George Strait Delivers Country Like Music of Old and Best of the New

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S T R A I T T A L K

George Strait Delivers Country Like Music Of Old And Best Of The New

By Rick Mitchell - Houston Chronicle standard “Milk Cow Blues” with his recent less version of “Sweet Home Alabama?” Houston, Texas hit “Carrying Your Love With Me,” the During the breaks between sets on the point was made: It’s not about Young mainstage, up-and-coming acts Jesse If anyone had any lingering doubts, Country, or New Country, or Hot Country, Dayton, Big House and Shane Stockton George Strait has laid them to rest. In the or any other catchy real country, thank you performed on a second stage outside the world of mainstream country music, he’s very much. stadium. These acts offered a rough and still the man. Although he’s balanced traditional and ready contrast to the radio-safe sounds At a time when country music is experi- contemporary influences throughout his inside. encing flat sales and declining radio listen- career, Strait has never forgotten this basic Jesse Dayton kicked off the day’s music ership, Strait’s touring country music festi- truth. The same can’t be said for some of shortly after noon with a set that combined val with fellow stars Tim McGraw, John the other acts on the bill. rock energy and volume with hardcore Michael Montgomery, Faith Hill, Lee Ann In general, the women fared better than country soul. A native of Beaumont, Womack, Lila McCann and Asleep at the men. Womack was the most successful Dayton is signed to Houston’s Justice Wheel has been setting attendance records new country artist of 1997. Like Strait, she Records. His second album, “Wayward across the country. balances traditional and contemporary Soul,” is due out in August pending the The tour, which played to more than 1 influences, but her heart is clearly with the completion of partnership negotiations million people in 18 stops this spring, fin- former. between Justice and a major label. ished up in Houston under a blue clear sky Hill’s set was a revelation. Her albums Big House, a band from Bakersfield, Sunday before a crowd of more than are well-produced pop-country that only California, that released its second album 50,000 people at Rice Stadium. hint at the soulful power of her voice. The on MCA Nashville last week, performed Backed by his peerless Ace In The Hole sight of the singer, who is seven months two sets of bluesy country-rock. Lead Band, Strait closed the show with a superb pregnant, belting out a bloozy, rockin’ver- vocalist Monty Byrom recalled the Eagles’ set that lasted an hour and forty minutes sion of Rod Stewart and the Faces’“Stay Don Henley on the band’s current single, including encores. His arrival was preceded With Me” was priceless. the bittersweet balled “Faith,” while gui- by a 15-minute barrage of commercials on Hill reappeared during McGraw’s set to tarists David Neuhauser and Chuck Seaton the video screen at the side of the stage sing the duet “It’s Your Love.” The couple supplied taut rhythms and sizzling leads on highlighting the tour’s numerous corporate are married, and McGraw sang his hit “I the chugging country-rockers “Cold sponsors. Like It, I Love It” while holding their 1- Outside” and “You Ain’t Lonely Yet.” Strait is the strongest commercially viable year-old daughter. In the second set, the band stretched out a link between country’s glorious past in It was a poignant moment that can’t dis- slow blues that featured harmonica player honky-tonk and western-swing and its guise the fact that the song is country-disco Sonny California and Brian Thomas from watered-down pop-county present. pablum, as are too man of McGraw’s other Dayton’s band sitting in on pedal steel gui- As if trying to remind the youthful audi- hits. While he may be a Renegade, as he tar. Big House is not a traditional country ence what actual country music is supposed declares in one of his songs, he’s got a fac- band, but the traditional vs. contemporary to sound like, he opened his set with Bob tory-approved brand stamped on his hide. debate sometimes misses the bigger ques- Wills’“Take Me Back To Tulsa” and con- But the weakest link in the day’s chain tion: It is real music? tinued to balance his own hits with classic was Montgomery, who continues to squan- Dayton and Big House are both for-real covers by Wills, Merle Haggard, Conway der his early potential with such sappy dri- talents, and if the house of country music Twitty and others. vel as the current song “Love Workin’On isn’t big enough to accommodate them, When he followed the western-swing You.” And do we really need another end- maybe it’s time to build a new house. S T R A I T T A L K Daylong Country Fest Draws Legions

By Michael Mehle - Rocky noon performances from honky-tonk stalwarts Auction Incident)” and “Sweet Home Mountain News, Denver, CO Asleep at the Wheel and top newcomers Lila Alabama.” Stadium shows routinely are big productions McCann and Lee Ann Womack. A year after Fellow hat-pack leader McGraw employed that match the egos of the stars on stage, such giving birth to her’s and McGraw’s first child the same sort of formula, but had a better start as the high-tech, top-dollar extravaganzas cap- and three months from delivering their second, (“Indian Outlaw”), and ending (“I Like It, I tained by U2’s Bono and the Rolling Stones’ Hill showed a touch of R&B and rock’n’roll Love It”). He also shared the evening’s most Mick Jagger. with rousing songs such as “You Can’t Lose emotional moment when wife Hill joined him Little wonder, then, that George Strait head- Sleep” and “Wild One.” Then she blew her set on stage for the heartachingly tender “It’s Your lined his own festival Sunday at Mile High open with a cover of Rod Stewart and the Love.” Stadium with a stage that had lost of lights but Face’s “Stay With Me.” You could see lightbulbs flashing like fireflies little else. As plain-spoken as he is popular, the Montgomery couldn’t keep the momentum, as all over the stadium as th couple met at the shy Texan opted to wow the crowd with his his set was weighed down by his weepy piano center of the stage and swayed arm-in-arm classic country sound rather than any extracur- ballads and didn’t hit high gear until the ener- while the crowd carried the chorus. ricular props or pyrotechnics. getic ending of “Sold (The Grundy County Of course, he did have his stellar Ace in the Hole ensemble, which played “Down In The Heart Of Texas” as Strait ambled onto stage wearing a red shirt, creased Wranglers and a Hot Times At Carter Finley big, bashful grin. For the next 90 minutes, the 46-year-old By Jack Bernhardt - Raleigh, NC ence, which sang enthusiastically on such singer and his band stuck to classic country, The hottest country show of the year hit radio favorites as “Don’t Take The Girl” and loaded with all the twang allowed by law. His town on the hottest day of the year, as the “I Like It, I Love It.” But the biggest moment style shifted throughout the evening, ranging George Strait Country Music Festival played came when McGraw was accompanied on from Western swing to honky-tonk to blues to to a festive crowd Saturday at Carter-Finley stage by his wife, Faith Hill, who is pregnant ballads. There was nothing overly fancy about Stadium. with their second child. Hill and McGraw the show, but Strait’s genuine touch was The 9-1/2 hour extravaganza began at 1 p.m. seemed to glow with affection as they joined enough to send couples out into the aisles to with the Western swing band Asleep at the on their hit duet, “It’s Your Love.” slow dance to such tender ballads as “I Can Wheel, and ended about 10:30 with superstar Finally, at 8:40, it was the big man’s turn. Still Make Cheyenne.” headliner George Strait. In between, fans Backed by his superb eight-piece Ace in the Most of the fans (though not all) even stuck enjoyed a parade of artists, representing state- Hole Band, Strait delivered a 27-song, 100- with Strait as the night grew colder and the of-the-art country music: teen sensation Lila minute set as inspired and artful as any coun- rain fell harder. After all, some came from as McCann, traditionalist Lee Ann Womack, try performance to hit the Triangle in recent far away as South Dakota and Wyoming and country-pop stylist Faith Hill, balladeer John memory. His playlist ranged throughout his waited eight hours or longer for the singer to Michael Montgomery and country-rocker Tim 17-year career and included such fan favorites cap the all-day fest that’s traveling to 18 U.S. McGraw. as “The Chair,” “Amarillo By Morning,” cities this summer. With temperatures in the low 90s, and even “Cross My Heart,” “I Can Still Make It’s tempting to tag Strait’s fete as a hotter at stage level on the field, fans sought Cheyenne” and “The Cowboy Rides Away.” Lollapalooza with 10 gallon hats, but that relief in the covered concourse or outside the He also showcased songs from his latest CD, would be slighting Sunday’s event: stadium at “Straitland,” a combination amuse- “One Step At ATime,” with Robert Earl Lollapalooza never attracted 50,000 people, ment park, food court and headquarters for Keen’s “Maria,” the rockabilly bopper, “We and its appeal wanted to the point of needing a the concert’s corporate sponsors. Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This,” and this summer off. Meanwhile, country’s crowd The event began slowly as the first few acts week’s No. 1 country single, “I Just Want To keeps growing, attracted by a spectrum of played to a small but appreciative audience. Dance With You.” styles that’s wider than the state of Texas. Of course, it was the better-known, big-name But it was his enchanting choice of covers Indeed, if the six acts on the bill before Strait acts folks came to see, and by the time that made the set special. A protege of the late showed anything, it’s that there are few rules to Montgomery took the stage at 5:30 p.m., the Bob Wills, Strait kicked things off with Wills’ today’s country. day began to cool and the stadium to fill. Texas dance hall gem, “Take Me Back To Tim McGraw sounded a lot like Jimmy Montgomery and McGraw offered work- Tulsa,” and cleverly sprinkled others through- Buffett on the Caribbean-flavored “Refried man-like performances of their hits while car- out the set, including “Milk Cow Blues” and Dreams,” while John Michael Montgomery rying out one of their chief duties, building the celebratory “Big Balls in Cow Town.” closed out his set with an extended, foot- anticipation for the arrival of Strait. Of the And he gave older fans more memories with stomping rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s two artists, McGraw is the more personable Conway Twitty’s “Linda On My Mind” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” and talented. Montgomery did serviceable Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.” And talk about mixing genres: Faith Hill work on “I Swear” and other ballads, but As usual, Strait performed with few distrac- implored the audience to “raise the roof” — a when a song required more volume and tions and no Garth-like antics. Yet, he main- hip-hop plea to push your arms up in the air — dynamics, he turned into a shouter and sang tained a close band with his fans, who have while belting out “Heartbreakers,” a bluesy excruciatingly off-pitch. come to expect simple, stellar country music rocker borrowed from Janis Joplin’s repertoire. With better songs and more charisma, at its no-frills best from one of country Hill brought life to the day after early-after- McGraw had no trouble engaging the audi- music’s all-time great performers. S T R A I T T A L K Fan Collectable Column August/September 1998

Country America Magazine, July 1998. P. • Country Weekly, June 23, 1998. Pages 3, • Snyder Daily News, June 21, 1998. Ad, 32, 52, 57 mentioned. Nashville, TN. 53, and picture, p. 54. photo for Resistol Hats. Vol. 50, No. 43. San Antonio Express News, June 5, 1998. • “Lefty Frizzell” - written by Daniel Snyder, TX. Section G, p.1 mentioned. San Antonio, Cooper, mentioned pgs. 277 & 278. • Texas Highways, June 1998. Pgs. 7 TX. • Abilene Reporter News, June 14, 1998. mentioned, pg. 13 mentioned. Vol. 45, Houston Chronicle Newspaper, June 3, Page 7D - Sports section mentioned No. 6. 1998. P. 6 mentioned. Houston, TX. about National High School Rodeo • Country Weekly, July 7, 1998. Cover Valley Morning Star, June 7, 1998. P. D- Association Finals. Abilene, TX. picture, pg. 6-7 article/mentioned, pg. 19 2, article w/photo. Harlingen, TX. • San Antonio Express-News, SA Life photo, pgs. 20-25 feature article and Modern Screen George Strait & The section. Section E, June 15, 1998 - photos, pg. 37 crossword puzzle - men- Strait Men Of Country, August 1998 photo/mentioned p. 1E. San Antonio, tioned twice. Nashville, TN. issue - A MUST for all George Strait fans TX. • The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, - a lot of beautiful colored pictures of • Music City News, July 1998. Page 10 June 19, 1998. Pg. 3C mentioned in Top George and Norma, almost entire maga- letter/photo, pg. 19 list of awards, pg. 26 Country Singles. Fulton, MS. zine devoted to George. checklist pg. photo/paragraph, pgs. 50- • Country Line, June 1998. Austin, TX. Country Song, July 1998 issue. Cover 57, pg. 97 top country LP, pg. 88 photo. Cover page photo, pg. 2 mentioned, pg. 3 picture of “George Strait’s World’s Most Nashville, TN. photo, pg. 5 question section, pg. 6 Popular Cowboy” says the caption. Cover • Ellwood City Ledger, June 17, 1998, pg. mentioned, pg. 9 mentioned, pg. 11 photo story on pages 22-25, with caption 7 Ellwood City, PA. Wed. issue and facts on G.S., p. 13 mentioned. “George Strait, World’s Most Loved mentioned. • Entertainment Weekly, June 26, 1998. Cowboy” with more gorgeous, colored • Country Weekly, June 30, 1998, pg. 26 Mentioned/The Concert Charts p. 127. pictures of George and Norma. mentioned Vol. 5 #26, p. 20 mentioned, New York, NY. Country Weekly, June 2, 1998. Pages 3, p. 54 mentioned, p. 25 photo w/Crook & • The Star Phoenix, June 17, 1998. 7, 8, 43 and 58 naming new album “One Chase. Nashville, TN Mentioned p. D2 - Lifestyle. TNN/Music Step At A Time” #1 this week and the • The San Antonio Star, June 21, 1998. P. City News Awards. Saskatoon, \ last week. 17-18 mentioned. San Antonio, TX. Saskatchenwan, Canada. Country Weekly, June 9, 1998. Pages 6, • The Spokesman Review, June 19, 1998. 8, 55, and 58. P. 4 mentioned, p. E4 mentioned.

The following George Strait Fan Club Members submitted to the Collectable Column - And We Thank You! As a GSFC member, you can join in and earn Strait Cash, receive your Strait Talk 1st Class and a Collector’s Card. This is all you need to do - collect magazine or newspaper articles, photos or reviews - send them in and if we use them, your name is added to the list. It’s easy. Remember to enclose the article, where it came from, date, page #, issue and your name and address. Thank You! Nancy Piechota - Golden, CO Angel Beard - Channelview, TX JoAnn Oestreich - Onalaska, TX Trudy Holdenby - Davenport, WA Dotsie Lehr - New Braunfels, TX Nell Huneycutt - Houston, TX Judy Shisk - San Antonio, TX Louise Gardner Temple - Irving, TX Joyce Shoults - Tulsa, OK Carolyn Evans - Harrisburg, MO Pat Skoruppa - Victoria, TX Alexis Gaffney - Gales Creek, OR Donald R. Minteer - Ellwood City, PA Dee Walker - Tuscaloosa, AL Pat James - Saskatoon, SK, Canada Jean Hurt - Beech Grove, IN Kristi Easterling - Fulton, MS Leona De Joseph - Howard Beach, NY Mary Everett - Monroe, LA Jocelynn Colemire - Galena, OH Fay Ross - Euless, TX Cecilia Castillo - Abilene, TX Janice Upton - Ira, TX Brent Seaux - Lafayette, LA Jeanie Spears - Blue Springs, MO Pat Johnson - Dallas, TX Rhonda Steelman - Frisco, TX Susie Medley - Harlingen, TX Dorothy Alford - Louisburg, N.C. Beverly Enlow - Louisville, KY Robin Lehmann - Denver, CO S T R A I T T A L K

Created by: Terri Beese of Alta Loma, California

Words are always in a straight line and may read up, down, forward, backward, and diagonally. THESE NAMES AND ITEMS MAY BE FOUND ON THE GEORGE STRAIT WEBSITES:

L E H V S E L E G N A S O L X Y I K R C R C A ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL S I K D F T L G H J A E S T N O T S U O H O B ATLANTA BIRMINGHAM J R L A S T R A I T C H I C A G O G E L R U T CHICAGO A M E A N E W O R L E A N S T S A N O U R N O COLUMBUS T V T C M S B U B B A E H L Z X K E F M M T U COUNTRY MUSIC L I G K E C A N T J O D C I D C L B Z B A R R FESTIVAL B E O T C C C S M A L K W Q U E A A L U A Y B DENVER DETROIT I T M R O W Z A C K M U E R S K N M S S U M U AITH HILL R R B C T U N Y N I R V I N G D D F T N O U S AN CLUB SEATING M O R E M E U G S N T I D C M A Y X S M L S G GEORGE STRAIT I I V T I M D U C G A Y A A L T A J S P E I S HOUSTON N Z L U O R M S A B L U L E R A X I O A D C T IRVING G D U L E S S T R A I T L A N D D G P S G F G JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY H M I C M O U Y D I S N A E T S B M K D B E N KANSAS CITY A S T L O U I S J D C K S O U K A A E I H S I KINGSVILLE M I G T I M M C G R A W D A C T T C C M G T T LEE ANN WOMACK D L A T H E N G A T X S R E V N E D A A I I A LILA McCANN Z O O O A I E K C A M O W N A A E E L L E V E LOS ANGELES B P I L V L D W V R A D B O P R A W H I L A S MINNEAPOLIS C A L E A O R B L U E S K Y A T N A L T A L B NEW ORLEANS OAKLAND X E G S F C R T L L I H H T I A F L E E R G U PHOENIX U N X G U S N P O L H F R D W G F J B C S L L PROVO A N I W S G E O R G E S T R A I T T B A R S C RALEIGH D I N L E E H W E H T T A P E E L S A O G S N ST LOUIS H M E M U S I C K I N G E L L I V S G N I K A STRAITLAND K C O K R B F W Q Y U N D L E A E A J E Q W F TAMPA J O H N M I C H A E L M O N T G O M E R Y G S TIM McGRAW TOUR BUS H P P I O U K H F E C Q L M S Z K A Y T B K I

N a m e ______

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All entries must be received by September 11, 1998. One Entry Only! S T R A I T T A L K CUSTOM MADE TOUR JACKET NEW GEORGE STRAIT STAND UP Athletic Team Style The George Strait Fan Club is Jacket happy to offer a full life-size Black and Red Wool standup of George Strait. The Body cardboard standup is in full color Black Italian Leather and when open stands a good six Sleeves with a Wide Red feet in height. The beautiful four- Leather Stripe across the color piece is a photograph of Sleeve George leaning on an old weath- Deep Front Pockets ered wooded fence. The Stand Black Leather under- Up was designed by MCA neath Red Leather Collar Embroidered Royal Blue Records and is the same as will Star with a Large GS be seen in Record Shops across Overlay on Front Chest the country. Large Embroidered To order, please use the order Logo on Back Above: form below. If using a Quilted Satin Lining Front View MasterCard/Visa, you may order of Jacket Inside by calling the toll free number 1- Left: 800-338-4732 and ask for item #9995 - Tour Jacket Back View of Jacket #245 - George Strait Stand Up number 245.

SPECIAL ORDER FORM FOR TOUR JACKET AND STAND UP QTY. ITEM SIZES COST TOTAL 9995 George Strait Tour Jacket M____ L____ XL____ XXL____ $350.00 245 George Strait Stand Up $59.95

Shipping and Handling Shipping Charges $11.75 per Tour Jacket $ $11.75 per Tour Jacket Shipping Charges $8.50 per Stand Up $ $8.50 per Stand Up Grand Total $

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**** NOTE: All orders must be paid for in U.S. currency or the equivalent foreign exchange rates. Foreign orders paid for in any other manner will be returned. Foreign orders, other than Canada must double the normal shipping charge for delivery. S T R A I T T A L K TEAM ROPING SHIRTS AND CAPS AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME The 1998 T-shirts and caps for the 16th Annual George Strait Team Roping Classic are available now as a limited edition item from the George Strait Fan Club. The shirts and caps are shipping now to members who would like to have them but were unable to make the trip to Kingsville, Texas for the event or would like additional items. The T-shirt features a new design on the front with 1998 on the back while the embroidered cap is also a new design. The T-shirt sells for $20 each plus $4 for shipping and handling. The embroidered caps are $17 plus $3 for shipping and handling. Neither the cap or T-shirt are regular catalog items and must be special ordered. The T-shirt is a safari green with a very colorful design (pictured). The items may also be seen by checking out our website at www.georgestraitfans.com. Both items are ready for shipping immediately. To order using your MasterCard or Visa, please call our Toll Free Number at 1-800-338- GSFC using the order numbers listed below. #5099 Team Roping T-Shirt - Front #5099 Team Roping T-Shirt - Back

SPECIAL T-SHIRT & CAP ORDER FORM QTY. ITEM SIZES COST TOTAL 5099 Team Roping T-Shirt M____ L____ XL____ XXL____ $20.00 4900 Team Roping Cap $17.00

Shipping and Handling Shipping Charges $4.00 per T-Shirt $ $4.00 per T-Shirt Shipping Charges $3.00 per Cap $ $3.00 per Cap Grand Total $

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check it out on our website. A photo of it is 800-934-8792. Anita’s Notes: available elsewhere in the newsletter. We Before we conclude another STRAIT are also offering, for a limited time, the T- TALK I would like to address the George Here we are again. Hot mid-summer days shirts and Caps from the 16th A n n u a l Strait Country Music Festival in Houston, lingering as we listen to George’s #1 hit G e o rge Strait Team Roping Classic. A Texas. I’m not going to string you along or “One Step At A Time.” The next single photo and order form are also available in tell you something off the wall. I just want “True” is climbing the charts and hopefully the newsletter. to tell you that I HAD A BLAST! It was by the next issue of STRAIT TALK it will Remember, Fan Club members can earn great. I enjoyed every aspect of the festi- be in the Top 10. Strait Cash very easily. If you have a photo, val. Yes, it was hot. Yes, I did sweat. Yes, I With the completion of George’s Country comment, game or a collectible column paid to buy a bottle of water! I came to the Music Festival, this opens up time for fam- article, please send it in. If we use it we will festival as a fan and left an even bigger ily and roping plus a little golf. We usually send you $5 in Strait Cash, a collectors card fan. The whole concept of the festival was have pages of photos and a Team Roping and your STRAIT TALK by 1st Class Mail. phenomenal. From the beginning to the story in the August/ September issue of Pretty easy. end of the concert, I could not wait for the STRAIT TALK but, with the way the date We appreciate the fan club members that next act to start. I was a fan for a day and I was, it would delay the production of the notify us when their addresses change. It is loved it. I visited with so many fan club newsletter too much. We will have the com- very important to have your correct address members and thoroughly enjoyed it. You lete story with photos in the as all newsletters are sent by bulk mail and are true Strait Troopers. When George October/November issue. If you can’t wait, the post office will not forward them. appeared on stage as the sun set, fans lease check out the GSFC website at The website is continuing to do well. We roared like lions that were hungry for their www.georgestraitfans.com and we will post have had millions of hits since it went last meal. It was great. I guess you need to the complete story there. We hope to have online in September of 1996. The new User be there to experience the true, total effects photographs as well. Name and Password for this issue are as of the festival. I hope by looking through Fan Fair 1998 was fun as usual and we follows: the photo pages it will help you grasp a lit- enjoyed visiting with so many fan club User Name: blue tle of the great time I had in Houston. You members. Obviously the United States was Password: sable Houston fans made me feel right at home. represented the best but, we did get to visit I am happy to tell you that the Strait office with many fans from around the world from We have had several calls about the Strait is already hard at work drawing up the laces like Great Britain, Germany, Premium products that have been sold in plans for the 1999 George Strait Country inland, Norway, Japan and A u s t r a l i a . stores in the southwest. They are now Music Festival Tour. Thank you for a memorable week. Also, a being offered by mail if you would like to We hope to see you again. Til then, thank you to Pam, Judy, Katie, Cheryl, order them. You can order by calling 1- STRAIT UP! Darci, Darrin, Vicki, Terry and Ry a n Calonge for helping us set the booth up. We are always happy to put up the booth on Sunday but, extra happy to take it down on Friday. Strait Premium Products George did not win any TNN Music City News Awards this year, but we still appreciate your vote. We have a few new items in the merchan- dise catalog that we hope you will like. We think they will make great holiday gifts but you be the judge. If you panicked at the word holiday, consider that it is not that far away and I know that I always have to plan ahead. Here is a great chance for you to use that Strait Cash that you have been saving. The new stand up is hotter than the Fourth of July. It has been flying out the door so don’t delay in ordering one as the quantities are limited and we are not sure whether they will ever be available again. We also have a beautiful new custom leather jacket and we Our Strait Country items are now available to you have had so many requests for them that we direct from our corporate offices. decided to have a new one made. If you To order, please call 1-800-934-8792 want to see the jacket in full color, please S T R A I T T A L K

Dear Anita, From The Mailbox: Without a doubt, the George Strait Festival Tour was the best show I’ve Hi George, Dear George, attended in a long time. When he comes A bunch of us from Bismarck, North Thanks for coming to New Orleans with back to the Chicago area, I’ll be there. had Dakota, were at Straitland in Minneapolis, your Country Music Festival. It was just he showed up alone, he still could have MN, on May 17th. What a show!!! Your fabulous. Every performer was just great. filled the stadium. The Straitland area was performance was the best ever!! And it Of course, George was the best of all of fun too, even though I didn’t win anything. was our pleasure singing “Happy them. Sincerely, Birthday” to you. After putting together an I hope to see George again in New Patricia Van Clease event like this, you’re definitely the Orleans next year. Thanks for a great Washington, IL “Entertainer of the Year” in our eyes. show. ______Don’t forget all of us fans up north when Sincerely, you schedule your next tour. Harriet M. Moll Dear G.S.F.C., Lynette Lewis, Konnie Kunz, New Orleans, LA Hello everyone at the George Strait fan Lorna Strand, Jim Fetter ______club. Yesterday my husband and I attended Bismarck, North Dakota the George Strait country music festival in ______George Strait Fan Club, Atlanta, Georgia, and what a festival it This past weekend I flew round trip from was! We enjoyed every minute of it. We Dear George, New York to Raleigh, NC just to see the drove from Anderson, South Carolina to Congratulations on your great 1998 George Strait Country Music Festival. All see the concert. I would go back tomorrow “Country Music Festival Tour” at the I can say was that it was really awesome! to see George. Thanks for all the fun. Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North It was a wonderful 9-1/2 hours plus con- Strait Fan, Carolina. cert to say the least! Renee Burden, Anderson, SC My daughters and I rode 10 hours to see Thank you, you perform and you were first “fantastic,” Becky Peters, Endicott, NY as usual, as was your great “Ace in the ______Hole Band” and all the other performers involved. Dear G.S.F.C., Pen Pals A devoted fan club member, Yesterday I attended the George Strait Nellie Leo, Middletown, NY Country Music Festival in Provo, UT. I AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1998 ______was fortunate enough to have seats front (Fans that exchange letters row and center thanks to George and the through mail) George Strait and Co., Fan Club. This was the fourth time I had I was at the concert in Detroit at the seen George in concert. WHAT A SHOW!! Angie Cloud (23) 1935 Doe Field Street Silverdome. It was great. George was awe- He just gets better with age. It was great Canton, GA 30115 some! I had a fantastic time. His new how he interacted with us in the audience. music as well as the old is heart felt and He was even nice enough to sign my CD. Randee Pease (15) seems to relate to a lot of people. Every Thank you George for continuing to 34707 Audrain Road, 448 time I hear him, I can’t help but feel good bring us pure country music that I can Laddonia, MO 63352 and smile. enjoy with my teenage daughters and for I have now been to his last 2 concerts being a great example in the way you live Dustie Buecker here in Michigan. your life. 1407 Ailstock Road Also, Happy Birthday to George and his Sincerely, Converse, LA71419 son. Chris Lewis, Roy, UT Keep up the good work. ______Melissa Crouch Sincerely, RR #2 Box 166 Jerri L. Yalk, Richmond, MI Sorento, IL 62086 ______