Country music icon George Strait 'loses two family members' in one day

George Strait has paid tribute to two of his "music family members" who both sadly died hours apart. The renowned country music figure, aged 71, is grieving the departure of his valued bandmate, Gene Elders, and his trusted manager, Ervine "Erv" Woolsey, who both passed away on Thursday (March 21).

Sharing the news on Instagram, George posted a photo of him and Gene - the accomplished fiddle and mandolin player in his band since 1984 - on stage. The post read: "Hard to believe we lost two of our music family members on the same day. Our Ace In the Hole treasured band member Gene Elders passed away yesterday afternoon shortly after we lost Erv." "All of our prayers go out to both families. Me and the band won't ever be the same without our brother Gene." 

"We loved him so much," he added. "Go play with Mike again Geno. We'll come join you guys later. - George Strait." 

Strait revealed the passing of his manager of 45 years, Ervine Woolsey, through a heartfelt Instagram post featuring a nostalgic snapshot of the duo. Woolsey is celebrated for his pivotal role in shaping George's illustrious career from its inception.

Strait said: "My manager for around 45 years and most importantly my friend for even longer, Erv Woolsey, passed away this morning. He had complications from a surgery and just couldn't overcome it. He was a very tough man, and fought hard, but sadly it was just too much." 

"We will miss him so very much and will never forget all the time we had together. Won't ever be the same without him," he concluded.

Woolsey was a prominent figure in Nashville's music scene. Outside of his work with Strait, he garnered widespread recognition for building the careers of other notable artists including Lee Ann Womack, Dierks Bentley, Ronnie Milsap, and Clay Walker.