George Strait Released His Debut Album 36 Years Ago

Thirty-six years ago, on Sept. 4, George Strait released his debut album, Strait Country.

Strait released three singles from the album, “Down and Out,” “Unwound,” and “If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home),” which the two latter ended up on the Top 10.

“If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home)” hit the No. 3 spot that year, The Boot reports.

MCA Records released his album, but wouldn’t do so before confirming his potential. They agreed to only release “Unwound” before deciding to invest into a full album. Once the song quickly shot to the top of the charts and became a fixture on the radio, the record company offered Strait a recording contract.

In his biography, George Strait: The Story of Country’s Living Legend, Strait recalled the moment he first heard one of his songs on the radio. “I was shocked,” he says. “I couldn’t believe it.”

“I mean, hearing your first record on the radio, when it was something that you had been trying to get to for so long, and then finally having it happen, it was wild,” Strait adds. “Here I was driving around the ranch there, and I’d hear it go up the chart, and I’m saying to myself, ‘What’s wrong with this picture? I’ve got a hit record. I need to go out on the road and go play some concerts.’”

One year later, Strait released Strait From the Heart, followed by his 1983’s Right or Wrong, which became his first No. 1 album. His debut single from Strait From the Heart, “Fool Hearted Memory,” was his first No. 1 hit song.