Country’s winding road leads to Strait

Monday, Feb. 7, 2005 | 8:17 a.m.

Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, Johnny Paycheck and a host of other performers -- some of whom redefined country music -- have passed on.

Merle Haggard is ailing.

George Jones, Buck Owens and Ray Price (who will be at Santa Fe Station on Friday night) aren't as prominent as they once were.

A few younger country performers have picked up the traditional banner and are waving it proudly -- Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and Toby Keith, to name a few.

But none wave the flag higher and with more enthusiasm than George Strait, who, at 54, may be the most enduring superstar of a genre that seems to ebb and flow in popularity every 10 years or so.

Since he burst onto the scene in 1981 with "Unwound" (it was in the Billboard Top 10), the Poteet, Texas, native has had 50 No. 1 hits, which should earn him the respect of any music fan, regardless of whether they are into country.

Throughout the '80s, Strait dominated the country singles charts, and his albums consistently went platinum or gold.

Strait performed many of those hits during his all-but-sold out concert at the 7,000-seat, MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night.

But Strait has had so many hits, he was sure to disappoint some fans when he failed to sing one of their personal favorites.

The songs he chose, including a few gems from his "50 Number Ones" album (among them, "I Hate Everything," "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" and "Heartland") demonstrated Strait's passion for singing pure country.

One song in particular may be his battle hymn to save the traditional music he learned by listening to his mentors, including Haggard, Jones, Twitty and Hank Williams.

"Murder on Music Row," by Larry Cordell and Larry Shell, laments the passing of the music of Haggard and Williams:

"Nobody saw him running from 16th avenue/They never found the fingerprint or the weapon that was used/But someone killed country music, cut out its heart and soul/They got away with murder down on music row."

But country was alive and well at the MGM, starting with Strait's two opening acts -- newcomer Amber Dotson and rising star Dierks Bentley.

Dotson has a strong, soulful voice that exudes confidence, even though she is just getting started in the business -- and touring with Strait couldn't be a better starting gate for the Texas native.

Her first album ("Jukebox") and her first single ("I'll Try Anything) are about to be released, though no date was available.

After Dotson completed her four-song set, Bentley took over with some numbers that kicked up the energy in the room a few notches -- opening with "A Lot of Leavin' Left to Do" and then his hits "My Last Name," "How Am I Doin' " and "What Was I Thinkin' " (which hit No. 1 last year).

Just as Strait has an ear for selecting just the right song for himself, he is equally talented at choosing talent.

With the stamp of Strait on her career, Dotson should do very well in the business.

Bentley -- touring with Strait for the second year in a row -- was named Billboard Magazine's 2003 No. 1 Top New Country Artist.

After the youthful 29-year-old Bentley finished his set, rushing from microphone to microphone on the circular stage surrounded by thousands of fans, the old master ambled out onto the stage to show the young ones how a veteran star does it.

Wearing his signature starched Wrangler jeans and western shirt (buttoned almost to the neck), Justin boots and broad-brimmed cowboy hat, Strait wasted little energy in movement. He didn't hurry from mike to mike but rather sang two or three songs at each station, making certain fans in that section of the auditorium had a chance to see him, and then he moved on to the next mike.

Strait didn't have a lot to say. Notorious for being reluctant to talk to the media, he didn't say much to his fans either -- just polite chat, "Who're y'all for in the Super Bowl?"

We learned that Strait is a fan of New England Patriots (who won), but he revealed nothing else about himself. He introduced his songs, smiled handsomely (in 1990 he was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world), and then he put his heart into his music, allowing the songs to speak on his behalf.

The country music at the MGM concert could not have been more pure or more Strait.. George Strait, at 54, may be the most enduring superstar of a genre that seems to ebb and flow in popularity every 10 years or so.