Tom Foote, Longtime Road Manager For George Strait, Passes

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Tom Foote

Longtime road manager for George Strait, Tom Foote, has passed away. His passing tragically comes a little over a month after Strait and his band suffered two losses on the same day when his longtime manager Erv Woolsey and his fiddle and mandolin player Gene Elders both died.

Foote first met Strait back in 1975 when his band posted a flyer looking for a singer at Southwest Texas State University. Strait, an agriculture major just back from a stint serving in the Army, auditioned, and the rest is history. The band became Strait’s Ace In The Hole Band and he and Foote became lifelong friends and business partners. As former drummer for the band, Foote transitioned to Strait’s tour manager in 1983.

 

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“We were a bunch of kids back then,” Foote told the Lexington Herald Leader in 2010. “I was 23 and I think George was 24, maybe. We were playing local beer joints and dance halls and really did that for the better part of six years until he got his record deal with MCA. In fact, until George had his record deal, we had never played outside of Texas. It was a really great time. Some of my favorite memories were when we first started.”

Foote had other ties to the music business as well. His uncle was writer Horton Foote, best known for his screenplays for To Kill A Mockingbird and Tender Mercies.

“We lost another one of our good friends and a huge part of our musical journey yesterday,” Strait wrote on Instagram about the loss of his dear friend. “Tom Foote, our one-time drummer and long-time road manager for around 48 years, suddenly passed away at his home after our rehearsal. The band and I were with him most of the afternoon and he was great. Just doing what he loved to do which was making sure we were taken care of. 2024 is taking its toll on the Ace in the Hole group. We’re all heartbroken to say the least. Rest in peace brother Tom. You will be hugely missed. I’ll see you down the road amigo.”

Funeral arrangements for Foote have not yet been announced.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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