No roses, no fireworks — just a guitar and two hearts.
A 23-year-old soldier, a 22-year-old girl, and a Texas summer so hot it seemed to slow time.
George Strait wasn’t yet “The King of Country.” He was serving in the U.S. Army, stationed in Hawaii, and had returned to Texas on a short leave. Norma — the girl he’d loved since high school — was the only reason he came back.
They had broken up, but never really let go.
George and Norma had dated before he enlisted, but drifted apart. A few months later, George realized no one felt like “home” the way Norma did. He called her, asked her out, and from that night on, they were inseparable.
The proposal — simple, unforgettable
One evening, George drove Norma to an open field outside her hometown. Sitting on the tailgate of his pickup, with his old acoustic guitar, he played a love ballad — not “I Cross My Heart” (which hadn’t yet been written), but a song whose words spoke every truth he felt. There was no diamond ring, just a simple silver band from a small-town jeweler.
When the song ended, he asked quietly, “Will you ride with me for the rest of my life?” Norma said yes. They stayed under the stars until nearly sunrise.
That song never made it to an album.
George has never revealed its title, saying only: “It belongs to us. Not to the world.” But listen closely to some of his later love songs, and you might hear its spirit in the melodies.
Nearly 50 years later, George and Norma are still together. And in every show, when he sings a love song, he always glances toward the seat where Norma sits.