I was Livin’ It Up
last Saturday night in Tulsa. It was Pure
Country, as the Oklahoma Heartland
was filled with music lovers going One
Step at a Time to fill the BOK Center two nights in a row for an audience
with the King. The King of Country Music,
George Strait was Something
Special as always. Understand, I’m a
big George fan, it is Love Without End,
Amen. My Lovesick Blues started
way back in the early 1980’s, at a tiny bar in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
All My Ex’s Live in Texas now, but he
took me to the Kalidescope Disco to hear some cowboy that was out of the Blue, Clear Sky. Not exactly, but this New Kid in Town only had one recorded song, Unwound. This good looking, clean cut,
Wrangler wearing cowboy from Deep in the
Heart of Texas, kept the crowd of about 100 boot scootin’ and Honky Tonk Crazy. His band probably
said, We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This,
because I’m sure they expected a much bigger gate.
But they must have decided let’s Give
It All We Got Tonight, because we were all
Here For A Good Time. I’m not sure where his next show was, maybe Amarillo By Morning, but there in The Middle of Nowhere, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and I knew It was Love.
My girlfriends and I would hit The Road Less Traveled to Somewhere
Down in Texas, or they’d Take Me Back
to Tulsa for another show and more of that western swing sound. The quiet
cowboy just sang, Easy Come, Easy Go, no
smoke and flash for this Ace In the Hole
band. One memorable concert, I think it was in the Chill of An Early Fall around 1984 or so, a gang of us gals went to
see George Strait. We were waiting on the show to start, and a real tall guy
walked by us, REAL tall. We couldn’t help but comment on him. Later in during
the show, I decided I wanted to go down in front of the stage to take a
picture. I should have just wished for Ocean
Front Property!
The people were packed and my short self was just being Carried Away smashed between belt buckles
and armpits. I weaseled my way closer, but thought, I Can’t
See Texas From Here. I was Heartbroke.
And stuck in the crowd. Then I heard a voice ask if I wanted him to put me on
his shoulders to see, yep, it was The Big
One. Maybe it was the Famous Last
Words of a Fool, but I said, “Heck yeah!” and She Let Herself Go. It was The
Best Day for me, sitting on the King
of the Mountain, head, shoulders, and hiney above the multitude, eye level
with George. I looked back at my gal pals and The Chair where I was supposed to be, they couldn’t believe it. But You Know Me Better Than That, I Cross
My Heart, It’s True.
We thought The Cowboy
Rides Away tour would be the final. So when niece Jena Beth called and
said, George is coming! Check Yes or No!
Of course I said, Write This Down,
and gave her my credit card. And we squealed Oooooh, Baby, the name she gave
George before she could say Aunt Patti. I wore my 35 year old concert T-shirt,
which was older than most of the ticket holders.
He sang, only stopping to
smile, but with 60 No.1 singles, he has a lot to chose from. Too
many tunes to list, that’s why I
included titles in this article. The Troubadour
is undeniable King of Country Music and even after 30 years, he still makes
those Wranglers look good. (Sorry, it’s A
Fire I Can’t Put Out, call The
Fireman!)
