George Strait Isn’t Just a Country Icon: Meet the Singer’s 2 Children With Wife Norma

You know him for his legendary country songs like “Amarillo by Morning,” “I Cross My Heart” and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” but did you know George Strait is the dad of two kids? The country music icon isn’t overly public when it comes to his family, but that doesn’t take away from how much he loves his children.

George is the dad of his son, George Strait Jr., and late daughter, Jenifer Strait, with his longtime wife, Norma Strait. The Grammy winner and his blonde beauty wed in 1971, and after one year, they welcomed their first child, Jenifer. Nearly a decade later, George Jr. — better known as Bubba — was born in 1981.

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Tragically, George experienced one of the biggest heartbreaks of his life when his beloved daughter was killed in a car accident at age 13. Jenifer died in June 1986 after a vehicle she was in lost control, rolled over and crashed in San Marcos, Texas. The teenager was in the car with three others, but she was the only one who died, according to the Jenifer Strait Memorial Foundation website.

At the time, the “Check Yes or No” artist reacted to the family tragedy in an emotional statement. “We will all miss Jenifer very much, and we will never forget her, her smile and laugh,” the message read. “She meant the world to us, and we’ll miss her dearly. We’re doing our best to make it through this with your help we will. Her memory will always be with us.”

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In the years following Jenifer’s death, George took a step back from the spotlight. However, he once opened up to The New Yorker, telling the outlet the reason he stopped giving interviews.

“I just didn’t feel like talking about it, so I quit … I did want to keep singing, absolutely, but I was at the point where I’m [like], ‘Alright, if this is going to cost me my career, then so be it, but it’s the only way I’m going to be able to cope with it,'” he explained.

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Though George hasn’t divulged much about his family life since, he did once talk about the special relationship his son shared with his big sister. “To watch them together and the way she watched over him made us know he was always safe with her, no matter what,” he wrote on the foundation’s website. “He loved her back in the same way, and always will, just as we always will.”

Because of their nine-year age difference, Jenifer “was like a second mother to Bubba in a way,” George added. “They had their arguments like brother, and sister do, but in the end, she always made Bubba feel like he came out on top.”

To learn more about George’s two kids, keep scrolling.