Amarillo By Morning

This rodeo ballad is George Strait's most famous song and the one he played most often in concert, but he's not the original artist. "Amarillo By Morning" was first recorded by Terry Stafford, who took it to #31 on the Country chart in 1973. Stafford, who lived in Amarillo, Texas, wrote the song with another singer-songwriter named Paul Fraser. According to Fraser, who told the story of the song in the book The Stories Behind Country Music's All-Time Greatest 100 Songs, the title was inspired by a Fed Ex (known at the time as Federal Express) commercial Stafford saw that promised to deliver packages the next morning to places like Amarillo. Stafford had played a show in San Antonio and made the drive back to Amarillo, which inspired the opening line: Amarillo by morning Up from San Antone Stafford called Fraser with the idea, and together they hashed out the song. The song built a following in Texas, particularly on the rodeo circuit, and was covered by a handful of artists, including Charlie Russell, Terry Bullar and Kelly Schoppa, before George Strait released his iconic cover in 1982.

Despite being Strait's most famous tune, "Amarillo By Morning" is not one of his record 44 #1 singles - it peaked at #4 on the Country chart. It's one of George Strait's earliest songs. He included it on his second album, Strait From The Heart, in 1982, when he was on the rise but by no means a superstar. It was the third single from the album, following "Fool Hearted Memory" and "Marina del Rey." "Fool Hearted Memory" was Strait's first #1 Country hit; his second was "A Fire I Can't Put Out," the fourth single from Strait From The Heart.

George Strait isn't a rodeo rider but he is from Texas. His fiddle-heavy version of "Amarillo By Morning" helped define his classic country sound, a throwback to the likes of Hank Williams and Merle Haggard. He stayed in this lane his whole career, riding out the "new country" wave of the '90s and sticking with a traditional sound.