George Strait suffered a double loss with the death of longtime manager Erv Woolsey, 80, who helped shape his career from the early 1980s, and Gene Elders, the fiddle and mandolin player whose sound defined Strait’s live shows. Woolsey believed in Strait’s traditional style when trends shifted, while Elders gave the music its western soul. Their passing marks the end of an era, leaving Strait to carry their shared legacy forward alone.
