In the pursuit of more traditional sounds, country artists turned to a timeless theme, love. Along with Randy Travis dominating the charts, \u201cCrazy Over You\u201d, \u201cDon\u2019t You Go and Leave Me,\u201d \u201cFallin’ for You for Years,\u201d and \u201cThose Memories of You,\u201d were all songs that shined as number one in 86\u2019. \u00a0With people begging for more twang in the voices of Country music stars, George Strait had no problems selling his fans some \u201cOcean Front Property\u201d all across America.<\/p>\n
Born in 1952 to a middle school teaching mother, and ranching father in Texas, George Strait was meant to be a traditional southern gentleman. He was raised by mostly his father as his mother walked out on the family when George was just a boy. Strait was well educated, and enrolled in college after high school, but could not go on much longer without his high school sweetheart, Norma. She was the most prominent female figure in his life, a role his mother never filled. After a short exposer to higher education, Strait dropped out, married his high school flame, and then joined the army. While serving his country, he would pass time playing guitar, singing songs, and talking about girls\u2026 just how army men do. In 1975 after being honorably discharged from the Army he returned to Southwestern University in Texas to study agriculture.<\/p>\n
Although he had the intention of carrying on the family ranch, he ended up forming the country band \u201cAce in the Hole.\u201d This band signed with a Dallas based label in 79 and did alright for themselves. They wrote and toured until Strait released the hit single \u201cUnwound.\u201d This song shot right up to the top of the charts. George Strait had showed that reviving the honky tonk and western swing styles of the 1940 and 1950s was worth the time. The pop country sounds that were emerging would now take a back seat to this new music with a classic sound. It seemed that every word that came out this Texas country singer\u2019s mouth would turn to gold. He only continued to gain momentum as he moved through the 80s, the early part of his astounding career.<\/p>\n
George sang love song after love song, touching on all sorts of human emotions. His fans couldn\u2019t get enough of it. A humble Texas singer at the start of his career was not one to seek out too many interviews. As he was really coming into fame in the year 1986, tragedy struck his only daughter, Jenifer. She was killed in a car accident in the summer of 1986. Many say George tended to shy away from interviews because of this tragic accident, but I think he was just more focused on music. In a rare interview with him, Billboard Magazine asked all sorts of questions about his astounding career. When asked why his career had been so successful George responded \u201cI’ve always had a knack for picking good songs for myself. I’ve always said that it’s hard to put my finger on what it is exactly that tells me that a song is right for me, but it comes down to the melody first. You can have a really well-written song, but without a great melody it’s probably not going to go too far.\u201d This special talent was certainly used to make \u201cOcean Front Property\u201d the classic that it is today.<\/p>\n
By the year 1987 George Strait was already a force in the area of traditional twangy tunes. Six years after the release of his fame bringing first album, \u201cStrait Country\u201d, which included his first hit song \u201cUnwound,\u201d George was the voice of new traditional country music. His voice was coveted by country songwriters across America. For the creation of \u201cOcean Front Property,\u201d a super team of writers was assembled.<\/p>\n
The first of this three man writing team was handpicked right out Texas. Dean Dillon had showed that he was a fantastic writer, but primarily to a native Texas audience. Dillon was a local Texas hero, and a personal friend of George\u2019s, he apparently helped with over 50 Strait songs. Dean Dillon had already written \u201cThe Chair\u201d for George Strait, and would also help him with \u201cEasy Come Easy Go.\u201d Dillon wrote for a plethora of artists, but it seemed that Strait was one of his favorites. Dean Dillon and Strait were the Jordan and Pippen of country music, but they still needed a Rodman, and Ron Harper to turn this song into a winner.<\/p>\n
Being together with Norma all his life, George would struggle to write about leaving, and he needed to draw on somebody else\u2019s life experience. Hank Cochran had already established a great name for himself writing with Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, and George Strait. He was also familiar with relationships ending. After Cochran wrote for Jeanie Seely\u2019s smash hit \u201cDon\u2019t Touch Me,\u201d he divorced his current wife and married Seely. This famous marriage worked to produce a few songs, but after 10 years the spark was gone. Cochran filed for his second divorce. Being so great with words, Cochran did not spend much time single. He soon met his final wife Suzi. The two of them had four children together, and Suzi survives him, and his astounding accomplishments as a country music writer.<\/p>\n
The last of the trio of writers working with George was Royce Porter, a rockabilly legend. Porter also hailed from Texas, and it was quite possible that Strait discovered his songs in Honky Tonks and bars. He had touched in love songs as he wrote \u201cIt ain\u2019t cool being crazy about you\u201d for Strait. He also wrote \u201cHomecoming 63\u2019\u201d carries a similar tune and mood to \u201cOcean Front Property.\u201d He was the final piece of the puzzle to make a complete song. Royce Porter, like Dean Dillon, was no stranger to working with George Strait, and that is likely why he was included in this super team of songwriters.<\/p>\n
This super team produced the perfect breakup song. \u201cOcean Front Property\u201d makes for the perfect breakup song because it is so subtle. It isn\u2019t until listeners stop trying to figure out where the ocean touches Arizona and listen closely that the true meaning of the song is understood.<\/p>\n
Upon a closer listen, it can be seen that the singer is on his way out, claiming that he no longer loves his wife. As the unforgettable chorus comes through listeners understand that he is just lying. He is going to miss her, and he can\u2019t deny it. This tale of love lost with an unforgettable melody, was an instant hit. It shot right up to the top of the charts. In live shows you can hear the crowd clapping along with the beat. The clapping ceases as the steel guitar is introduced, and Straits smooth voice comes in with the harsh words of \u201cI won\u2019t miss you!\u201d<\/p>\n Everything came together for this astounding group of men to write \u201cOcean Front Property.\u201d For Dean Dillon and Royce Porter it added just another song to the long list of George Strait hits that they worked with. For Cochran it helped create closure for his previous divorces, and showed that he could write for strong male presences in the neo traditional era, not just up and coming females. 1986 was a year of nostalgia in country music, and George Strait had no trouble using it to propel his spectacular career even higher. In the end, I don\u2019t think that this song deserved to be number one, and if you\u2019ll buy that\u2026 I\u2019ve got some ocean front property in Arizona.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erlewine, Rovi, Steven Thomas. “George Strait Bio | George Strait Career.”CMT Artists Beta. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Georgestrait.com, 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.<\/p>\n “George Strait, Bio.” Bio.com. Ed. A and E Television. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.<\/p>\n Lewis, Randy. “Hank Cochran Dies at 74; Country Music Songwriter.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Times, 16 July 2010. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.<\/p>\n Spong, John. “This Man Has Written More Than Fifty of George Strait’s Songs – Texas Monthly.” Texas\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Monthly. N.p., 21 May 2014. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.<\/p>\n Waddell, Ray. “George Strait: The Billboard Cover Story Q&A.” Billboard. Billboard, 13 Aug. 2013. Web. \u00a0\u00a0 01 Mar. 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DPvTc55DdqA 1986 will forever be remembered as the year of the Iran Contra affair, the first airing of The Simpsons, and the banner story of Jessica McClure falling into a well. These events didn\u2019t leave much for country music singers … Continue reading ![\"02181e4515e1095534cd1ca5b6f79b39\"](\"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/02181e4515e1095534cd1ca5b6f79b39-1.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\n