Did you know? At the prompting of studio engineer, Cowboy Jack Clement, Sun Records owner, Sam Phillips, signed Ed to a record deal. Ed was still attending Messick High School in Memphis, Tennessee, at the time. In the early days, Ed sold used cars to supplement his income in between royalty checks. Ed wrote "Song For Ginny" for his daughter. "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" and "Texas When I Die" both earned Grammy and CMA nominations for Song of the Year. "My First Taste Of Texas" and "Texas When I Die" are certified by BMI for 1,000,000 broadcast performances. "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" was recently certified for 2,000,000 broadcast performances! The theme from "Bret Maverick" is sung by Ed...and James Garner. The song, "The Man Who Turned My Mama On", was fictional but Ed included many familiar references including a line about his Grandma Kate. Tommy West, Ed's producer in the 1980's, also produced Jim Croce. "My First Taste Of Texas" was inspired by Ed's wife, Judith. Ed and Judith sold their "Home At Last" ranch in 2005. They lived there for twenty years. There was championship breeding among the herd of twenty-two Tennessee Walking Horses, and numerous champions and Hall-of-Famers were apparent in the pedigrees of their five English Setters. This "royalty" was no more treasured, however, than the always present, variegated pack of tail-wagging strays, orphans and drop-offs that greeted visitors. Ed is good friends with cowboy poet/author Baxter Black. When Baxter visits Ed in Tennessee, friends gather for an evening of poetry and music around the campfire...and bowls of venison chili. Ed was spokesman for Tuborg beer in Denmark. He even sang the Danish national anthem at sporting events while on tour in that country.