An Open Letter to George Strait

I am writing to you on my blog because you don’t seem to have a mail address and I can’t be certain that your record company will actually deliver this message to you. I am Mike Dreith and my career has brought me to your native Texas where I am the president of a small college in Snyder. You’ve been here. In fact you had a significant role in the movie “Grand Champion” which was shot in our Coliseum. You even performed in that same Coliseum as a young, up and coming country artist back in the day.

I’ve got a problem, George. I hope I can call you by your first name. You can call me Mike….none of that Dr. Dreith stuff between Texans.

First, you are part of one problem that has haunted me since arriving here in June of 2007. My wife is one of your most devoted fans. This might surprise you but I currently count 15 pictures of you in my house. There are seven of me. In fact, you are slightly ahead of our granddaughter, Lexa at this point. I have desperately tried to get a “meet and greet” for my wife with you at the various concerts and ropings we have attended where you are a featured part of the show. No success at all, George. In fact, if I don’t come through soon, she’s gonna bid and buy that chute you use to corral the cattle at your roping. You know, the one you auction off at the end of the event? The lady that bought it last year paid $3-grand. I’m drawing the line on that one buddy. I don’t need a cattle chute in my yard. We have bassets and they don’t like being chuted….or roped for that matter.

So, I have to get my wife next to you….and---the way I see it--- if it costs me less than three grand at this point, it is a bargain.

My second problem is the Coliseum. I need to find an act that can fill it. It has 4000 seats and there are remarkably few artists that I know could fill it at $50 a seat….with the notable exception of maybe….you.

I’ve been reading all about Texas music and its roots in Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell, Willie Nelson and of course the rock’n’roll contingent of Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison. It seems that the guys that stay true to their roots (western swing) seem to do alright. The guys that try to sound like Nashville regret their transformation. Pat Green is a good example.

George, you’ve immortalized places like Abilene, Big Spring, Texarkana and even made Dimples come from Temple. How about a bone for Snyder? I mean Texas legend Slim Willet did everything he could do with his song “Tool Pusher From Snyder”….but you won’t sing it. Jody Nix does…and despite the fact that he is a Texas treasure and a graduate of Western Texas College….he’s too busy playing Branson to get it national radio play.

So, here it is George. If you can’t write a song about Snyder…..if you can’t throw “Tool Pusher from Snyder” on a future album….if you won’t let me get a few minutes for my wife prior to one of your concerts or roping…..at least consider coming and playing the Coliseum again. I’ll cut a good deal.

You can keep the T-shirt sales and my wife will have you over for a meal. Heck, bring Norma with you. Carol would be cool with that. You can take a tour through the George Strait Hall of Fame in my living room and hang your Resistol on the George Strait neon Bud Light sign that blinds in our hallway.

Solve this problem between us, George. Give me a call at the college and we can work it out. Maybe your people and my people can do lunch.

Respectfully,

Mike Dreith (Ya’ll can call me Mike)