Fondly referred to as “The King of Country Music” or “King George,” George Strait remains one of the top-selling recording artists of all time. He ranked number 12 on the list of top selling recording artists to be exact. With his debut album “Strait Country” in 1981, the single “Unbound” kickstarted Strait’s legendary career.
His roots are in Texas. Strait grew up in Pearsall, TX. His father owned a a cattle ranch where summers and weekends were spent working with his brother and father. As any budding musician of that time would, Strait recounts listening to the Beatles as he was growing more and more interested in music. He even played in a rock and roll garage band in high school.
However, his influences took a turn towards more “twang” and he began enjoying artists like Merle Haggard, George Jones, and other country artists of that era. Live country music performances were common in Texas when Strait was growing up. Those performances played a hand in the music he would eventually play himself.
Strait has many honors under his belt. He has 60 number-one hits which classifies him as the artist with the most number-ones across all genres of music. Another accomplishment of his is recording 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums.
His ability to blend traditional country music with the performance style of pop music made Strait an iconic and unique star for country music over the years. He is, rightfully so, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was awarded Entertainer of the Year honors from both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) multiple times and has more wins in this category than any other country music artist. On top of these accomplishments, Strait received a Grammy award for his twenty-fifth studio album “Troubadour” in 2008.
If you are a native Texan, or at all familiar with Texas music venues, you may be aware that George Strait played many old venues such as The Crystal Chandelier and Gruene Hall back in the 1970s when he was attending college. During that time, he was in a band called The Ace in the Hole Band. They reached regional acclaim, but really had no connections to any major record labels. That was until Strait befriended a bar manager who had connections to MCA Nashville. Nothing came of this at first, but right before Strait was going to quit music, MCA decided to sign them for one single in 1981. The Ace in the Hole Band remained as Strait’s backing band as a solo act from then forward.
A Tribute to George Strait: Derek Spence
If you are looking for a truly authentic tribute band for hire, I may have your solution right here. Derek Spence is the number one tribute to the King of Country Music. Not only does he look the part—he really looks the part, only hardcore George Strait fans could tell that he, is in fact, not George at a first glance—but he captures the voice, vocal mannerisms and low-key country boy aura that Strait himself encompasses.
As a native Texan born in Nacogdoches, Derek has been involved in the performing arts scene for most of his adult life. He graduated from South Plains College with a degree in Performing Arts Production. As many aspiring country musicians do, Derek made his way to Nashville in order to find himself a record deal. As one may have noticed by now, Spence has an uncanny resemblance to George Strait, and that was the reason behind two record labels rejecting him.
Despite what would appear to be a setback, Spence continued to pursue music and wound up playing everywhere from college sporting events to the Grand Ole Opry. While at the Opry, he had the pleasure of sharing a stage with large acts such as Shania Twain, Diamond Rio, Trisha Yearwood, and Kenny Rogers. Even after having the honor of playing with such prominent country artists, Spence continues to play a variety of events and venues ranging from rodeos, bars, festivals, and even private parties as well.
Part of what makes Derek’s performing so authentic is his versatility as an entertainer. As a man of many hats. He has played the part of lead guitar, band leader, vocal coach, vocalist, producer, and even a director. His love of music has lasted for over 25 years and you can see it in his performances.
Derek puts on more than just a tribute show. He is able to truly master and perform the music that any country-lover would enjoy; he has been playing and performing for most of his life and it shows. It is one thing to cover a George Strait song, but it is entirely another to perform it so well that the audience forgets they are at a tribute show. There are only a handful of tribute bands that accomplish that, and Spence falls into that category.
Even if you are not from the south, you are sure to love this country western band. They will bring back the George Strait hits from the eighties, nineties, and even his recent hits too. Derek and his backup band, Southern County Line, would be perfect for a work party as a corporate band, or even as a wedding band too.
The music of George Strait is timeless and classic; Derek and his Tribute to George Strait capture that into one amazing live performance that any audience is sure to love. Derek himself has said he sees people ranging from 21 to 75 in his audience, so the entire family is sure to love this performance. If you are not keen on George Strait, worry not! Spence has spent many years perfecting his impersonations of other country western artists such as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings too.
George Strait and his backing band, Ace in the Hole, are among many popular country bands in the music scene. Since Strait himself has stopped touring, why not go out and see the next best thing? Derek Spence is part of one of the most entertaining live music bands for hire in Texas.
In fact, anyone outside of Texas who enjoys country music would enjoy Derek and his band as well! Country music is not just for us Southern folk—those of you above the Mason Dixon Line looking for a country cover band for hire would do well to hire Derek Spence. He has played the Grand Ole Opry—the Holy Grail of country music venues—so his live performances are a real treat for everyone.
At TSE, we are proud to work with such talented and accredited tribute bands. Finding wedding entertainment, strong tribute acts, or any other live event entertainment can be difficult and strenuous. Let us book Derek Spence’s Tribute to George Strait and make your event planning much easier. Hiring this country tribute band will be a big hit among your guests, so do not hesitate to contact TSE with inquiries about Derek Spence.
To connect with us, please give us a call at 800-765-8203 or email us at tsebooking@tseentertainment.com. We would love to help you find the perfect live entertainment for your next event!
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