Country Music Icon George Strait is all set to receive the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented to him at the 58th annual CMA Awards held on November 20 in Nashville.
The country music legend’s family includes his wife, Norma Strait, and his son, George Strait Jr. His daughter Jenifer Strait passed away in a tragic car accident when she was 13.
Known as the “King of Country," Strait’s remarkable career spans more than four decades. According to People Magazine, he has earned more than 60 No. 1 singles as well as 33 platinum or multi-platinum-selling albums. Not only that, but he is the only performer in history to have a Top 10 hit annually for more than 30 years.
He holds the record for being the most-nominated artist in CMA history with 83 nominations, out of which he won 17 CMA awards. He has been awarded Entertainer of the Year three times: in 1989, 1990, and 2013.
Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, said that George is an inspiration to many artists, and that makes him the deserving candidate for the award.
“There have been few other artists as authentically Texas and authentically Country as George Strait, and Country Music fans all over the world have been better for it. As a three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and the most nominated artist of all time, he serves as an inspiration and icon to many of the great, new artists we know today. I am thrilled we are awarding him with this deserving honor.”
How did Jenifer Strait die? All about George Strait’s family
George Strait tied the knot with his wife, Norma Strait, on December 4, 1971, after the couple eloped to Mexico. They became parents to Jenifer Strait on October 6, 1972. She tragically passed away in a car accident on June 25, 1986.
According to United Press International, Jenifer was in the passenger seat when the vehicle she was travelling in flipped while taking a turn. She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mike Cox, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said that the driver, Gregory Wilson Allen, was charged with a Class A misdemeanor following the incident. Jenifer's friends, William Allen McDonald and Joseph Wiley Robbins, sustained minor injuries while Allen was unharmed.
Jenifer’s death had a lasting impact on George and his family as he became silent for years and avoided interviews. In a 2017 interview with The New Yorker, he said,
“I just kind of shut down. I just didn’t feel like talking about it, so I quit doing interviews.”
George founded the Jenifer Strait Memorial Foundation in 1987 in memory of Jenifer Strait. It is a non-profit organization to support children.
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The couple had George Strait Jr. (Bubba) on June 14, 1981. After pursuing a rodeo career, Bubba started his own family business, Strait Land and Cattle Company. He has contributed several songs with his father, including some of the hits like “Here For a Good Time,” “Living For the Night,” and “Let It Go.” During one of George's musical tours, he also performed a duet, “The Cowboy Rides Again,” with his father. Currently, he is focusing on music and ranching, taking forward his family’s legacy.
Bubba Strait is married to Tamara Strait. They have two kids: George Harvey Strait III (Harvey) and Jilliann Louise Strait.
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