George Strait’s Almost Name Change
Source: John Shearer / Getty
Let’s take a trip back to 2021 when George Strait was honored with the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Lifetime Achievement Award in Oklahoma City. During his acceptance speech, he shared a story that had the audience—and now the internet—laughing out loud.
It turns out, when George first signed with MCA Records in 1981, the label had some interesting ideas about his image. The first one? They wanted him to ditch his now-iconic cowboy hat. Yep, you read that right. The King of Country without his signature cowboy hat? Unthinkable.
George himself couldn’t help but laugh at the memory, saying, “Now can you imagine if I would have done that? I mean, really.”
But that wasn’t even the craziest part. George went on to reveal that an early producer had another “brilliant” idea: he wanted George to change his name to… wait for it…Cain Cooper.
Yes, Cain Cooper. Can you imagine a world where George Strait was known as Cain Cooper? Neither can we—and thankfully, neither could George. He laughed so hard telling the story that you could almost see a tear in his eye.
George’s dad was especially relieved that his son stuck with his real name, and we’re all better off for it. After all, it’s hard to picture The King without his Texas cowboy hat and the name George Strait.
So here’s to George Strait for staying true to himself and giving us some of the best country music the world has ever heard. And if you want to hear the story straight from the source, do yourself a favor and watch the video—it’s guaranteed to be the best thing you’ll see all day.
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