George Strait Sings “Amarillo By Morning” On Hee Haw In 1983

George Strait sings “Amarillo By Morning” on the show Hee Haw in 1983.

“Amarillo By Morning” was written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser in 1973. Terry Stafford was actually the first person to officially record “Amarillo by Morning” the same year. Stafford recorded it in a country pop style, but did not have much success with the song. Fellow rodeo champion and country singer, Chris LeDoux, later recorded a country version of this song in 1975 with minor success. Though these singers and several others recorded awesome renditions of the song, nobody could sing it quite like the “King of Country” did.

“Amarillo By Morning” was popularized when George Strait recored it in 1982.

Surprisingly, this well-known hit never become one of George Strait’s record #1 singles; It only made it to #4 on the Country Charts and was named the 12th best country song of all-time by CMT. Although this song didn’t immediately rise to the top, “Amarillo by Morning” was the key to Strait’s rise to fame. George Strait has since earned the title “King of Country,” boasting 33 platinum or multiplatinum albums which beats out any other country artist. This amazing feat places him third across all genres following only The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

31-year-old George Strait made an appearance on Hee Haw in 1983 to sing  “Amarillo by Morning.”

George Strait has performed this song hundreds of times, but something about this specific performance of “Amarillo by Morning” has us listening on repeat. His smooth country voice makes it obvious why he is known as one of the best country music artists in history. Strait is shown on the set of Hee Haw wearing a white shirt and hat, with his guitar in hand. The video of the performance shows background singers and musicians accompanying the country star to deliver one of the smoothest live performances we have ever seen.

Watch the video below to see 31-year-old George Strait sing “Amarillo by Morning.”