Drinking Champagne ~ Cal Smith, George Strait or Ray Price: You Decide!

George Strait: The Consummate Balladeer, Honky-tonk Singer or Traditional Country Music Stylist?

After recently hearing Waylon Jennings in an (circa 1990) interview refer to George Strait as a western swing singer, I felt compelled to write this commentary.

George Strait is often referred to as the King of Country Music and critics, with justifiable cause, call Strait a living legend. George rocketed to success after his first single Unwound charted in 1981. While contributing to the neo-traditional movement of the 1980s, he amassed seven No. 1 albums in the decade with his most popular singles including Amarillo by Morning and Ocean Front Property.

By the 1990s, Strait had influenced a new breed of performers while continuing his own successes, having charted upwards of 20 No. 1 hits including Heartland and Blue Clear Sky. Strait won the Country Music Association, Entertainer of the Year in 1989 and 1990 and Academy of Country Music, Entertainer of the Year in 1990. George, one of the best and most popular country singers of the modern era, was honored as the Academy of Country Music's Artist of the Decade in May 2009. He is an inductee of the Country Music Hall of Fame and won his first Grammy award for his hit album Troubadour.

In 2009, George set a record for the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts (44), breaking a record previously set by Conway Twitty (40). Currently George holds the world record for more No. 1 hit singles than any other artist in the history of music on any chart or in any genre, having recorded fifty-seven.

From the start, Strait was slightly retro and a bit mysterious. Listeners didn't get stage theatrics; they got a handsome face, a good-sounding voice and a string of near-perfect hits. Strait wasn't restricted by a brand or style. He has often been labeled a western swing singer. Where that came from is a mystery. Aside from his rendition of Right or Wrong, Home In San Antone and Milk Cow Blues, nothing else in his massive repertoire can be considered western swing. In fact, his band didn't fully comprise the makeup of a western swing ensemble, nor did they pretend to be such a group. Strait is the genial, faithful, Texan whose dominate style leans toward fresh traditional country music, but he doesn't omit an occasional old-fashioned honky-tonk like Lovesick Blues or a bar-room ballad like Drinking Champagne. Strait built his successes around a contemporary sound with very successful pop and cross-over hits including She'll Leave You with a Smile and You'll Be There. This sound is the bulk of his repertoire and the reason for his huge chart and concert success and widespread appeal.

George Strait isn't flamboyant. He doesn't engage in onstage theatrics, swing from ropes or bust up expensive guitars. He doesn't need to. Straight didn't follow the leader, he cut his own path. With all due respect to the late Waylon Jennings, if Straight had stuck to a western swing theme, his career would have been short lived and only moderately successful, albeit his great voice. Gene Watson is an example of a country singer staying the course. He was a great balladeer, whose chart career was only moderately successful.

"I've always heard, 'Well, he just stands there and sings. Well, what do you want me to do? With the songs that I sing, I can't go running across the stage. And I don't talk a lot onstage, either. But I do play a lot of songs." ~ George Strait.

Richard Bell is a country music historian who has spent forty years researching and writing about country music.

Category:

Music

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• 80

[balladeer45]

It's not fair when you throw Ray Price in the mix. The voice quality is unbeatable....If Ray sings it....it's sung...case closed!!!

[Linfordboy]

They are all qood, but Ray Price just edges it for me

[Brit1234ish]

I can't choose between them, they are all great!

[Brit1234ish]

What a great write up on George Strait! He is great and sings like the old songs which I love.

[HHSGDFootballJPD]

Ray's song is too slow, though I do like his voice and the instrumental. Stuck between Cal Smith's and Strait's version, very hard to determine what is better.

[tuliejulie]

Flip a coin and they will all come up heads!

[bagruen]

This is DEFINATELY Cal Smith.

[tommygarage1776]

I grew up on the original cut of Cal Smith, This is a remake by Cal which I don't like as well. I love George's and Ray's version as well, It is a great song and you can't miss on a great song by any of these legends. 

[MsBluejay8]

I liked Cal Smith best, Ray Price was good too.

[geoffboxer]

All are good but none can match The Killer, Jerry Lee , live from International , Las Vegas Album ,he sings it with real soul/conviction.