Country music superstar George Strait praised his native state while accepting the honor of "2018 Texan of the Year," given to him by the Texas Legislative Conference.
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The country hitmaker addressed lawmakers, former U.S. Presidents and other influential attendees at the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce on Friday, March 23, 2018.
"I'm so proud to have grown up in the great state of Texas and so proud to be here today to accept this unbelievable honor," he explained. "Texas is a big place filled with amazingly talented, smart people. How'd I end up here?"
Aside from his own career achievements, the King of Country has worked hard to give back to the Lone Star State over the years. The country singer helped to organize the "Hand in Hand" Texas benefit concert and telethon. The event, which also featured Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton, raised over $22 million towards Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. This was a substantial donation towards the recovery efforts given the horrific devastation of the hurricane.
"Last year was a tough one for our great state," Strait said back in 2018. "We're still continuing to recover and with the help of the many loyal, kindhearted Texans, we will get these communities back on their feet again. It's never surprising, but always amazing how in times of need, how generous the American people can be."
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Although Strait has snagged over 60 number one hits and broken records on the charts throughout his celebrated career, the honor bestowed upon him from his home state was truly special.
"I've had a great career and always been supported by the people here in Texas," he noted. "This great honor is the tip top of my list."
This article was originally published in 2018.
