What happened to George Strait's daughter? Remembering singer’s late daughter Jenifer amid Kennedy Center honor

Donald Trump announced country music legend George Strait as one of the five Kennedy Center honorees on Wednesday, August 13. 

The US President, who also serves as the cultural center’s chairman, confirmed the 73-year-old singer-actor’s name and received applause from the crowd. Trump went on to talk about Strait’s various achievements throughout his four-decade-long career and said: 

“He is believed by millions of people to just be as good at it as you can get, and he's beloved by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. He's really something and they call him the ‘King of Country.’”

.@POTUS announces @GeorgeStrait as a 2025 Kennedy Center Honors nominee pic.twitter.com/QWJ89jYXIE

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 13, 2025

George is well-known for his musical career but has also been involved in philanthropy. In 1986, the singer and his family set up the Jenifer Strait Memorial Foundation. The nonprofit organization primarily operates in San Antonio and is named after George’s daughter. 

Jenifer Strait was 13 when she died in an accident in San Marcos, Texas, according to United Press International (UPI). After their daughter's passing, the Strait family established the foundation as a charitable organization to preserve her memory by donating to children-related causes. 

Norma and George Strait’s firstborn, Jenifer, was traveling with her friends when their car crashed

According to UPI, 13-year-old Jenifer Strait was riding a car with William Allen McDonald, 16, and Joseph Wiley Robbins, 17, on June 25, 1986. Gregory Wilson Allen, 18 at the time, was driving the vehicle that crashed at a turn around midnight. Jenifer was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown out of the car after the accident. Per UPI, she was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Mike Cox, then-Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson, revealed that the driver faced a Class A misdemeanor. He further said:

“The trooper said contributing to the accident was excessive speed and the car did not negotiate the turn.”  

Jenifer Strait was the only one in the car to die, while others sustained minor to no injuries. Her family held her funeral at the San Marcos’ First United Methodist Church. Jenifer was George and Norma Strait’s first child, born in October 1972. The couple also shares George Harvey Strait Jr., aka Bubba, born in May 1981. 

While the country music legend has refrained from speaking much about his firstborn’s demise, he said during a 2012 conversation with People: 

“We were blessed to have been able to spend 13 years with our beautiful daughter Jenifer.” 

George Strait, who has recorded numerous albums, also released a song titled You’ll Be There in memory of his daughter. Over the years, the country musician has also continued to promote the Jenifer Strait Memorial Foundation