It’s hard to imagine a time when George Strait wasn’t synonymous with country music. He earned his “King of Country” moniker fair and square with hits like “I Cross My Heart” and “Amarillo By Morning.” In fact, Strait is still breaking attendance records more than 40 years into his career. So it seems laughable that anyone could ever accuse him of not being “country enough.” Shockingly, however, that’s exactly what happened with the country legend’s first band.
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“That’s Really Funny Now:” George Strait Recalls His First Paying Gig
George Strait joined the U.S. Army in 1971 as an infantryman. It was during his time at Schofield Barracks near Wahiawa, Hawaii, that the 33-time platinum artist first journeyed into country music.
Strait first auditioned for a group that, ironically, branded themselves the Country Kings. After just one gig, “They thought I wasn’t country enough, and let me go,” he told Billboard in 2013.
“That’s really funny now, but it wasn’t at the time,” Strait said.
However, the rejection didn’t sting long. “I didn’t let it faze me much, though,” the hitmaker told Billboard. “I got another opportunity not long after that [in a band called Rambling Country], which became my Army gig until I got out.”
Strait told Billboard that he knew he wanted a career in country music after his first ill-fated gig with the Country Kings. “That was my dream, and that was what I worked toward from that night on,” he said. “Country music was on my mind from the time I got up in the morning until I went to bed at night. Nobody wanted it more than me.”
Today, only Elvis Presley and the Beatles have more gold and platinum albums than George Strait. The 72-year-old Texas native also holds the world record for most No. 1 singles—regardless of chart or genre.
Wonder what the Country Kings have to say about firing the King of Country?
“King of Country” Plays to Biggest Live Crowd Ever
George Strait made history with his Saturday (June 15) gig in College Station, Texas. A whopping 110,905 fans packed into Kyle Field at Texas A&M University to witness the King’s one-off show.
[RELATED: George Strait Unveils New Song While Playing to Biggest Live Crowd Ever in the U.S.]
Those numbers eclipsed a nearly 50-year-old record held by the Grateful Dead. The psychedelic legends played for 107,019 people during a 1977 concert at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey, per NPR.
Featured image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
