Zach Top Reveals Which George Strait Classic Was The First Song He Learned To Play On Guitar

Of course it was the King.

Zach Top seems to be everywhere these days. Riding the highs of his debut album last year and his highly-successful sophomore effort this year, Ain’t In It For My Health, the Washington native has simply flown through the ranks in country music over the past two years. Whether it’s his ACM win for New Male Artist this past April, his five CMA nominations and a win for Best New Artist this November, his high praise from fellow artists such as Dierks Bentley or his continued domination on social media, Top has, without a doubt, become the genre’s new “it” artist.

In addition to being labeled as the savior of traditional country music, Top has proven himself as the quintessential human jukebox when it comes to delivering phenomenal covers of different songs across multiple eras. From Chris Stapleton’s “Nobody to Blame” and Billy Currington’s “Good Directions” to George Strait’s “Nobody In His Right Mind Would Have Left Her,” Conway Twitty’s “Slow Hand” and many more, the Washington Native has yet to meet a classic song that he cannot perform flawlessly.

And it looks like that started from a very young age.

Though he’s earned the label of being Alan Jackson’s “son,” over the past two years, thanks in part to the pairs’ similar styles and signature mustaches, the first song that Zach Top ever learned was not from the Chattahoochee singer but instead fellow ’90s legend and country giant, George Strait.

In a 2024 interview with CMT’s Cody Alan, right after the release of his debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, the “I Never Lie” singer was asked who is biggest influence growing up was. Much to the chagrin of the Jackson-Top father and son conspiracy theorists out there, Top would immediately answer with Strait, thanks in part to his parents being such big fans of the King.

“The first big one was George Strait for me. Ever since I was about three years old, I thought he looked pretty cool in a cowboy hat and holding a guitar. That was my parent’s favorite, so they had him playing nonstop in the house growing up.

Top would then reveal that the first song he ever learned to play on guitar was none other than Strait’s signature 1982 hit (which is actually a cover of Terry Stafford’s original song), “Amarillo By Morning.”

“Actually, the first song I ever asked to learn how to play on guitar when I took my first lesson when I was five. I walked in there and the girl asked me what I wanted to learn to play, and I said, ‘Amarillo By Morning.'”

Top will undoubtedly have a full-circle career moment this spring when he will open for Strait, along with the severely underrated Dylan Gossett, for the “Troubadour” singer’s upcoming show at Jones AT&T Stadium on Friday, April 24th. Here’s to hoping they perform a song together come April.

Watch Top perform the song live in Boston back in May here:

Zach Top Tour Dates

February 5 – Scottsdale, Arizona – Coors Light Birds Nest 2026

February 21 – Zurich, Switzerland – The Hall

February 25 – Copenhagen, Denmark – K.B. Hallen

February 28 – Stockholm, Sweden – Annexet

March 3 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene

March 7 – Rotterdamn, Netherlands – Rotterdam Ahoy

March 8 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Eats Music Hall

March 13 – London, United Kingdom – The O2

March 14 – Belfat, Northern Ireland – SSE Arena

March 15 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – OVO Hydro

April 9 – Florence, Arizona – Country Thunder Arizona

April 24 – Lubbock, Texas – Jones AT&T Stadium

May 22 – Norfolk, Virginia – Patriotic Festival