Vincent's Chair by Vincent van Gogh

Five three-legged chairs around a low-legged table from Sliven 19th Century Lifestyle Museum

A chair is a raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back^[1][2]; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape.^[3]

A chair without a back or arm rests is a stool,^[4] or when raised up, a bar stool.^[5] A chair with arms is an armchair^[6] and with folding action and inclining footrest, a recliner. ^[7] A permanently fixed chair in a train or theater is a seat^[8] or airline seat;^[9] when riding, it is a saddle^[10] and bicycle saddle,^[11] and for an automobile, a car seat^[12] or infant car seat.^[13] With wheels it is a wheelchair^[14] and when hung from above, a swing.^[15]

A chair for more than one person is a couch, sofa, settee, or "loveseat";^[16] or a bench.^[17] A separate footrest for a chair is known as an ottoman,^[18] hassock^[19] or pouffe.^[20]

History of the chair[link]

The chair is of extreme antiquity and simplicity, although for many centuries it was an article of state and dignity rather than an article of ordinary use. "The chair" is still extensively used as the emblem of authority in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom^[21] and Canada,^[22] and in many other settings.

Committees, boards of directors, and academic departments all have a 'chairman'.^[23] Endowed professorships are referred to as chairs.^[24]

In fact, it was not until the 16th century that it became common anywhere. Until then the chest, the bench and the stool were the ordinary seats of everyday life, and the number of chairs which have survived from an earlier date is exceedingly limited; most examples are of ecclesiastical or seigneurial origin.^[25] Our knowledge of the chairs of remote antiquity is derived almost entirely from monuments, sculpture and paintings.^[26]

Chairs were in existence since at least the Early Dynasty Period. They were covered with cloth or leather, were made of carved wood and were much lower than today’s chairs, chair seats were sometimes only 25 cm high..^[27] In ancient Egypt chairs appear to have been of great richness and splendor. Fashioned of ebony and ivory, or of carved and gilded wood, they were covered with costly materials, magnificent patterns and supported upon representations of the legs of beasts or the figures of captives.^[28] Generally speaking, the higher ranked an individual was, the taller and more sumptuous was the chair he sat on and the greater the honor. On state occasions the pharaoh sat on a throne, often with a little footstool in front of it.^[29]

The average Egyptian family seldom had chairs, and if they did, it was usually only the master of the household who sat on a chair. Among the better off, the chairs might be painted to look like the ornate inlaid and carved chairs of the rich, but the craftsmanship was usually poor.^[30]

During the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 AD), a higher seat first started to appear amongst the Chinese elite and their usage soon spread to all levels of society. By the 12th century seating on the floor was rare in China, unlike in other Asian countries where the custom continued, and the chair, or more commonly the stool, was used in the vast majority of houses throughout the country.^[31]

In Europe, it was owing in great measure to the Renaissance that the chair ceased to be a privilege of state, and became a standard item of furniture for anyone who could afford to buy it. Once the idea of privilege faded the chair speedily came into general use. We find almost at once that the chair began to change every few years to reflect the fashions of the day.^[32]

In the 1880s, chairs became more common in American households and usually there was a chair provided for every family member to sit down to dinner. By the 1830s, factory-manufactured “fancy chairs” like those by Sears. Roebuck, and o. allowed families to purchase machined sets. With the Industrial Revolution, chairs became much more available.^[33]

The 20th century saw an increasing use of technology in chair construction with such things as all-metal folding chairs, metal-legged chairs, the Slumber Chair,^[34] moulded plastic chairs^[35] and ergonomic chairs.^[36] The recliner became a popular form, at least in part due to radio and television.

The modern movement of the 1960s produced new forms of chairs: the butterfly chair (originally called the Hardoy chair),^[37] bean bags,^[38] and the egg-shaped pod chair.^[39] Technological advances led to molded plywood and wood laminate chairs, as well as chairs made of leather or polymers. Mechanical technology incorporated into the chair enabled adjustable chairs, especially for office use. Motors embedded in the chair resulted in massage chairs.^[40][41]

Materials[link]

The design may be made of porous materials, or be drilled with holes for decoration; a low back or gaps can provide ventilation. The back may extend above the height of the occupant's head, which can optionally contain a headrest. Chairs can also be made from more creative materials, such as recycled materials like cutlery and wooden play bricks, pencils, plumbing tubes, rope and pvc pipe.^[42]

Raimonds Cirulis, a Lativan interior designer, created a Volcanic Hanging Chair that is a 100% handmade piece of furniture and is made out of volcanic rock.^[43] Peter Brenner, a Dutch-born German designer, has created a chair made from lollipop sugar, made from 60 pounds of confectioners' sugar.^[44]

Design and ergonomics[link]

S Chair, Designed by Verner Panton

Chair design considers intended usage, ergonomics (how comfortable it is for the occupant),^[45] as well as non-ergonomic functional requirements such as size, stackability, foldability, weight, durability, stain resistance and artistic design. Intended usage determines the desired seating position. "Task chairs",^[46][47] or any chair intended for people to work at a desk or table, including dining chairs, can only recline very slightly; otherwise the occupant is too far away from the desk or table. Dental chairs are necessarily reclined. Easy chairs for watching television or movies are somewhere in between depending on the height of the screen.

Ergonomic design distributes the weight of the occupant to various parts of the body. A seat that is higher results in dangling feet and increased pressure on the underside of the knees ("popliteal fold"). It may also result in no weight on the feet which means more weight elsewhere. A lower seat may shift too much weight to the "seat bones" ("ischial tuberosities").

A reclining seat and back will shift weight to the occupant's back. This may be more comfortable for some in reducing weight on the seat area, but may be problematic for others who have bad backs. In general, if the occupant is supposed to sit for a long time, weight needs to be taken off the seat area and thus "easy" chairs intended for long periods of sitting are generally at least slightly reclined. However, reclining may not be suitable for chairs intended for work or eating at table.

The back of the chair will support some of the weight of the occupant, reducing the weight on other parts of the body. In general, backrests come in three heights: Lower back backrests support only the lumbar region. Shoulder height backrests support the entire back and shoulders. Headrests support the head as well and are important in vehicles for preventing "whiplash" neck injuries in rear-end collisions where the head is jerked back suddenly. Reclining chairs typically have at least shoulder height backrests to shift weight to the shoulders instead of just the lower back.

The Difference between Leg Room & Seat Pitch

Some chairs have foot rests. A stool or other simple chair may have a simple straight or curved bar near the bottom for the sitter to place his or her feet on.

Some chairs have two curved bands of wood (also known as rockers) attached to the bottom of the legs. They are called rocking chairs.

The type of chair popular in western Hubei, China: with a fairly low seat and the back inclined at about 45 degrees from the vertical

A kneeling chair adds an additional body part, the knees, to support the weight of the body. A sit-stand chair distributes most of the weight of the occupant to the feet. Many chairs are padded or have cushions. Padding can be on the seat of the chair only, on the seat and back, or also on any arm rests and/or foot rest the chair may have. Padding will not shift the weight to different parts of the body (unless the chair is so soft that the shape is altered). However, padding does distribute the weight by increasing the area of contact between the chair and the body. A hard wood chair feels hard because the contact point between the occupant and the chair is small. The same body weight over a smaller area means greater pressure on that area. Spreading the area reduces the pressure at any given point. In lieu of padding, flexible materials, such as wicker, may be used instead with similar effects of distributing the weight. Since most of the body weight is supported in the back of the seat, padding there should be firmer than the front of the seat which only has the weight of the legs to support. Chairs that have padding that is the same density front and back will feel soft in the back area and hard to the underside of the knees.

There may be cases where padding is not desirable. For example, in chairs that are intended primarily for outdoor use. Where padding is not desirable, contouring may be used instead. A contoured seat pan attempts to distribute weight without padding. By matching the shape of the occupant's buttocks, weight is distributed and maximum pressure is reduced.

Churchchairs

Actual chair dimensions are determined by measurements of the human body or anthropometric measurements. The two most relevant anthropometric measurement for chair design is the popliteal height and buttock popliteal length.

For someone seated, the popliteal height is the distance from the underside of the foot to the underside of the thigh at the knees. It is sometimes called the "stool height." The term "sitting height" is reserved for the height to the top of the head when seated. For American men, the median popliteal height is 16.3 inches (410 mm) and for American women it is 15.0 inches (380 mm) [1]. The popliteal height, after adjusting for heels, clothing and other issues is used to determine the height of the chair seat. Mass produced chairs are typically 17 inches (430 mm) high.

For someone seated, the buttock popliteal length is the horizontal distance from the back most part of the buttocks to the back of the lower leg. This anthropometric measurement is used to determine the seat depth. Mass produced chairs are typically 15-17 inches deep.

Additional anthropometric measurements may be relevant to designing a chair. Hip breadth is used for chair width and armrest width. Elbow rest height is used to determine the height of the armrests. The buttock-knee length is used to determine "leg room" between rows of chairs. "Seat pitch" is the distance between rows of seats. In some airplanes and stadiums the leg room (the seat pitch less the thickness of the seat at thigh level) is so small that it is sometimes insufficient for the average person.

For adjustable chairs, such as an office chair, the aforementioned principles are applied in adjusting the chair to the individual occupant.

Caster wheels are attached to the feet of chairs to give more mobility

Gas springs are attached to the body of the chair in order to give height adjustment and more comfort to the user

Armrests[link]

Eames Lounge Chair and ottoman

Art deco club chair.

A chair may or may not have armrests; chairs with armrests are termed armchairs. In French, a distinction is made between fauteuil and chaise, the terms for chairs with and without armrests, respectively. If present, armrests will support part of the body weight through the arms if the arms are resting on the armrests. Armrests further have the function of making entry and exit from the chair easier (but from the side it becomes more difficult). Armrests should support the forearm and not the sensitive elbow area. Hence in some chair designs, the armrest is not continuous to the chair back, but is missing in the elbow area.

A couch, bench, or other arrangement of seats next to each other may have armrest at the sides and/or arm rests in between. The latter may be provided for comfort, but also for privacy e.g. in public transport and other public places, and to prevent lying on the bench. Arm rests reduce both desired and undesired proximity. A loveseat in particular, has no armrest in between.

See also seats in movie theaters, and pictures of benches with and without arm rests.

Chair seats[link]

Polypropylene (molded plastic) seats and stainless steel legs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This type of material is very useful in sea regions

Chair seats vary widely in construction and may or may not match construction of the chair's back (backrest).

Some systems include:

• center seats where a solid material forms the chair seat.
  • Solid wood, may or may not be shaped to human contours.
  • Wood slats, often seen on outdoor chairs
  • Padded leather, generally a flat wood base covered in padding and contained in soft leather
  • Stuffed fabric, similar to padded leather
  • Metal seats of solid or open design
  • Molded plastic
  • Stone, often marble
• Open center seats where a soft material is attached to the tops of chair legs or between stretchers to form the seat.
  • Wicker, woven to provide a surface with give to it
  • Leather, may be tooled with a design
  • Fabric, simple covering without support
  • Tape, wide fabric tape woven into seat, seen in lawn chairs and some old chairs
  • Caning, woven from rush, reed, rawhide, heavy paper, strong grasses, cattails to form the seat, often in elaborate patterns
  • Splint, ash, oak or hickory strips are woven
  • Metal, Metal mesh or wire woven to form seat

Standards and specifications[link]

Highly decorated carved-back chairs in Mexico

Design considerations for chairs have been codified into standards. ISO 9241, "Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements" is the most common one for modern chair design.

There are multiple specific standards for different types of chairs. Dental chairs are specified by ISO 6875. Bean bag chairs are specified by ANSI standard ASTM F1912-98 [2]. ISO 7174 specifies stability of rocking and tilting chairs. ASTM F1858-98 specifies plastic lawn chairs. ASTM E1822-02b defines the combustibility of chairs when they are stacked.

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (BIFMA)[3] defines BIFMA X5.1 for testing of commercial-grade chairs. It specifies things like [4]:

• chair back strength of 150 pounds (68 kg)
• chair stability if weight is transferred completely to the front or back legs
• leg strength of 75 pounds (34 kg) applied one inch (25 mm) from the bottom of the leg
• seat strength of 225 pounds (102 kg) dropped from six inches (150 mm) above the seat
• seat cycle strength of 100,000 repetitions of 125 pounds (57 kg) dropped from 2 inches (50 mm) above the seat

The specification further defines heavier "proof" loads that chairs must withstand. Under these higher loads, the chair may be damaged, but it must not fail catastrophically.

Large institutions that make bulk purchases will reference these standards within their own even more detailed criteria for purchase. [5] Governments will often issue standards for purchases by government agencies (e.g. Canada's Canadian General Standards Board CAN/CGSB 44.15M [6] on "Straight Stacking Chair, Steel" or CAN/CGSB 44.232-2002 on "Task Chairs for Office Work with Visual Display Terminal").

Chairs may be rated by the length of time that they may be used comfortably — an 8-hour chair, a 24-hour chair, and so on. Such chairs are specified for tasks which require extended periods of sitting, such as for receptionists or supervisors of a control panel.

Accessories[link]

AISI 304 stainless steel laboratory chair with gas springs and caster wheels. A specific type of chair for professional use

In place of a built-in footrest, some chairs come with a matching ottoman. An ottoman is a short stool intended to be used as a footrest but can sometimes be used as a stool. If matched to a glider, the ottoman may be mounted on swing arms so that the ottoman rocks back and forth with the main glider.

A chair cover is a temporary fabric cover for a side chair. They are typically rented for formal events such as wedding receptions to increase the attractiveness of the chairs and decor. The chair covers may come with decorative chair ties, a ribbon to be tied as a bow behind the chair. Covers for sofas and couches are also available for homes with small children and pets. In the second half of 20th century, some people used custom clear plastic covers for expensive sofas and chairs to protect them.

Chair pads are cushions for chairs. They contain cotton or foam for padding. Some are decorative. In cars, they may be used to increase the height of the driver. Orthopedic backrests provide support for the back. Some manufacturers have patents on their designs and are recognized by medical associations as beneficial [7][8][9]. Car seats sometimes have built-in and adjustable lumbar supports. These can also be used on kitchen chairs.

Chair mats are mats meant to cover carpet or hardwood flooring. They are usually made from plastic. This allows chairs on wheels to roll easily over the carpet and/or protects the carpet or floor. They come in various shapes, some specifically sized to fit partially under a desk.

Remote control bags can be draped over the arm of easy chairs or sofas and used to hold remote controls. They are counter-weighted so as to not slide off the arms under the weight of the remote control.

Chair glides are attached to the feet of chairs to prevent them from scratching or snagging on the floor.

The Twelve Chairs monument in Odessa - Deribassovskaya street (Ukraine).

Chairs as sculptural and art forms[link]

In 2001, Steve Mann exhibited a chair sculpture at San Francisco Art Institute. The chair had spikes that retracted when a credit card was inserted to download a seating license.

Chair sculpture by Steve Mann, exhibited at San Francisco Art Institute, 2001, comprises spikes that retract when a credit card is inserted to download a seating license.

Later other museums and galleries were equipped with the Pay to Sit chair, with a global central seating license server located in Toronto. Patrons anywhere in the world could each receive one free seat license. The first seating session was free, with a database of persons who'd already used their free session.

In language[link]

• A film or a story is said to keep you on the edge of your seat, if it is suspenseful or engaging.
• If you nearly fell off your chair, it was because you were very surprised.
• An orchestra awards a musician a chair or seat based on ability. The best player in a particular section will receive "first chair," or the "principal seat." It is also common for this position to be known as 'first stand,' a reference to the portable lectern on which the musicians put their sheet music. However, the person who is first chair in the first violin section is usually referred to as the concertmaster in the USA or leader in the UK.
• Musical chairs is a common party game, and a colloquial expression to describe people shuffling from seat to seat, or around different locations.
• In American slang, to say someone has gotten "the chair" is to say that they have been executed by an electric chair.
• To be on its last leg is an expression that stems from the practice of sawing the ends of chair legs off in previous centuries. It means that it is decrepit and nearing the end of its serviceability.

See also[link]

Look up chair in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chairs

See List of chairs for an extended list of chair types, such as the bean bag chair, lift chair, papasan chair, sofa, swivel chair and throne.

• Couch
• Cushion
• History of the chair
• Riding-like sitting
• Sitting
• Seating
• Splat, the central vertical element of a wooden chair back

References[link]

• "Guide to Great Chair Design." Guide to Great Chair Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://greatchairdesign.com/>
• "folding chairs through the ages." designboom. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/foldingchair.html>.
• "chair history — Chair Blog." Chair Blog — Chairs, Chair Designers and Chair Manufacturers. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://www.chairblog.eu/category/chair-history/>.

Further reading[link]

de Dampierre, F. (2006). Chairs: A History. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-5484-2

Fiell, C. (2005). 1000 Chairs. (25th ed.). Taschen. ISBN 3-8228-4103-X

Miller, J. (2009). Chairs. Conran. ISBN 1-84091-523-4

George Strait
Background information
Birth name	George Harvey Strait
Born	(1952-05-18) May 18, 1952 (age 60)
Origin	Poteet, Texas
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer, record producer, Actor
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Years active	1975–present
Labels	MCA (MCA Nashville)
Associated acts	Ace in the Hole Dean Dillon
Website	www.georgestrait.com

George Harvey Strait (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend.^[1] He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional Country music. George Strait holds the world record for more number-one hit singles than any other artist in the history of music on any chart or in any genre, having recorded 59 number-one hit singles as of 2012.

Strait rocketed to success after his first single "Unwound" was a hit in 1981. While contributing to the neo-traditional movement of the 1980s, he amassed seven number one albums in the decade with his most popular hits including "Fool Hearted Memory" and "Ocean Front Property". By the 1990s, Strait had influenced a new breed of performers while continuing his own successes, having charted upwards of 20 number-one hits including "Heartland" and "Blue Clear Sky". In the 2000s, Strait was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and won his first Grammy award for his hit album Troubadour. Strait continued his previous successes throughout the decade, producing a more contemporary sound with moderate cross-over hits including "She'll Leave You with a Smile" and "You'll Be There".

Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989 and 1990, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist. As of 2011, he holds the record for the most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts with 44 number one singles. Counting all other music charts, Strait has amassed a total of 59 number-one hits overall, breaking a record previously set by Conway Twitty.

Strait has sold more than 68.5 million albums in the United States and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums. His best-selling album is Pure Country (1992), which sold 6 million (6× Multi-platinum). His highest certified album is Strait Out of the Box (1995), which sold 2 million copies (8× Multi-Platinum due to being a box set with four CDs). According to the RIAA, Strait is the 12th best-selling album recording artist in the United States overall.

Early life[link]

George Harvey Strait was born May 18, 1952, in Pearsall, Texas, just south of San Antonio, to John Byron Strait and Doris Couser Strait. He grew up in Pearsall where his father was a junior high school mathematics teacher, who owned a two-thousand acre (8 km²) cattle ranch outside of Big Wells, Texas. The family worked at the ranch on the weekends and in the summers. When George was in the fourth grade, his father and mother were divorced, and his mother moved away with his sister, Pency. George and his brother John Jr. were raised by their father.^[2]

Strait began his musical interest while attending Pearsall High School, playing in a rock and roll garage band. His musical preference soon turned to country with singers Hank Thompson, Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Bob Wills, Hank Williams and Frank Sinatra influencing his style. Strait didn't tune to the country music radio often as a youth, usually listening to the news and the farmer's report. His introduction to country music came mostly by way of live performances, which, according to Strait, could be heard in every town in Texas.^[3] He eloped with his high school sweetheart, Norma. The couple initially married in Mexico on December 4, 1971, but repeated their vows in a church in Pearsall, Texas, a few weeks later.^{[citation needed]} In 1971, Strait enlisted in the US Army. While stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii as a part of the 25th Infantry division (light), he began performing with an Army-sponsored band, "Rambling Country", which played off-base under the name "Santee".^[2] On October 6, 1972, while still in Hawaii, George and Norma welcomed their first child, Jenifer.^[4] After Strait was honorably discharged from the army in 1975, he enrolled at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and received a degree in Agriculture. During his college years, he joined the country band Stoney Ridge, answering a flyer the band posted around campus looking for a new vocalist. Strait renamed the group the Ace in the Hole and quickly became the lead, they began to perform at different honky tonks and bars around south and central Texas, traveling as far east as Huntsville and Houston.^[5] They gained a regional following and opened for national acts such as The Texas Playboys. Soon, his band was given the opportunity to record several Strait-penned singles including "That Don't Change The Way I Feel About You",^[6] for the Houston-based D label. However, the songs never achieved wide recognition, and Strait continued to manage his family cattle ranch during the day in order to make some extra cash.^[5][7]

While he continued to play with his band without any real connections to the music industry, Strait became friends with Erv Woolsey, who operated one of the bars in which the Ace in the Hole band played, and who had previously worked for the major label MCA Records. Woolsey convinced some of his Music Row connections to come to Texas and to listen to Strait and his band play. Impressed with the performance, MCA quickly signed Strait to a recording contract in February 1981.^[8] The Ace in the Hole remained with Strait, performing as the backup and touring band for the now solo act.^[7]

Music career[link]

1980s[link]

In the spring of 1981, Strait released his first single for MCA Records, entitled "Unwound", which climbed into the top ten of the Hot Country Songs chart that year, and was included on his debut album Strait Country. The record featured two more singles including "Down and Out," a #16 hit for Strait, and "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)", which reached number three early in 1982, sparking a string of Top Ten hits that ran well into the '90s.^[9] Strait Country was hailed by critics as a traditionalist breakthrough that broke the trend of pop-influenced country prevalent at the time.^[10] The year 1982 also saw the release of Strait's second album, the critically acclaimed Strait from the Heart, which featured the first number one of his career, "Fool Hearted Memory" and the top five "Amarillo by Morning", regarded by many as one of the greatest country songs of all-time.^[11][12] In 1983, Strait made his first appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo when the headlining star, Eddie Rabbitt came down sick with the flu. Strait has since become a mainstay throughout his career, making more than twenty appearances at the Rodeo, and playing to a total of more than one million fans. Strait recorded 17 subsequent #1's in the decade, including a string of five that lasted from 1983-84 ^[13] from his next two albums Right or Wrong, his first number one album and the CMA award winning Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. The next year, he won the CMA award for top male vocalist, and released his first Greatest Hits compilation, which featured songs from his first three albums. Also in 1985, Strait released Something Special, the third straight number-one album of his career, featuring the number-one single "The Chair".^[14] In 1986, Strait repeated as the CMA vocalist of the year and released his fourth #1 album #7. Strait and his family were struck with tragedy when his 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in an one-car non-alcohol related accident. She was riding in a Ford Mustang driven by Gregory Wilson Allen, 18, of Staples, Texas. He was subsequently charged with a Class A misdemeanor for vehicular homicide. Mike Cox, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin said "The responding trooper determined the cause of accident to be excessive speed and that the car did not negotiate the turn properly. Jenifer was riding in the front passengers seat and none of the four occupants were wearing seat belts at the time.^[15] When the vehicle flipped over onto its passengers side, Jenifer was partially ejected causing her to be dead upon impact. The incident did not hinder Strait's performance, as he went on to release 11 straight #1 hits, starting with "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" in 1986 and ending with "Ace in the Hole" in 1989.^[13] The singles spanned four albums, including #7, Ocean Front Property in 1987, If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin' in 1988 and 1989's Beyond the Blue Neon, all of which reached the number one spot on country album charts. Ocean Front Property was the first Country Album to ever debut at #1 on the charts by any artist. The streak included such songs as "Ocean Front Property", "All My Ex's Live in Texas", "Famous Last Words of a Fool" and "Baby Blue", which is rumored to have been dedicated to his daughter.^[16] Strait finished the decade by winning the CMA entertainer of the year award in 1989. A year later, he won the award again.^[9]

1990s[link]

Strait began the decade with the release of his tenth studio album, Livin' It Up, which featured two #1 hits including "Love Without End, Amen", his first multi-week hit, and "I've Come to Expect It From You". Both songs remained #1 for five weeks in 1990. Chill of an Early Fall shortly followed in 1991, and received positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly noted that the album marked a shift for Strait from "repeating himself" in his previous works to producing different material.^[17] It produced the #1's "If I Know Me" and "You Know Me Better Than That", but ended his streak of 31 straight top ten hits with the cover of "Lovesick Blues", which peaked at #24.^[13] The record blocked his run of eight top charting albums with its peak of #4. In the spring of 1992, Holding My Own was released. It did not produce any #1s but did include two top five songs including "So Much Like My Dad". Later in 1992, Strait played the main character in the movie Pure Country, and released the film's soundtrack. It was his most successful studio album, producing such hits as "Heartland," "I Cross My Heart" and "When Did You Stop Loving Me," and peaked at #1 and #6 respectively on the country and Billboard 200 album charts. The success continued with his next album, Easy Come, Easy Go in 1993, which reached the top five on the Billboard 200 and featured the hits "I'd Like to Have That One Back", "The Man in Love with You", and the #1 title track. His next four albums—including Lead On in 1994, Blue Clear Sky in 1996, Carrying Your Love with Me in 1997 and 1998's One Step at a Time--all charted at #1, with Blue Clear Sky claiming the spot on its debut week, and Carrying Your Love with Me peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time in Strait's career. This series of albums produced eight number one singles for Strait, including "You Can't Make a Heart Love Somebody" "Carried Away", "One Night at a Time", and "I Just Want to Dance with You".^[9] During this period, Strait also released a four-disc box set career retrospective, Strait Out of the Box in 1995, which became the second best selling box set ever with shipments of 8 million in the United States. He also was named as the CMA's Top Male Vocalist in 1997 and 1998.^[7] Starting in '97, and continuing until the first year of the 21st century, Strait headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival, which included artists such has Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and others. In an effort to introduce these acts to as many fans as possible, the festival promised not to visit any market more than twice. It played only a small number of dates, usually no more than twenty a year, but still managed to be the ninth biggest-grossing tour of 1998. In 2009 the George Strait Country Music Festival was voted the most important tour in the history of country music and the best selling country music tour in the 90s .^[18]

Strait completed the decade with the album Always Never the Same in 1999, which peaked at #2 on country charts and matched the cross-over success of Pure Country by reaching #6 on the Billboard 200. The record produced the hits "What Do You Say to That", "Meanwhile" and the #1 "Write This Down". Reviews of the album's material were generally moderate, but Entertainment Weekly observed that at this point in his career, Strait could record the "most lightweight" material and "make it soar" on the radio with his "grace".^[19] All in all, Strait scored 17 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country airplay charts in the decade, and carried his successes into the next century.^[20]

2000 – present: Career today[link]

Strait released a self-named album in 2000, which despite a #1 and #7 showing on the country and Billboard 200 album charts, produced no #1 singles, and was the first studio album of his career to not be certified as platinum. The singles "Go On" and "If You Can Do Anything Else" were released from the record, with both peaking in the top five. In May 2001, The Road Less Traveled was released. Reviews for the album were mostly positive, Rolling Stone described it as sticking to the formula "but adds a few twists that make it superior to his last few releases." ^[21] It featured "vocal processing," and was considered by some critics as an experimental album.^[7] Three singles were released from it, two of which reached #1, including "She'll Leave You with a Smile", his 50th on combined charts and "Living and Living Well", both of which reached the top 30 of Billboard Hot 100, with the former peaking at #23, Strait's highest rank on the chart. The single "Run" peaked at #2 and reached #34 on the Billboard 100. Strait released two records in 2003. For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome was a recording of the last Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to take place in the Astrodome. The performance itself, set the record for paid attendance at the venue, with 68,266 people, breaking Latin superstar Selena's previous record of approximately 67,000 in 1995.

George Strait performing at the MCI Center in 2003

His next album, Honkytonkville was described as "a fiery set of hard country", and was praised "for its mixture of the old Strait with his modern, superstar self." ^[7] It didn't produce any #1's for Strait but included the hits "Cowboys Like Us" and a cover of Bruce Robison's "Desperately". His 2004 performance at Reliant Stadium set a new Rodeo attendance record, with 68,679 spectators. That year he issued a Greatest Hits package billed as 50 Number Ones, chronicalling the #1 hits of his career from all charts, starting with "Fool Hearted Memory" and ending with "She'll Leave You With a Smile." The next year, Somewhere Down in Texas arrived, which produced the hit "You'll Be There," marking Strait's first appearance on the Adult Contemporary chart. The next year, he embarked on a tour that included only 18 performances but grossed over $15 million. He attributed this success to the fact that he and his band are "musically very tight," have a large pool of songs to draw from, and perform those songs very similarly to how they sound on their albums.^[22]

On October 3, 2006, Strait marked his 30th year in the music industry with the release of a new album titled It Just Comes Natural. It featured fifteen new songs. Strait's long-time friend and songwriter, Dean Dillon co-wrote two of the songs on the album. It received generally positive reviews from critics. People, in their four-star review, remarked that "If ever there was a natural in country music, it's Strait," while USA Today raved that "he continues to make such consistent quality look easy."^[23] The first single off the album, "Give It Away" reached #1 and the title track, "It Just Comes Natural" became his 42nd Billboard #1. In 2007, "Wrapped" reached No. 1 on the Mediabase 24/7 country music charts, giving Strait his 55th overall number-one single. From January through April of that year, Strait headlined a twenty-three date arena tour with country music legend Ronnie Milsap and newcomer Taylor Swift. He released a new album titled Troubadour on April 1, 2008. The CD contained 12 tracks, including a duet with Patty Loveless and another with long-time songwriter Dean Dillon. The lead single off the album, "I Saw God Today", debuted at #19 on the Radio and Records and Billboard charts. It is the highest debut ever for a single from Strait and the fourth highest debut for a song in country music history. Troubadour debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts, selling over 160,000 copies in its first week of release. "River of Love" the 3rd single from the album became his 57th number-one song in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2009, George Strait was honored by the Academy of Country Music with the Artist of the Decade Award. The artist of the decade award was presented to George Strait by the previous ACM Artist of the Decade Garth Brooks. In June of that year he headlined the first event at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Strait's single, "Living for the Night" was released on May 28, 2009, and was written by Strait, his son Bubba, and Dean Dillon. The song was the lead single off of his album Twang, released on August 11, 2009. Twang has been certified gold status, for selling over 500,000 copies. In 2010, Billboard ranked Strait #1 in the top 25 country artists of the past 25 years.^[24] Never one to rest, Strait's newest album, Here for a Good Time, was released on September 6, 2011. So far "Here For A Good Time" has yielded two #1 singles (the title track and "Love's Gonna Make It Alright") bringing Strait's #1 singles total to 59, the most by any artist in any musical genre.

Personal life[link]

Strait at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in 2005

In 1981, Strait and Norma welcomed son George Strait, Jr., known as "Bubba." Their daughter Jenifer was killed in an automobile accident in San Marcos, Texas, on June 25, 1986, at the age of 13. The family set up a foundation, The Jenifer Lynn Strait Foundation, which donates money to children's charities in the San Antonio, Texas area.^[25] Bubba, who is a graduate of Texas A&M University, is pursuing a career as a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) team roping competitor.^[26] Strait was able to watch his son compete at the Houston Rodeo in 2006 shortly before taking the stage for his own performance.

Strait enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing, playing golf, and riding motorcycles. Along with his son, he is a member of the PRCA and partners in team roping competitions. George and his elder brother Buddy, who died in April 2009, hosted the annual George Strait Team Roping Classic, in which they competed against some of the best team ropers in the world. Strait has also said that he very seldom picks up a guitar when not in the studio or touring. He and his wife live in far north-west San Antonio in the wealthy gated community, The Dominion, as well as on a ranch near Cotulla, Texas, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio. He is also a big fan of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and can be seen court-side at many of the Spurs' home basketball games.

Strait also is known for driving Chevrolets, as he is the spokesman for a local Texas Chevrolet dealership, and often refers to Chevys in his songs.

Since 2010, Strait has served as spokesman for the Wrangler National Patriot program, a campaign designed to raise awareness and funds for America's wounded and fallen military veterans and their families.^[27][28] Strait states, "I've been a part of the Wrangler family for a long time... when they came to me with the idea for supporting fallen and wounded American veterans and their families, I knew I wanted to get involved."^[28]

On February 2, 2012, Strait became a grandfather, as his son George Strait Jr. and his wife Tamara had their first child, a son. According to reports, the infant was named George H. Strait III as a tribute to his famous grandfather.^[29]

Discography[link]

In more than 30 years of recording, all of which have been spent with MCA Records, George Strait has garnered 59 No. 1 songs on all country charts (including Mediabase 24/7, the former Radio & Records charts, and the now-defunct Gavin Report charts), and has more #1 hits than any other artist in any genre. His 44 Billboard magazine country No. 1's (to date) are a record, at the moment four more than previous record-holder Conway Twitty, who racked up 40, including several duets with Loretta Lynn.^[22] Additionally, Strait is also the first artist in the history of Billboard magazine to have at least one single enter the Top 10 of any given Billboard chart for 30 consecutive years, starting in 1981 when his debut single "Unwound" peaked at #6 on the Hot Country Singles chart. All of his Top 10 singles have been on that chart.^[30] Strait has sold more than 68.5 million albums in the United States^[31] and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums.^[32]

• Strait Country (1981)
• Strait from the Heart (1982)
• Right or Wrong (1983)
• Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (1984)
• Something Special (1985)
• #7 (1986)
• Ocean Front Property (1987)
• If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin' (1988)
• Beyond the Blue Neon (1989)
• Livin' It Up (1990)
• Chill of an Early Fall (1991)
• Holding My Own (1992)
• Easy Come, Easy Go (1993)
• Lead On (1994)
• Blue Clear Sky (1996)
• Carrying Your Love with Me (1997)
• One Step at a Time (1998)
• Always Never the Same (1999)
• George Strait (2000)
• The Road Less Traveled (2001)
• Honkytonkville (2003)
• Somewhere Down in Texas (2005)
• It Just Comes Natural (2006)
• Troubadour (2008)
• Twang (2009)
• Here for a Good Time (2011)

Filmography[link]

Strait has acted in several films. He had a bit part in The Soldier (1982) and starred in Pure Country (1992). He also appeared as himself in Grand Champion (2002).

The film Pure Country featured George Strait in the lead role as Dusty Chandler, a famous country singer who strays too far from his country roots and traditional sound. It provided the opportunity for Strait to branch out from his own traditional country sound for a more rock-and-roll approach. The film saw little success at the box office, taking in only $15 million, but the soundtrack, also called Pure Country, produced several hit singles for Strait, and has become his best-selling album to date. Strait had a limited role in the sequel to Pure Country, Pure Country 2: The Gift.^[33]

Awards[link]

George Strait Country Music Hall of Fame plaque

Strait holds the record for most number one albums, gold albums, and platinum albums in the history of country music and is 11th in the most number one albums in all other genres. Strait is third only to Elvis Presley and The Beatles with the most gold and platinum albums in the history of music and currently is two away from passing them. He is also the seventh best selling artist in American music history,^{[citation needed]} and has recorded the most number one songs and top five songs in the history of music of any kind . Strait is the only artist in the history of music to have a top ten hit every year for thirty years. He also is second all-time in top ten hits in the history of music currently 8 away from breaking the all time record held by Eddy Arnold who had 92 in his historic career. Strait has also won 22 CMA Awards, including consecutive Entertainer of the Year honors in 1989 and 1990, and holds the career record for CMA nominations and as of 2008 holds the record for the most CMA awards. Strait also holds those same records for wins and nominations for the ACM Awards. Strait was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, performing his then-latest No. 1 hit "Give it Away" right before accepting his replica Hall of Fame plaque at the 40th CMA Awards. He was only the second artist (after Eddy Arnold in 1966) to be inducted into the Hall of Fame while still actively recording and producing chart-topping hits and albums.

As of June 8, 2010, George Strait was named the top country music artist of the past 25 years according to Billboard magazine. In October 2008, the Academy of Country Music Awards announced that they named Strait their Artist of the Decade for the 2000s. He was presented the award by the previous winner Garth Brooks. Past winners of the award are Marty Robbins (1960s), Loretta Lynn (1970s), Alabama (1980s) and Garth Brooks (1990s).

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: George Strait

• George Strait Country Music Festival
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of best-selling music artists in the United States
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame (2006 Inductee)

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Bego, Mark (2001). George Strait: the Story of Country's Living Legend. Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0-8065-2258-6
• Dickinson, Chris. (1998). "George Strait". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 513–4.
• "Discography". George Strait's Official Web Site. Retrieved August 27, 2004.
• "Awards". George Strait's Official Web Site. Retrieved August 27, 2004.
• Billboard Magazine. "George Strait". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=2521&aid=91293. Retrieved 2007-01-24. 
• Universal Music Group Nashville. "George Strait - MCA". http://www.umgnashville.com/artist.aspx?ob=ros&src=lb&aid=8. Retrieved 2007-01-24. 

Further reading[link]

• Cantwell, David; Marsh, Dave; Strait, George (1996). George Strait. Penguin Group USA. ISBN 978-1-57297-121-9. 

External links[link]

• George Strait Online
• George Strait - biography, discography, lyrics, photos, videos
• Official UMG Nashville Artist Page
• George Strait at the Internet Movie Database
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
• George Strait Team Roping Classic (GSTRC) homepage

Bill Gates
Gates at the World Economic Forum in 2007
Born	William Henry Gates III (1955-10-28) October 28, 1955 (age 56) Seattle, Washington, United States
Residence	Medina, Washington, United States
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Harvard University (dropped out)
Occupation	Chairman of Microsoft Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO of Cascade Investment Chairman of Corbis
Years active	1975–present
Net worth	US$ 61 billion (2012)[1]
Board member of	Berkshire Hathaway
Religion	None (Agnostic[2][3])
Spouse	Melinda Gates (m. 1994) «start: (1994)»"Marriage: Melinda Gates to Bill Gates" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Bill_Gates)
Children	3
Parents	William H. Gates, Sr. Mary Maxwell Gates
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Bill Gates

William Henry "Bill" Gates III (born October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington)^[4] is an American business magnate, computer programmer and philanthropist. Gates is the former chief executive officer (CEO) and current chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal-computer software company he co-founded with Paul Allen. He is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people^[5] and was the wealthiest overall from 1995 to 2009, excluding 2008, when he was ranked third;^[6] in 2011 he was the wealthiest American and the second wealthiest person.^[7][8] During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of CEO and chief software architect, and remains the largest individual shareholder, with 6.4 percent of the common stock.^[9] He has also authored or co-authored several books.