Out of all the new country singers to emerge in the early '80s, George Strait stayed the closest to traditional country. Drawing from both the honky tonk and Western swing traditions, Strait didn't refashion the genres; instead, he revitalized them for a new decade. In the process, he became one of the most popular and influential singers of the decade, sparking a wave of neo-traditionalist singers from Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam to Clint Black, Garth Brooks, and Alan Jackson.

The native Texan’s career has put him in the Country Music Hall of Fame. His 40^th album, Love is Everything, was released May 22 and debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

The latest album produced Strait’s 60^th #1 song, “Give It All We Got Tonight.” That makes him the first and only music artist in history to achieve 60 number ones.

“I didn’t realize we were making history -- I just hoped we were putting out music that my fans would enjoy,” said Strait. “As always, I’m thankful to the fans and country radio for their support on all 60 of these number one songs as well as my entire career. They are the ones who made this happen.” 

Strait, who turned 61 last month, recently wrapped up the first leg of his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, his farewell to fans across the country. Dates for the second leg in 2014 will be announced later this year.

Click here to nominate the Eagle 99.3 Artist of the Month for July.