Ed White

Artist and actor Edward Gilbert White was born on March 17, 1947 in Bel Air, Maryland. At age ten he was sent by his parents to a special art school; he was told by his teacher after six months that he knew more about art and was a better artist than she was. White received a degree in engineering and technical drawing. Ed worked for a few years in New York where he helped design factory machines. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the 70s. White opened up a nightclub called the Red Dog Saloon. He also owned the Kozmic Ball Room, the Last Chance Saloon, and a club called the Mississippi Whiskers. In 1972 Ed made the local Nashville newspapers after he lost the Kozmic Ball Room to a songwriter in a pool game. Moreover, White owned art galleries and jewelry shops in Nashville, Jackson, Mississippi, Oklahoma City, and Santa Fe, New Mexico in the 80s. Ed eventually gave up the saloon business in the 80s and became an apprentice jeweler in Nashville, Tennessee. White then moved to Costa Rica and spent the rest of his life making and selling hand-crafted jewelry. Ed acted in a few movies and TV commercials; he was especially memorable as the lone cowboy survivor of the opening diner massacre in Oliver Stone's controversial "Natural Born Killers." A much beloved and colorful local figure in Costa Rica, White played Santa Claus for poor children every Christmas. Ed died of cancer on April 5, 2004 in Tijuana, Mexico.