Edward (Eddie) Gillis

Edward "Eddie" Gillis was the older brother of the Detroit born musician Jack White, and for a decade he managed Third Man Pressing, the vinyl record manufacturing plant that White opened in Detroit in 2017 as part of his Third Man Records label. Gillis was not a public figure in his own right and had no career in music performance, but he became known to the wider public through his brother's frequent, affectionate references to him and through the vital role he played behind the scenes in keeping one of the most prominent independent vinyl pressing operations in the United States running.

Gillis was the eighth of ten children born to Teresa Gillis in Detroit. His youngest sibling, John Anthony Gillis, went on to find fame as Jack White of the White Stripes and later as a solo artist, and the two brothers remained close throughout their lives. Before joining the family business, Gillis worked in food service, including stints in the kitchen at Beaumont Hospital and at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Dearborn, Michigan, where he trained as a pastry chef. When Third Man Pressing opened, he took on the job of plant manager, a position he held for about ten years, overseeing the production of hundreds of thousands of records for Jack White's own releases and for other artists pressed at the facility.

Colleagues and family described Gillis as warm, funny and generous. Away from the pressing lines, he was known for making small sculptures and flowers out of leftover scraps of vinyl, a hobby that reflected the craftsmanship he brought to his work. He was married to his wife, Angie, and the couple had two children, Amelia and Garrett.

Gillis died on October 24, 2026, in the Detroit area, after what his brother described as a tough battle with cancer. He was 60 years old. Jack White announced the death in an emotional Instagram post, writing that the world had lost a beautiful soul and describing his brother as caring, funny and generous. The exact nature and stage of his illness, and how long he had been unwell, have not been made public.

The announcement prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans of White and from people within the music and vinyl manufacturing communities who had encountered Gillis through his work at Third Man Pressing. His death came only months after that of his mother, Teresa Gillis, who died in March 2026 at the age of 95, making 2026 a year of double loss for the White and Gillis family. As of this writing, no public details have been announced about funeral or memorial arrangements, though it is expected that any services will be private and family led, in keeping with how the family has handled such matters in the past.