.
George u r the best.
May 18, 2017 @ 7:24 am
Today (May 18th) happens to be George Strait’s 65th Birthday!!! Happy Birthday to George Strait, born on May 18th, 1952 as George Harvey Strait. Congratulations to George on being 2017’s ‘Texas Musician Of The Year’, well deserved honor.
May 18, 2017 @ 8:32 am
Well-deserved! They already announced 2018. It’s Marcia Ball.
May 18, 2017 @ 10:30 am
Also, I believe Marcia is only the second woman to get it. Shelley King was the first.
May 18, 2017 @ 1:31 pm
No one can argue about this award for George.
He epitomizes Texas country music (or, as I call it, country music).