Monday 5/18/20 12pm / 9pm ET: Feature Artist – George Strait (Part 1/2)

George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. George Strait is known as the “King of Country” and is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. He is known for his neo-traditionalist country style, cowboy look, and being one of the first and most prominent country artists to bring country music back to its roots and away from the pop country era in the 1980s.

Strait’s success began when his first single “Unwound” was a hit in 1981. During the 1980s, seven of his albums reached number one on the country charts. In the 2000s, Strait was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and won his first Grammy award for the album Troubadour. Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 2013, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and 2014. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist.

By 2009, he broke Conway Twitty’s previous record for the most number-one hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart when his 44 number one singles surpassed Twitty’s 40. Counting all music charts, Strait has amassed a total of 60 number-one hits, breaking a record also previously set by Twitty, giving him more number one songs than any other artist in any genre of music.

Strait is also known for his touring career when he designed a 360-degree configuration and introduced festival style tours. For example, the Strait Tours earned $99 million in three years. His concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in June 2014 drew 104,793 people, marking a new record for largest indoor concert in North America.

Strait has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums. His best-selling album is Pure Country (1992), which sold 6 million (6× platinum). His highest certified album is Strait Out of the Box (1995), which sold 2 million copies (8× Platinum due to being a box set with four CDs). According to the RIAA, Strait is the 12th best-selling album recording artist in the United States overall.

Friday 12am ET: Feature LP: George Strait – 50 Number Ones (2004)

50 Number Ones is a 2004 compilation album by American country music singer George Strait. It is a compilation of his first 50 number-one country music singles, starting with 1982’s “Fool Hearted Memory” and presented in chronological order. A new track, “I Hate Everything”, was also included and became his 51st overall number one in 2004. The figure of “50 Number Ones” includes not just songs that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart but also those that topped the Radio & Records and Gavin Report charts. The album has been certified 7× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. It has sold 3,791,500 copies in the US as of April 2015.

1. “I Hate Everything” 3:55
2. “Fool Hearted Memory” 2:12
3. “A Fire I Can’t Put Out” 2:57
4. “You Look So Good in Love” 2:57
5. “Right or Wrong” 2:03
6. “Let’s Fall to Pieces Together” 2:21
7. “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” 3:05
8. “The Chair” 2:48
9. “Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her” 2:49
10. “It Ain’t Cool to Be Crazy About You” 2:38
11. “Ocean Front Property” 2:40
12. “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” 3:17
13. “Am I Blue” 3:04
14. “Famous Last Words of a Fool” 3:19
15. “Baby Blue” 3:29
16. “If You Ain’t Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’)” 2:17
17. “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” 2:55
18. “What’s Going On in Your World” 3:26
19. “Ace in the Hole” 2:34
20. “Love Without End, Amen” 3:05
21. “I’ve Come to Expect It from You” 3:42
22. “If I Know Me” 2:41
23. “You Know Me Better Than That” 3:00
24. “The Chill of an Early Fall” 3:16
25. “So Much Like My Dad” 3:19
26. “I Cross My Heart” 3:29

1. “Heartland” 2:16
2. “Easy Come, Easy Go” 2:35
3. “I’d Like to Have That One Back” 3:48
4. “The Man in Love with You” 3:18
5. “The Big One” 2:05
6. “You Can’t Make a Heart Love Somebody” 2:48
7. “Lead On” 3:21
8. “Check Yes or No” 3:10
9. “I Know She Still Loves Me” 3:04
10. “Blue Clear Sky” 2:34
11. “Carried Away” 2:58
12. “I Can Still Make Cheyenne” 4:11
13. “One Night at a Time” 3:19
14. “Carrying Your Love with Me” 3:07
15. “Today My World Slipped Away” 3:05
16. “Round About Way” 2:50
17. “I Just Want to Dance with You” 3:18
18. “True” 3:12
19. “We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This” 2:23
20. “Write This Down” 3:33
21. “The Best Day” 3:18
22. “Go On” 3:21
23. “Run” 3:46
24. “Living and Living Well” 3:26
25. “She’ll Leave You with a Smile” 2:44

Thursday 11pm: Feature LP – George Strait – Honky Tonk Time Machine (2019)

Honky Tonk Time Machine is the thirtieth studio album by American country music artist George Strait. It was released on March 29, 2019, via MCA Nashville. The album’s first single, “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar”, was released to radio on February 11, 2019.

1. “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” 3:14
2. “Two More Wishes” 2:59
3. “Some Nights” 3:22
4. “God and Country Music” (featuring Harvey Strait) 4:04
5. “Blue Water” 3:41
6. “Sometimes Love” 3:54
7. “Código” 3:13
8. “Old Violin” 3:57
9. “Take Me Away” 2:57
10. “The Weight of the Badge” 3:46
11. “Honky Tonk Time Machine” 2:44
12. “What Goes Up” 3:57
13. “Sing One with Willie” (featuring Willie Nelson) 4:21

In Memoriam: Whitey Shafer (1934 – 2019)

Sanger D. “Whitey” Shafer (October 24, 1934 – January 12, 2019) was an American country songwriter and musician. He wrote numerous hits for stars such as George Jones, Lefty Frizzell, and George Strait.

Born and raised in Whitney, Texas, Shafer’s musical career began in his hometown of Whitney where he played in a school band. In the following years he toured the U.S., performing with, among others, the then-unknown Willie Nelson. In 1967 Shafer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he signed with the Blue Crest Music Publishing Company. There he wrote two songs for George Jones, “Between My House and Home” and “I’m a New Man in Town”, along with many other tunes for lesser-known acts. Shafer signed contracts with Musicor and RCA as a singer, but he was never as successful as he was as a songwriter.

In the early 1970s Shafer signed an exclusive contract with Acuff-Rose Music. In the following years he wrote many songs which went on to become successful on the U.S. country charts, including several No. 1’s. His songs included “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor” for Johnny Russell, “Tell Me Lying Eyes Are Wrong” for George Jones, and a series of hits for Moe Bandy. He had a longstanding friendship with Lefty Frizzell, whom he had met at his record label. He and Frizzell wrote the song “That’s the Way Love Goes” together, a hit for Johnny Rodriguez and also Merle Haggard in 1983; they also wrote “I Never Go Around Mirrors” (which Frizzell recorded in 1973 and turned into a top 25 country hit a year later) and “Bandy the Rodeo Clown” for Moe Bandy, which became a major hit shortly after Frizzell’s 1975 death. After Frizzell’s death Shafer wrote the tribute song “Lefty’s Gone” recorded by George Strait for his Something Special album.

Three divorces helped him with his song writing in the 1980s when Shafer wrote “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” (1985; with Darlene Shafer) and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” (1987; with his fourth wife Lyndia J.). Both of these were No. 1 hits for George Strait, and both were nominated for CMA’s Song of the Year.[3] “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” was also nominated for a Grammy Award, for Best Country Song (lost to: Paul Overstreet & Don Schlitz for “Forever and Ever, Amen”).

In the middle of the 1980s Shafer released two albums, I Never Go Around Mirrors and So Good for So Long, containing his greatest hits. In 1989 Keith Whitley chose the Shafer penned, “I Wonder Do You Think of Me”, as the title track and the first single released after Whitley’s death and went to No. 1. Also in 1989 Shafer was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Shafer continued to write for musicians such as John Michael Montgomery, Lee Ann Womack, and Kenny Chesney. In 2004, Shafer’s recording of “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” appeared on the soundtrack to the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. – Wikipedia

Artist Countdown: Billy Currington Top 20 Hits 12pm ET @billycurrington

William Matthew “Billy” Currington (born November 19, 1973) is an American country music artist.

Billy Currington was born in Savannah, Georgia, raised in Rincon, Georgia, and currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He has four sisters (Lexie, Ann, Kim, and Kellie) and two brothers (Charles and Jason). When he was one and a half years old, his mother married Laurie (Larry) Currington. He also has a Chocolate Lab named Paco.

When he was a junior in Effingham County High School (Springfield, Georgia), Currington auditioned for a spot at Opryland, the renowned country music theme park located in Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital. Failing the audition, after high school he moved to Nashville to pursue his career in country music. His first stint did not last too long, and he later sang for a bar named Cavalier Country Club in Georgia. In Nashville, Currington also worked for a concrete company, and as a personal trainer.

One of the clients he worked with as a personal trainer led Currington to recording demo tapes, as well as writing songs. He eventually had cuts by George Strait, Tracy Byrd, and Marty Raybon. After almost being offered to join RCA Records, he signed to Mercury Records in 2003.

Currington founded the Global South Relief organization which delivers supplies to those in need in Central American countries.  (Source: Wikipedia)

1	Hey Girl
2	Good Directions
3	People Are Crazy
4	Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer
5	Party for Two (with Shania Twain)
6	Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right
7	Let Me Down Easy
8	That’s How Country Boys Roll
9	Don’t
10	Love Done Gone
11	I Got a Feelin’
12	Walk a Little Straighter
13	Why, Why, Why
14	Like My Dog
15	Tangled Up
16	We Are Tonight
17	Just For You  (with Lionel Ritchie)
18	Keep Your Hands To Yourself
19	Wingman
20	Enjoy Yourself

MaxCountry Sunday 7 – 9pm ET #maxcountry @RadioMax

Two hours of the best variety of Country tunes.

Artist Countdown: George Strait Top 60 Hits 12pm ET

George Harvey Strait (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the “King of Country” and has been called a living legend by some critics. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional country music. George Strait holds the world record for more number-one hit singles than any other artist in the history of music on any chart or in any genre, having recorded 60 number-one hit singles as of 2013.

Strait rocketed to success after his first single “Unwound” was a hit in 1981. While contributing to the neo-traditional movement of the 1980s, he amassed seven number one albums in the decade with his most popular hits including “Fool Hearted Memory” 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 number-one hits including “Heartland” and “Blue Clear Sky“. In the 2000s, Strait was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and won his first Grammy award for his hit album Troubadour. Strait continued his previous successes throughout the decade, producing a more contemporary sound with moderate cross-over hits including “She’ll Leave You with a Smile” and “You’ll Be There”.

Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989 and 1990, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist. As of 2011, he holds the record for the most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts with 44 number one singles. Counting all other music charts, Strait has amassed a total of 60 number-one hits overall, breaking a record previously set by Conway Twitty.

Strait has sold more than 70 million albums in the United States and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums. His best-selling album is Pure Country (1992), which sold 6 million (6× Multi-platinum). His highest certified album is Strait Out of the Box (1995), which sold 2 million copies (8× Multi-Platinum due to being a box set with four CDs). According to the RIAA, Strait is the 12th best-selling album recording artist in the United States overall. (Source: Wikipedia)

1	Give It All We Got Tonight
2	Write This Down
3	The Best Day
4	I Saw God Today
5	Meanwhile
6	Go On
7	We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This
8	What Do You Say to That
9	One Night at a Time
10	I Just Want to Dance with You
11	Easy Come, Easy Go
12	Give It Away
13	Shiftwork (with Kenny Chesney)
14	You Can’t Make a Heart Love Somebody
15	Here for a Good Time
16	I’d Like to Have That One Back
17	The Man in Love with You
18	How ’bout Them Cowgirls
19	Fool Hearted Memory
20	You Look So Good in Love
21	Right or Wrong
22	Let’s Fall to Pieces Together
23	The Chair
24	Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her
25	Ocean Front Property
26	All My Ex’s Live in Texas
27	Am I Blue
28	Famous Last Words of a Fool
29	Ace in the Hole
30	Love Without End, Amen
31	I’ve Come to Expect It from You
32	You Know Me Better Than That
33	I Cross My Heart
34	Heartland
35	Check Yes or No
36	Blue Clear Sky
37	Carrying Your Love with Me
38	Round About Way
39	A Fire I Can’t Put Out
40	What’s Going On in Your World
41	If I Know Me
42	Carried Away
43	True
44	Baby Blue
45	If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home)
46	Amarillo by Morning
47	The Chill of an Early Fall
48	The Big One
49	Adalida
50	It Ain’t Cool to Be Crazy About You
51	So Much Like My Dad
52	I Can Still Make Cheyenne
53	Drinking Champagne
54	Living for the Night
55	Marina del Rey
56	The Cowboy Rides Away
57	You’re Something Special to Me
58	Today My World Slipped Away
59	Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
60	Gone as a Girl Can Get