Loy L. Edge III

Loy L. Edge, III, 69, passed away January 9, 2025. “Loy Ho” was born to L.L. and Catherine “Kitty” Edge on December 26, 1955, in Burlington, Iowa. In typical Loy fashion he was a day late, and would continue this tendency for the remainder of his days. A larger-than-life figure, he leaves behind legions of friends. Never has one man had so many different circles of friends. Restaurateur, entertainer, musician, songwriter, actor, painter, writer, ad man, cartoonist, business consultant, podcaster, athlete, and former underwear model (okay we made up the last one), and the list goes on. The only thing he couldn’t do is file a piece of paper with anybody, anytime, anyplace.

A veteran restaurateur and bon vivant, Loy’s creations dotted the metro KC landscape for decades, as did his bar tabs. Loy had a knack for buying washed up sports bars and underperforming restaurants and creating places with lines out the door. He was the brains behind the Buzzard Beach, Harry’s Bar & Tables and Zola in Westport, Raoul’s in Johnson County, and a restaurant/bar on the Country Club Plaza. Legend has it that Loy could not think of a name for his restaurant on the Plaza and thus it had none, but anybody who believes that is a blithering idiot. Of his four simultaneously-operating restaurants only Raoul’s had a single television. Nobody will ever match Loy’s record of tearing down televisions in bars and restaurants.

He was also instrumental in naming, concepting, and enhancing operations at numerous other local restaurants, bars and businesses. His friends attributed his profound knowledge of drinking establishments to years of intense field work.

Very early on in life it was evident Loy was an artist. He began his entertainment career as a disc jockey at Instant Replay (a bar responsible for more missed school days in Shawnee Mission USD 512 than any in history).

Able to pick up any instrument and play it, he’d walk up and grab one, look at it, sanitize it (germophobe), and figure out how to make it sound great. He was one of the founding members in high school of the Clam Jam Band. From “Bad Tattoo” to “Heels and Hose” to the iconic “Johnson County,” Loy could start with a simple chord progression and have a song done in 15 minutes. The Clams developed a dedicated (more like cultish) following. They rode the wave, ultimately opening (twice) for ukelele-and-falsetto icon Tiny Tim. Rarified air, to be sure.

Known by famous Kansas City disc jockey Dick Wilson as “the man of a thousand voices,” Loy would frequently appear as a guest voice on Wilson’s radio bits playing characters such as Hambone Berkley, Reginald Troutbreath III, Buzz Martini, and a wayward Irish priest named Father O’Baby.

A life-long desire to become an actor is something many people have and don’t follow through on. Loy did. His voice talents landed him many gigs. He had quite a few on-screen appearances, and was represented by the crème de la crème, William Morris Agency.

Loy won the London International Award for Best Artiste Performance for voice work. His efforts included voicing some of his favorite cartoon characters, and many of his friends were fortunate enough to get a voice mail from Foghorn Leghorn, among other luminaries.

Donald Trump and his producer, Mark Burnett, fell in love with Loy's rat pack-inspired singing of a song called "Hey Jump!" Contracts were signed and the song was produced with Sinatra's own horn section as the official theme song of yet-to-be-launched "The Apprentice." NBC was rumored to have replaced it just before the launch due to pressure from an advertiser.

To this day many still remember some of his best advertising creations, including ad campaigns for Minsky’s Pizza, spots for car dealers, and too many others to list.

To the surprise of many Loy did in fact have a driver’s license. He just didn’t have a car. For decades he could be seen zipping around town on one moped or another. Sometimes he forgot where he parked one so he bought another one. Loy didn’t have a car because there was nowhere to consistently park one in the heart of Westport, his residence of over 15 years, and it was easier to walk 100 feet to the bars.

Loy was a ribald raconteur and a Renaissance man. He was equally at ease chatting with a bank president, a homeless person, or William Burroughs. Yes, that William Burroughs. That ability fueled his ideas and helped shape his remarkable creativity. Loy was truly one of a kind, and they broke the mold when they made him. Of course they were drinking--they didn’t mean to.

A funeral Mass for Loy will be held at Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne Catholic Church, 5035 Rainbow Boulevard, Westwood, KS 66205-2063 at 11:45 a.m. on March 14, 2025. The burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery at 8300 Quivira Road, Lenexa, Kansas, with a Celebration of Loy starting at 4:00 p.m. at Eggtc, 5107 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112.