Editing George Strait (section)

===1980s===
In the spring of 1981, Strait released his first single for MCA Records, titled "[[Unwound (song)|Unwound]]", which climbed to number six on the ''Billboard ''[[Hot Country Songs]] chart that year and was included on his debut album ''[[Strait Country]]''. The record featured two other singles including "Down and Out", a number 16 hit for Strait, and "[[If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)]]".<ref name="allmusic-erlewine"/>

[[File:2006-07-28 - United States - Wyoming - Cody - Rodeo - Cowboy.jpg|thumb|right|"Amarillo by Morning," which tells the story of a Texas [[rodeo]] cowboy, was originally recorded and written by [[Terry Stafford]] in 1973. 
In 1982, Strait recorded the song with  a more [[Western music (North America)|Western]]-based instrumentation. The song has become a signature song associated with Strait; it has been referred as one of the greatest country songs of all time.<ref name="wocABM">{{cite web |last1=Sparkman |first1=Darby |title='Amarillo by Morning': The Story Behind George Strait's Ode to the Rodeo |url=https://www.wideopencountry.com/amarillo-by-morning/ |website=Wide Open Country |access-date=October 15, 2023 |date=August 3, 2022}}</ref><ref name="tennbestcoiuntry">{{cite news |title=What are the all-time greatest country songs? These 100 top our list |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/25/best-country-music-songs-all-time/1760586001/ |access-date=October 15, 2023 |work=[[The Tennessean]] |date=August 25, 2019}}</ref>]]

''Strait Country'' was hailed by critics as being a "new-traditionalist" breakthrough that broke the trend of pop-influenced country prevalent at the time.<ref name="allmusic-erlewine"/> The critically acclaimed ''[[Strait from the Heart]]'', his second album, was released in 1982 and featured the first number-one single of his career, "[[Fool Hearted Memory]]" and the top-five [[Western (genre)|Western]] ballad "[[Amarillo by Morning (song)|Amarillo by Morning]]" which was originally sung and written by [[Terry Stafford]] in 1973. It later became one of Strait's [[signature song]]s.<ref name="dawson">{{cite web |last1=Dawson |first1=Elisabeth |title=George Strait: 10 Prime Hits |url=http://www.cmt.com/news/1732434/george-strait-10-prime-hits/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114225737/http://www.cmt.com/news/1732434/george-strait-10-prime-hits/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 14, 2014 |quote="You can smell the truck stop coffee when you hear this lonely anthem that became one of Strait’s signature songs after it was released in 1983." |website=[[Country Music Television|CMT]] |access-date=April 29, 2021}}</ref> In 1983, Strait made his first appearance at the [[Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo]], when the headlining star, [[Eddie Rabbitt]] became sick with the flu. Performing at that rodeo has since become a mainstay throughout his career. He has made more than 20 appearances at the rodeo and played for more than one million fans.

Strait recorded 17 number ones during the decade, including a string of five that lasted from 1983 to 1984<ref name="cmt-lp-discography"/> from his next two albums ''[[Right or Wrong (George Strait album)|Right or Wrong]]'', his first number-one album and the CMA award-winning ''[[Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind]]''. The next year, he won the CMA award for top male vocalist, and released his first [[Greatest Hits (George Strait album)|greatest hits compilation]], which featured songs from his first three albums. Also in 1985, Strait released ''[[Something Special (George Strait album)|Something Special]]'', the third-straight number-one album of his career, featuring the number-one single "[[The Chair (song)|The Chair]]".<ref name="allmusic-erlewine"/> In 1986, Strait repeated as the CMA vocalist of the year and released his fourth number-one album ''[[7 (George Strait album)|#7]]''.

Strait and his family were struck with tragedy when his 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a one-car, alcohol-unrelated accident in 1986. She was riding in a [[Ford Mustang]] driven by Gregory Wilson Allen, 18, of [[Staples, Texas]]. Allen was charged with a class A misdemeanor for vehicular homicide. Mike Cox, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin, said, "The responding trooper determined the cause of accident to be excessive speed and that the car did not negotiate the turn properly. Jenifer was riding in the front passenger seat, and none of the four occupants was wearing seat belts at the time.<ref name="philly-daughter"/> When the vehicle flipped over onto its passenger's side, Jenifer was partially ejected, killing her on impact.<ref name="philly-daughter"/><ref name="straight-fever"/> The incident caused George to greatly limit his contact with the media. He stopped doing interviews for many years after the accident; he and his family did not wish to discuss Jenifer's death.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/george-strait-on-the-record-and-lawrence-wright-on-texas|title=George Strait on the Record, and Lawrence Wright on Texas|first=David|last=Remnick|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=July 28, 2017|access-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref>

George Strait's grief did not hinder his performance, however, or his output; as he released 11 straight number-one hits, starting with "[[Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her]]" in 1986 and ending with "[[Ace in the Hole (George Strait song)|Ace in the Hole]]" in 1989.<ref name="cmt-lp-discography"/> The singles spanned four albums including ''#7'', ''[[Ocean Front Property]]'' in 1987, ''[[If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin']]'' in 1988, and 1989's ''[[Beyond the Blue Neon]]'', all of which reached the number one spot on country album charts. ''Ocean Front Property'' was the first country album to ever debut at number one on the charts by any artist. The streak included such songs as "[[Ocean Front Property (song)|Ocean Front Property]]", "[[All My Ex's Live in Texas]]", "[[Famous Last Words of a Fool]]", and "[[Baby Blue (George Strait song)|Baby Blue]]". Strait finished the decade by winning the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1989. One year later, he won the award again.<ref name="allmusic-erlewine"/>