White was raised in Fritch, Texas, a small town in the Texas Panhandle, about 35 miles northeast of Amarillo.[1]
He has said in some of his stand-up that he was primarily raised by his grandmother from the age of nine until he entered his teenage years. He has also said that he enlisted in the Navy at 17 and was honorably discharged less than two years later "under medical conditions" with a drug habit that later led to probation. After getting clean, White went on to become a counselor at his former drug abuse program and, later, its primary public speaker.[1]
White is known for wearing all-black outfits,[2] smoking cigars or cigarettes while onstage, and drinking scotch whisky (visibly identifiable and mentioned as Johnnie Walker brand) during his act.
Comedy releases
The cover of Ron White's latest album You Can't Fix Stupid
Besides the Blue Collar Comedy Tour CDs and movies, White has released five solo projects to date:
Tater Salad aka. Busted in Des Moines: 1990 audio CD [2004 rerelease ASIN: B00065U0MC], recording of an early stand-up gig.
Drunk in Public: 2003 audio CD [ASIN: B0000TAZHY], solo stand-up .
They Call Me "Tater Salad": 2004 DVD release [ASIN: B00022PZ2Y], recording of one of his stand-up concerts. Much the same material as Drunk in Public.
You Can't Fix Stupid: 2006 release on audio CD [ASIN: B000C1YPGC] and DVD [ASIN: B000E1OI6W] of new material, and some from his first album.
The Ron White Show: 2006 release on DVD, a mix of standup, sketch comedy, animated segments and music.
He has appeared on the following compilation albums:
Redneck Comedy Roundup: 2005 release on DVD, also starring Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Blake Clark.
Comedy Central Presents Southern Gents of Comedy: 2006 release on DVD [ASIN: B000CCBCH6], also starring Otis Lee Crenshaw, Vic Henley, and Steve McGrew.
Ron White, Jeff Foxworthy & Bill Engvall: Live From Las Vegas: 2004 release on DVD [ASIN: B000BYRL98].
White is the only member of the Blue Collar crew not to star in the Blue Collar TV series because he didn't want to be typecast as "blue collar", although he says in his performances he simply doesn't have the work ethic for a television show. He did make seven guest appearances on the show, however. In 2005, The WB Network aired the pilot for The Ron White Show, an ill-fated variety show that combined a number of celebrity cameos, cartoons, and sketches.
Notable routines
In his routine, White says he is often asked why he is referred to as "Tater Salad," and he tells this story:
After being pulled over for driving down the sidewalk and arrested for driving under the influence, when he was 17, White was asked by the arresting officer, who had known him all his life, if he had any aliases.
"Yeah," he replied sarcastically. "They call me... 'Tater Salad'."
17 years later, White was arrested for public drunkenness after being thrown out of a bar. When in lock-up, an officer came to him with a copy of his arrest record, and asked "Are you Ron 'Tater Salad' White?" White replied, "You caught me! You caught the Tater! You can take down those roadblocks now!" The name has since stuck. White jokes that he sometimes calls his son, Marshal, "Tater Tot." He also jokes that his dog, a bulldog named "Sluggo", calls him "Tater", presumably when he is drunk.
On the "What's New" page of his official website, White tells the true story of how he got the nickname "Tater Salad":
“
I've never told anybody this story, ever, of where that name really came from. It wasn't just something I thought up one day. I was in the Navy, and we were having a family day on our ship where you could bring your spouse aboard and there was a picnic and of course — I didn't have anybody, so I was on watch. So this guy Hoskins was supposed to relieve me of my post, and I yelled down to him, "Hey Hoskins get up here and relieve me before somebody eats all that Tater Salad." So he was the first to start calling me Tater Salad. I don't know why I've never told that story before. It's kind of cute.
”
Death rumor
In 2005, White was subject to Internet rumors of his death. He addressed the rumors on his website. The exact source behind the rumors is unknown, but it is thought that they may have arisen from his act on stage, where he mentioned he was involved in a serious car crash in Mexico that required a metal plate in his head. White jokes that when the doctor implanted the plate he said, "Be very careful -- this plate is hot."
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