At this year’s 58th Annual CMA Awards George “The King of Country” Strait will receive The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award for his constant success and contributions to country music. Strait’s reception of the award wasn’t a question of “why,” rather it was one of “when.” Thanks to his 22 CMA Awards, 60 No.1 hits, and consistent presence in mainstream country music, Strait’s reception of this award was inevitable.
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One could argue that Strait, in a way, owns the CMA’s. Besides his 22 awards, Strait has 83 nominations, 3 Entertainer of The Year Awards, and as of now, he is the most nominated CMA artist of all time. He is the show’s most frequent face, visitor, and winner. That being so, here are three moments that highlight his CMA takeover.
George Straits Win His 3rd ETOY Award
In 2013, Strait won his third ETOY award. Prior to his 2013 win, he won in 1989 and 1990. What garnered him the award for the third time was his 28th studio album, Love Is Everything and songs, “Give It All We Got Tonight,” “I Believe,” and “I Got A Car.”
The most awe-spiring moment from his 2013 win was when he took the stage to give his acceptance speech. Upon receiving the award, the crowd gave him a standing ovation throughout the entire duration of his speech. Not only was this a heartwarming moment for Strait and his fans, but it was a moment that also put his star power and influence into perspective.
Winning Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year in 1985
In 1985, George Strait won his first two CMA Awards. At this point in his career Strait was a rather fresh face that hadn’t yet reached the status he now has. When Strait won these two awards for his album, Does Ft. Worth Ever Cross Your Mind, it seemingly acted as a rite of passage for him. Furthermore, it solidified him as a force to be reckoned with in Nashville’s daunting country music scene.
The televised acceptance speech shows a young, humble, and somewhat nervous Strait and it makes people realize just how far he has come in his career. Given that he was seemingly a bit uneasy in his new celebrity skin, the video shows that Strait, like anyone, is just a normal man who happens to be pretty gosh darn good at pumping out No. 1 hits.
“Murder on Music Row” With Alan Jackson
To go through all of the sentimental acceptance speeches delivered by Strait would frankly be quite redundant, as he does have hoards of them. However, what is not redundant in the slightest is his 1999 performance of “Murder on Music Row” with fellow country musician, Alan Jackson.
The duet between Strait and Jackson is arguably one of the best duets to transpire at the awards show. Furthermore, this was the first time Jackson and Strait publicly played the song as it did not release until 2000. In essence, it was quite the sneak peek into Strait’s impending hit song.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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