TITLE: Congratulating native Texan George Strait on his musical career.

SUMMARY: Congratulating native Texan George Strait on his musical career.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Country superstar and native Texan George Strait has embarked on an extended farewell tour, and it is indeed fitting to honor him for his exceptional contributions to the lives of music lovers across this state and nation; and WHEREAS, Born in Poteet in 1952, Mr. Strait grew up on the family farm in nearby Pearsall; he played in a rock band as a teenager and then joined a country group while stationed in Hawaii as a soldier in the United States Army; after returning to Texas, he studied agriculture at Southwest Texas State University, and in 1975 he joined with several other San Marcos musicians to form Ace in the Hole, which remains his backing band today; the group built a strong regional following and recorded for a Dallas record label in the 1970s; and WHEREAS, Mr. Strait signed with MCA Records in 1980, and his career took off the following year with the release of his first single, "Unwound"; drawing on old-school honky-tonk and western-swing styles, he helped bring country radio back to a more traditional sound with such massive hits as "All My Ex's Live in Texas," "Am I Blue," and a cover of the Bob Wills classic "Right or Wrong"; during the 1980s, he consistently occupied the top slot on the album charts, and he was named the 1989 and 1990 Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association; and WHEREAS, In 1992, Mr. Strait made his silver screen debut in the movie Pure Country;meanwhile, his popularity as a recording artist remained as strong as ever; his four-disc retrospective Strait Out of the Box became one of the biggest-selling box sets in popular music history, and in 1996 the album Blue Clear Sky debuted in the Top 10 on the pop as well as the country charts; and WHEREAS, Mr. Strait has continued to rack up hits, awards, and critical acclaim; in 2009, he won the Best Country Album Grammy for Troubadour,and the next year, he was named the top country artist of the past quarter-century by the Billboard Music Awards; he has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he is a recipient of the National Medal of the Arts; today, the numerous sold-out shows on "The Cowboy Rides Away" tour are a testament to his enduring appeal as a performer; and WHEREAS, Although he will soon be parking the tour bus for good, George Strait intends to keep recording his outstanding brand of country music, and that fact is welcome news to the many people in the Lone Star State and beyond who have become ardent fans of his work over the course of his more than three decades in the music industry; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate George Strait on his remarkable career and honor him for his tremendous contributions to American music and culture; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Strait as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Leach Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 780 was adopted by the House on March 20, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House