If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here.” George & Norma, 1971 — love before the spotlight. Before Nashville ever knew the name George Strait, there was a young Texas soldier and his high school sweetheart. They quietly married when George was just 19. From the small-town dance halls to the grandest stages, Norma has always been the “silent heartbeat” behind him. George once said: “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here.”