Jack White | |
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.jpg) White in 2021 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Anthony Gillis |
| Also known as | Jack White III, Johnny Guitar |
| Born | (1975-07-09)July 9, 1975 (age 49) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Discography | Jack White discography |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | |
| Spouses | |
| Website | jackwhiteiii |
John Anthony White (né Gillis; born July 9, 1975) is an American musician who achieved international fame as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duothe White Stripes. As the White Stripes disbanded, he sought success with his solo career, subsequent collaborations, and business ventures.
After moonlighting in several underground Detroit bands as a drummer, White founded the White Stripes with fellow Detroit native and then-wifeMeg White in 1997. Their 2001 breakthrough album,White Blood Cells, brought them international fame with the single and accompanying music video for "Fell in Love with a Girl". White subsequently began collaborating with artists such asLoretta Lynn andBob Dylan.[1] In 2005, White foundedthe Raconteurs withBrendan Benson; in 2009, White foundedthe Dead Weather withAlison Mosshart ofthe Kills. In 2008, he recorded "Another Way to Die", the title song for the 2008James Bond filmQuantum of Solace, alongsideAlicia Keys, making them the only duet to perform a Bond theme.
As a solo artist, White has released sixsolo studio albums, which have garnered critical and commercial success. He is a board member of theLibrary of Congress'National Recording Preservation Foundation. His record label and studioThird Man Records releasesvinyl recordings of his own work as well as that of other artists and local school children.[2] His second studio album,Lazaretto (2014), broke the record for most first-week vinyl sales since 1991, holding that record until 2021. White has an extensive collection of guitars and other instruments and has a preference for vintage items that often have connections to famousblues artists. He is a vocal advocate for analog technology and recording techniques.
A key artist of the 2000sgarage rock revival, White is known for his distinctive musical techniques and eccentricity. He has won 12Grammy Awards amongother accolades.Rolling Stone included him on their 2010 and 2023 lists of the greatest guitarists of all time.[3][4][5]The New York Times called White "the coolest, weirdest and savviest rockstar of our time" in 2012.[6][failed verification] He and Meg were nominees for theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, but were not inducted; they were again nominated in 2025.
John Anthony Gillis[7] was born in Detroit, Michigan, on July 9, 1975,[8][9] the youngest of ten children of Teresa (née Bandyk; born 1930)[10] and Gorman M. Gillis.[11][12] His mother's family was Polish,[13] while his father was Scottish-Canadian.[14][15] He was raised aCatholic,[16] and both of his parents worked for theArchdiocese of Detroit as the building maintenance superintendent and secretary in the cardinal's office, respectively.[1] Gillis became analtar boy, which landed him an uncredited role in the 1987 movieThe Rosary Murders, filmed mainly atMost Holy Redeemer parish in southwest Detroit.[1] He attendedCass Technical High School in Detroit.[17][18][19]
Gillis' early musical influences were his older brothers, who were in a band together called Catalyst. He learned to play the instruments they abandoned;[20][21] he began playing the drums in the first grade after finding a kit in the attic.[11][21][22] As a child, he was a fan of classical music,[23] but in elementary school, he began listening tothe Doors,Pink Floyd, andLed Zeppelin.[24] As a "shorthaired [teenager] with braces",[23] Gillis began listening to theblues and 1960s rock that influenced him in the White Stripes,[1] withSon House andBlind Willie McTell being among his favorite blues guitarists.[8][25] He has said in interviews that Son House's "Grinnin' in Your Face" is his favorite song of all time.[20] As a drummer, his heroes includeGene Krupa,Stewart Copeland, and Crow Smith fromFlat Duo Jets.[26]
In 2005, on60 Minutes, he toldMike Wallace that his life could have turned out differently. "I'd got accepted to a seminary inWisconsin, and I was gonna become a priest, but at the last second I thought, 'I'll just go to public school.' I had just gotten a new amplifier in my bedroom, and I didn't think I was allowed to take it with me."[27] Instead, he was accepted intoCass Technical High School as a business major, and played the drums and trombone in the band.[20][28][29] At 15, he began a three-yearupholstery apprenticeship with a family friend, Brian Muldoon.[1] He credits Muldoon with exposing him to punk music as they worked together in the shop.[1][20] Muldoon goaded his young apprentice into forming a band: "He played drums", Gillis thought. "Well I guess I'll play guitar then."[1][30] The two recorded an album,Makers of High Grade Suites, asthe Upholsterers.[notes 1]
As a senior in high school, he metMeg White at the Memphis Smoke restaurant where she worked;[32] together, they frequented the coffee shops, local music venues, and record stores of the area.[33] After a courtship, they married on September 21, 1996.[34][35] In a reversal of tradition, he legally took her last name.[1][36][37]
After completing his apprenticeship, he started a one-man business of his own, Third Man Upholstery.[38] The slogan of his business was "Your Furniture's Not Dead" and the color scheme was yellow and black—including a yellow van, a yellow-and-black uniform, and a yellow clipboard.[38] Although Third Man Upholstery never lacked business, he claims it was unprofitable due to his complacency about money and his business practices that were perceived as unprofessional, including making bills out incrayon and writing poetry inside the furniture.[38]
At 19 years old, Jack had landed his first professional gig as the drummer for the Detroit bandGoober & the Peas, and was still in that position when the band broke up in 1996.[8][20][39] It was in this band that he learned about touring and performing onstage.[20] After the band's split, he settled into working as an upholsterer by day while moonlighting in local bands, as well as performing solo shows.[20][34] Though a bartender by trade,[40] Meg began to learn to play the drums in 1997 and, according to Jack, "When she started to play drums with me, just on a lark, it felt liberating and refreshing."[1] The couple became a band, calling themselvesthe White Stripes.[41]
Two months later after forming, Jack and Meg performed their first show at the Gold Dollar in Detroit.[20][42] Despite being married, they publicly presented themselves as siblings.[43][44] They kept to a chromatic theme, dressing only in red, white, and black.[45][46] They began their career as part of Michigan'sundergroundgarage rock music scene.[40][45] They played along with and opened for more established local bands such asBantam Rooster,the Dirtbombs,Two-Star Tabernacle, Rocket 455, andthe Hentchmen.[20][40] In 1998, the White Stripes were signed toItaly Records—a small andindependent Detroit-based garagepunk label—by Dave Buick.[47] The band released itseponymous debut album in 1999, and a year later the album was followed up by the cult classic[48]De Stijl. The album eventually peaked at number 38 inBillboard'sIndependent Albums chart.
In 2001, the band releasedWhite Blood Cells. The album's stripped-down garage rock sound drew critical acclaim in the US and beyond,[8] making the White Stripes one of the more acclaimed bands of 2002;[40] it also made the White Stripes forefront figures in the garage band revival of the time.[8][41][49]John Peel, an influential DJ and the band's early advocate in the UK, said they were the most exciting thing he'd heard since Jimi Hendrix.[50]The New York Times said of White, "beneath the arty facade lies one of the most cagey, darkly original rockers to come along sinceKurt Cobain."[51]
White Blood Cells was followed up in 2003 by the commercially and critically successfulElephant.[52][53][54] The critic atAllMusic wrote that the album "sounds even more pissed-off, paranoid and stunning than its predecessor ... darker and more difficult thanWhite Blood Cells".[55] The album's first single, "Seven Nation Army", became the band's signature song,[56][57] reaching number one on theBillboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for three weeks, winning the 2004Grammy Award for Best Rock Song, and becoming an international sporting and protest anthem.[58][59] Rumors began to circulate in 2003 that White had collaborated withElectric Six for their song "Danger! High Voltage".[60] He and the Electric Six both denied this,[60][61] and the vocal work was credited officially to John S O'Leary.[62] Later,Dick Valentine and Corey Martin (Electric Six band members) said White was involved but not paid.[63] White worked withLoretta Lynn on her 2004 albumVan Lear Rose, which he produced and performed on.[64] The album was a critical and commercial success.[8]
The White Stripes' fifth album,Get Behind Me Satan, was recorded in White's own home and marked a change in the band's musical direction, with piano-driven melodies and experimentation withmarimba and a more rhythm-based guitar playing by White. It was released on June 7, 2005, to critical acclaim.[8][1] Also in 2005, while collaborating withBrendan Benson—a fellow Michigan native whom White had worked with before[8]—they composed a song called "Steady, as She Goes". This inspired them to create a full band, and they invitedJack Lawrence andPatrick Keeler of theGreenhornes to join them in what would becomeThe Raconteurs. The musicians met in Benson's home studio in Detroit and, for the remainder of the year, they recorded when time allowed. The result was the band's debut album,Broken Boy Soldiers, released in 2006.[65] Reaching the Top Ten charts in both the US and the UK,[11] it was nominated forBest Rock Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. The lead single, "Steady, As She Goes" was nominated forBest Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[66] The Raconteurs set out on tour to support the album,[8] including eight dates as the opening act forBob Dylan.
The White Stripes' sixth album,Icky Thump, was released in 2007; unlike their previouslo-fi albums, it was recorded atBlackbird Studio in Nashville.[45] The album was regarded as a return to the band's earlier blues and garage-rock sound.[67] It debuted at number two on the USBillboard 200 chart, and entered theUK Albums Chart at number one, selling over 300,000 vinyl copies in England alone.[68][69] Of his excitement for vinyl, White explained, "We can't afford to lose the feeling of cracking open a new record and looking at large artwork and having something you can hold in your hands."[68] In support of the album, they launched a Canadian tour, in which they played a gig in every one of the country's provinces and territories. However, later that year, the band announced the cancellation of 18 tour dates due to Meg's struggle with acuteanxiety.[70] A few days later, the duo canceled the remainder of their 2007 UK tour dates as well.[71]
In 2008, White returned to work with The Raconteurs for their second album,Consolers of the Lonely. The album and its first single, "Salute Your Solution", were released simultaneously on March 25, 2008.[72] The album reached number seven on theBillboard 200 chart, and received a Grammy nomination forBest Rock Album.[66] Later on in 2008, White collaborated withAlicia Keys on the song "Another Way to Die", the theme song for theJames Bond filmQuantum of Solace.
While on tour to promoteConsolers of the Lonely, White developed bronchitis and often lost his voice.[73]Alison Mosshart, the frontwoman forthe Kills (who was touring with the Raconteurs at the time) would often fill in as his vocal replacement.[73] The chemistry between the two artists led them to collaborate, and in early 2009, White formed a new group calledthe Dead Weather.[73] Mosshart sang, White played drums and shared vocal duties, Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs played bass, and theQueens of the Stone Age keyboardist and guitaristDean Fertita rounded out the four-piece.[74] The group debuted a handful of new tracks on March 11, 2009, in Nashville from their debut albumHorehound.[75] It came out on July 13, 2009, in Europe and July 14, 2009, in North America on White's Third Man Records label.[76][77]
White revealed that the White Stripes were planning to release a seventh album by the summer of 2009.[78][79] On February 20, 2009 (and during the final episode ofLate Night with Conan O'Brien), the band made their first live appearance after the cancellation of theIcky Thump tour,[80] and a documentary about their Canadian tour—titledThe White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights—debuted later that year at theToronto International Film Festival.[81]
In October 2009, Mosshart confirmed that the second Dead Weather album was "halfway done",[82] and the first single, "Die by the Drop", was released on March 30, 2010.[83] The new album (again on the Third Man Records label) was titledSea of Cowards and was released on May 7 of that year in Ireland, on May 10 in the United Kingdom, and on May 11 in the U.S.[84] In 2009, Jack White was featured inIt Might Get Loud, a film in which he,Jimmy Page, andthe Edge come together to discuss the electric guitar and each artist's different playing methods.[85] White's first solo single, "Fly Farm Blues", was written and recorded in 10 minutes during the filming of the movie that August.[86] The single went on sale as a 7-inch vinyl record from Third Man Records and as a digital single available through iTunes on August 11, 2010. In November 2010, producerDanger Mouse announced that White—along withNorah Jones—had been recruited for his collaboration withDaniele Luppi entitledRome.[87] White provided vocals to three songs on the album: "The Rose with the Broken Neck", "Two Against One", and "The World".[88]
After almost two years with no new releases, the White Stripes reported on their official website on February 2, 2011, that they were disbanding. White emphasized that it was not due to health issues or artistic differences, "but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band".[89]
White finished and performed the song "You Know That I Know", and it was featured onThe Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams, released on October 4, 2011. In that same year, he produced and played onWanda Jackson's albumThe Party Ain't Over.[64][90] To her delight, his studio also released the album on a7-inch vinyl.[90] White also appeared onAHK-toong BAY-bi Covered, performing a cover ofU2's "Love Is Blindness".[91]
On January 30, 2012, White released "Love Interruption" as the first single off his debut, self-produced solo album,Blunderbuss, which was released on April 24, 2012.[92] The album ultimately debuted number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and in support of the album, he appeared onSaturday Night Live as the musical guest and played at select festivals during the summer of 2012, including the Firefly Music Festival,Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, theSasquatch! Music Festival, theFuji Rock Festival in Japan (one of the biggest festivals in the world), andRock Werchter in Belgium. Later in the year, he headlined theAustin City Limits Music Festival. During his tour for the album, White employed two live bands, which he alternated between at random. The first, called the Peacocks, was all-female and consisted ofRuby Amanfu,Carla Azar,Lillie Mae Rische, Maggie Björklund,Brooke Waggoner, and alternating bassistsBryn Davies andCatherine Popper.[93] The other, the Buzzards, was all male and consisted ofDaru Jones, Dominic Davis,Fats Kaplin,Ikey Owens, andCory Younts.[94] White said maintaining two bands was too expensive,[59] and abandoned the practice at the conclusion of the tour.Blunderbuss was ultimately nominated for several Grammys, including Album of the Year, Best Rock Album, and Best Rock Song for "Freedom at 21".[8]
On April 1, 2014, White announced his second solo album,Lazaretto, inspired by plays and poetry he had written as a teen.[95][96] It was released on June 10, 2014, simultaneously with the first single off the album, "High Ball Stepper". The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and,[96] in a personal triumph for White,[96] broke the record for the largest sales week for a vinyl album since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.[96] The album was widely praised among critics, and was nominated for three Grammy Awards:Best Alternative Music Album,Best Rock Song andBest Rock Performance (for the song "Lazaretto"). During the supporting tour, he performed the longest show of his career on July 30, 2014, at theDetroit Masonic Temple,[97] and later performed as one of the headliners at theCoachella Festival over two weekends in April 2015.[98] On April 14, 2015, White announced that the festival would be his last electric set, followed by one acoustic show in each of the five U.S. states he had yet to perform in, before taking a prolonged break from live performances.[99][100] However, he performed on the inaugural episode of the radio showA Prairie Home Companion with the new host, Chris Thile, on October 15, 2016, in support of his compilation albumAcoustic Recordings 1998–2016.[101] He co-wrote the song "Don't Hurt Yourself " with Beyoncé on her albumLemonade, and accompanied her on the vocals.[56]
The Dead Weather announced their third album,Dodge & Burn, in July 2015 for a worldwide release in September by Third Man Records. Along with four previously released tracks, remixed and remastered, the album features eight new songs.[102]
Ahead of his next effort, White worked in isolation and without a cell phone; he rented an apartment in Nashville, recorded quietly so no one would know what he was working on, and slept on an army cot.[103] He drew inspiration from rap artists of the 1980s and 1990s (as well asA Tribe Called Quest,Kanye West, andNicki Minaj), and chose his backing musicians from talent that had played in live shows supporting hip-hop artists.[103] On December 12, 2017, he released a four-minute video titled "Servings and Portions from my Boarding House Reach", which featured short sound bites of new music interspersed withwhite noise.[104] In January 2018, White released "Connected by Love", taken from his third solo albumBoarding House Reach,[105] which was released on March 23, 2018.[106] Like its two preceding albums, it landed at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. In promotion of the album, White appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon[107] and onSaturday Night Live as the musical guest, playing "Over and Over and Over" and "Connected by Love".[108] White releasedJack White: Kneeling at The Anthem D.C., his first concert film as a solo artist, on September 21, 2018, exclusively onAmazon Prime Video.[109]
The Raconteurs reunited in 2018 with the release of two singles.[110] They released their third studio album,Help Us Stranger, in 2019.[111] The band went on a hiatus in 2014, though at the time Benson believed that they were split.[112] Critically praised, the album was followed by a US tour.[113]
In October 2021, White released "Taking Me Back"—his first solo single since 2018—which appeared in the video gameCall of Duty: Vanguard.[114] In November 2021, White announced that he planned to release two solo albums in 2022:Fear of the Dawn, featuring White's traditional rock sound, on April 8, andEntering Heaven Alive, afolk album, on July 22.[115] White released a video for "Taking Me Back" on November 11, 2022.[116] White released three more singles fromFear of the Dawn: the title track on January 18, 2022, "Hi-De-Ho" on March 3, and "What's the Trick?" on April 7 (the day before the album released). Each of these singles was backed by a track fromEntering Heaven Alive, promoting both albums in tandem. Together, the albums were named the dual number one album of the year byRough Trade UK.[117] In December 2021, White announced theSupply Chain Issues Tour, which went on throughout North America and Europe and Asia, reaching a total of 103 shows.[118][119] It kicked off with its first concert on April 8, 2022, in Detroit, Michigan – during which White proposed to his girlfriendOlivia Jean, with the two marrying onstage – and ended on February 24, 2023, in Aspen, Colorado.[120][121] The tour covered North America and Europe, and. White performed onSaturday Night Live on February 25, 2023. He played two songs from hisFear of the Dawn album and was presented with a jacket for being aFive-Timer on the show.[122]
On July 19, 2024, White distributed test pressings of his upcoming sixth solo studio album by secretly including copies of it with purchases made at Third Man Records locations.[123] Select tracks from the mysterious new album premiered on theWDET radio station that same day.[124] White later announced the album to be calledNo Name, which was released on August 2, 2024. It received acclaim from critics,[125][126] who noted his return to blues, the album's raw nature and the similarity to the sound he championed with the White Stripes.[127][128][129] TheDetroit Free Press said White's album-release methodology "made a stand for rock mystique".[130] White commenced the “No Name Tour” on July 27, 2024. Shows on the first leg of the tour took place in small, club-like venues and were announced only days before they happened. The first leg of the tour consisted of 43 ticketed shows in the United States, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. On November 15, 2024, White announced the second leg of the tour, consisting of 52 higher-ticketed shows in another eight countries, from November 17, 2024, to May 24, 2025.[131] As of December 14, 2024, all but 5 of White's 2025 tour dates have sold out.[132]
White has also had a minor acting career. He appeared in the 2003 filmCold Mountain as a character named Georgia and performed five songs for theCold Mountain soundtrack: "Sittin' on Top of the World", "Wayfaring Stranger", "Never Far Away", "Christmas Time Soon Will Be Over" and "Great High Mountain".[133] The 2003Jim Jarmusch filmCoffee and Cigarettes featured both Jack and Meg in the segment "Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil".[134] He also playedElvis Presley in the 2007 satireWalk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.[135][136] In 2016, he appeared as a special guest on the season one finale ofThe Muppets, and sang "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", which he later released on 7-inch vinyl.[137] In June 2017, White appeared in the documentary filmThe American Epic Sessions, recording on the firstelectrical sound recording system from the 1920s.[138] His performances of "Matrimonial Intentions", "Mama's Angel Child", "2 Fingers of Whiskey (withElton John) and "On the Road Again' and "One Mic" (withNas) appeared onMusic from The American Epic Sessions: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. He was an executive producer of the film.[139] He had an uncredited role inThe Rosary Murders as analtar boy.[19]
White co-founded Third Man Records in 2001 with Ben Swank, formerly of the Ohio-basedSoledad Brothers band.[140][141] However, it was not until after he moved to Nashville that White purchased a space in 2009 to house his label.[2] He explained, "For the longest time I did not want to have my own studio gear, mostly because with the White Stripes I wanted to have the constriction of going into a studio and having a set time of 10 days or two weeks to finish an album, and using whatever gear they happen to have there. After 10 to 15 years of recording like that I felt that it was finally time for me to have my own place to produce music, and have exactly what I want in there: the exact tape machines, the exact microphones, the exact amplifiers that I like, and so on."[142] Using the slogan "Your Turntable's Not Dead",[21] Third Man also presses vinyl records,[68] for the artists on its label, for White's own musical ventures, as well as for third parties for hire.[143]
In March 2015, Third Man joined in the launch ofTIDAL, a music streaming service thatJay-Z purchased and co-owns with other major music artists.[144][145] Later that year, White partnered with the watch manufacturerShinola to open a retail location in Detroit.[146]
White has provided financial support to institutions in his hometown of Detroit. In 2009, White donated almost $170,000 towards the renovation of the baseball diamond in southwest Detroit's Clark Park.[147] TheDetroit Masonic Temple was nearly foreclosed on in 2013 after it was revealed that owners owed $142,000 in back taxes.[148] In June 2013, it was revealed that White had footed the entire bill. To thank him for the donation, the temple has decided to rename its second largest theater the Jack White Theater.[148][149]
TheNational Recording Preservation Foundation received an inaugural gift of $200,000 from White to use toward restoring and preserving deteriorating sound recordings on media such as reel-to-reel tape and oldcylinders.[150] The foundation's director, Eric J. Schwartz said the donation demonstrated a "commitment by a really busy songwriter and performer donating both his time on the board, and money to preserve our national song recording heritage".[150] White also serves onthe foundation's board.[151]
In July 2016, White joined Nashville's 45-member Gender Equality Council.[152]
On September 18, 2018, White donated $30,000 toThe Outsiders House Museum for its preservation and restoration.[153]
On May 3, 2019,Wayne State University of Detroit, Michigan awarded White with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree "for his dedication to Detroit and significant contributions to the arts as one of the most prolific and renowned artists of the past two decades".[154]
White released a signature amp with Fender called theFender Jack White Pano Verb, and a hot-rod Jack White TripleCaster Telecaster and a Jack White TripleSonic Acoustasonic guitar.[155][156]
White owns many instruments and, historically, has tended to use certain ones for specific projects or in certain settings. He has a preference for vintage guitars, many of which are associated with influential blues artists. Much of his equipment is custom-made, for both technical and aesthetic reasons. White is a proficient guitar, bass,mandolin, percussion and piano player.
During his career with the White Stripes, White principally used three guitars,[157] though he used others as well.[158] The first was a vintage 1964 redAirline "JB Hutto" model originally distributed byMontgomery Ward department store.[157][159] Though used by several artists, White's attachment to the instrument raised its popularity to the extent thatEastwood Guitars began producing a modified replica around 2000.[157] The 1950s-eraKay Hollowbody was a gift from his brother in return for a favor.[50] It was the same brand of electric guitar made popular byHowlin' Wolf,[157] and White most famously used it on "Seven Nation Army".[159] He began using a1915 Gibson L-1 acoustic (often called theRobert Johnson model) on theIcky Thump album;[157][159] in an interview for Gibson, he called the instrument his favorite.[157] He also used a three-pickup Airline Town & Country (later featured in the "Steady As She Goes" music video),[160] aHarmony Rocket,[160] a 1970s-era Crestwood Astral II,[159][160] and what would become the first of three custom Gretsch Rancher Falcon acoustic guitars.[157] While with the Stripes, any equipment that did not match their red/black/white color scheme was painted red.
On Black Friday in 2013,Third Man Records diversified and launched theBumble Buzz[161] pedal an octave fuzz built for Third Man by Vancouver, British Columbia's Union Tube and Transistor. In 2014, the pedal was reviewed by Premier Guitar,[162] and is found in Jack's pedal setup.[163]
While theRaconteurs were still in development, White commissionedluthierRandy Parsons to create what White called the Triple Jet—a custom guitar styled after theDuo Jet double-cutaway guitar.[164] Parsons's first product was painted copper color. However, he decided to create a second version with a completely copper body, which White began to use instead.[164] For the Raconteurs first tour, White also played aGretsch Anniversary Jr. with aBigsby vibrato tailpiece and three Filtertron pickups.[160][164] He later added a custom Gretsch Anniversary Jr. with two cutaways, a lever-activated mute system, a built-in and retractable bullet microphone, and a light-activatedtheremin next to the Bigsby.[157] White has dubbed this one the "Green Machine",[157][159] and it is featured inIt Might Get Loud.[157] He sometimes played aGibson J-160E,[160] aGretsch Duo Jet in Cadillac Green,[160] and a secondGretsch Rancher acoustic guitar.[157] For the Raconteurs' 2008 tour, he had Analog Man plate all of his pedals in copper.[165] In 2020 White completed his Three-Wheel-Motion Low Rider - which is a highly customizedFender TelecasterB-Bender guitar.[166]
He has since acquired another Gretsch, a custom white "BillyBo"Jupiter Thunderbird with a gold double pickguard (as seen in the music video for "Another Way to Die").[157][159] White found a1957 Gretsch G6134 White Penguin in 2007 while on tour in Texas[157]—the same one he used in the music video for "Icky Thump"[159]—which ultimately fit in with the Dead Weather's color scheme.[158] He also uses a black left-handed one since the Dead Weather albumSea of Cowards came out.[citation needed] He has also been known to playFender Telecasters,[157][159] featuring one in the music video for Loretta Lynn's "Portland, Oregon".
White owns three Gretsch Rancher Falcons because he says that its bass tones make it his favorite acoustic to play live.[157] They are collectively referred to as his "girlfriends", as each one has an image of a classic movie star on the back.Claudette Colbert is the brunette he used while with the Stripes,Rita Hayworth is the redhead he acquired with the Raconteurs, andVeronica Lake is the blonde he added in 2010 while with the Dead Weather.[157]
Since 2018, White has been playingEVH Wolfgang guitars, which areEddie Van Halen's signature model.[167]
White uses numerous effects to create his live sound, most notably aDigiTech Whammy WH-4 to create the rapid modulations in pitch he uses in his solos.[168] White also produces a "fake" bass tone by playing the Kay Hollowbody and JB Hutto Montgomery Airline guitars through a Whammy IV set to one octave down for a very thick, low, rumbling sound, which he uses most notably on the song "Seven Nation Army".[168] He also uses anMXR Micro Amp and custom Electro-HarmonixBig Muff Distortion/Sustainer.[160] In 2005, for the single "Blue Orchid", White employed anElectro-Harmonix Polyphonic Octave Generator (POG), which let him mix in several octave effects into one along with the dry signal.[158] He plugs this setup into a 1970sFender Twin Reverb "Silverface" and two 100-Watt SearsSilvertone 1485 6×10 amplifiers.[158][159] He also used a 1960s Fender Twin Reverb "Blackface".[158][159]
On occasion, White also plays other instruments, such as a Black Gibson F-4mandolin ("Little Ghost"), piano (on most tracks fromGet Behind Me Satan, and various others), and anelectric piano on such tracks as "The Air Near My Fingers" and "I'm Finding it Harder to be a Gentleman". White also plays percussion instruments such as themarimba (as on "The Nurse"),[1] drums andtambourine. For the White Stripes' 2007 tour, he played a custom-finish Hammond A-100 organ with a Leslie 3300 speaker, which was subsequently loaned toBob Dylan, and currently resides at Third Man Studios.[169] On the albumBroken Boy Soldiers, both he and Benson are credited with playing the album'ssynths and organ.
With the Dead Weather, White plays a custom Ludwig Classic Maple kit in Black Oyster Pearl.[26] Notably, it includes two-snare drums, which White calls "the jazz canon".[26] For the 2009 Full Flash Blank tour, White used a drum head with the Three Brides of Dracula on the front, but in 2010, White employed a new drum head, upon the release ofSea of Cowards, which has an image of The Third Man himself: Harry Lime attempting to escape certain capture in the sewers of Vienna. During the American leg of the 2010 tour, White switched his drum head again featuring a picture of himself in the guise he wore on the cover ofSea of Cowards. This drum head is called Sam Kay by some fans, referring to the insert inside of the 12" LP.[citation needed]
I love analog because of what it makes you do. Digital recording gives you all this freedom, all these options to change the sounds that you are putting down, and those are for the most part not good choices to have for an artist," and "Mechanics are always going to provide inherent little flaws and tiny little specks and hisses that will add to the idea of something beautiful, something romantic. Perfection, making things perfectly in time and perfectly free of extraneous noise, is not something to aspire to! Why would anyone aspire to such a thing?[142]
White has long been a proponent of analog equipment and the associated working methods.[45][64] Beginning in the fifth grade, he and his childhood friend, Dominic Suchyta, would listen to records in White's attic on weekends and began to record cover songs on an oldfour-trackreel-to-reel tape machine.[20] The White Stripes' first album was largely recorded in the attic of his parents' home.[20] As their fame grew beyond Detroit, the Stripes became known for their affected innocence and stripped-down playing style.[8] In particular, White became distinguished for his nasal vocal delivery and loose, explosive guitar delivery.[8] In an earlyNew York Times concert review from 2001, Ann Powers said that, while White's playing was "ingenious", he "created more challenges by playing an acoustic guitar with paper taped over the hole and a less-than-high-quality solid body electric".[44]
His home studio in Nashville contains two rooms ("I want everyone close, focused, feeling like we're in it together.")[2] with two pieces of equipment: a Neve mixing console,[2] and two Studer A800 2-inch 8-track tape recorders.[142]
In his introduction in the documentary film,It Might Get Loud, White showcases his minimalist style by constructing a guitar built out of a plank of wood, three nails, a glassCoke bottle, a guitar string, and a pickup. He ends the demonstration by saying, "Who says you need to buy a guitar?"[30] In a 2012 episode of the show,Portlandia, White made a cameo in a sketch spoofing home studio enthusiasts who prefer antique recording equipment.[170]
White has enjoyed both critical and commercial success, and is widely credited as one of the key artists in thegarage rock revival of the 2000s.[8] For his various collaborations and solo work, White has won regional, national and international awards, including twelveGrammy Awards (from a total of 33 nominations).[171] Nashville mayorKarl Dean awarded White the title of "Nashville Music City Ambassador" in 2011.[172]Rolling Stone ranked him number 70 on its 2010 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".[173]David Fricke's 2011 list ranked him at number 17.[174] Three of his solo albums have reached number one on the Billboard charts. Interviewers note the wide breadth of the music styles and eras he draws from for inspiration.[175] In May 2015, theMusic City Walk of Fame announced that it would be honoring White (along with Loretta Lynn) with a medallion at its re-opening in Nashville.[176] On February 8, 2017, White was the honoree of theProducers and Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy during the annual Grammy Week celebration for his commitment "to working diligently to ensure that the quality and integrity of recorded music are captured and preserved".[177]
Much has been made of White's "showmanship" and affectations.[168] Since the beginning, critics have debated the "riddle" of White's self-awareness against his claims of authenticity,[44][51] with people falling on both sides of the issue. Joe Hagan ofThe New York Times asked in 2001, "Is Mr. White, a 25-year-old former upholsterer from southwest Detroit, concocting this stuff with a wink? Or are the White Stripes simply naïve?"[51] Alexis Petridis, ofThe Guardian, said that White "makes for an enigmatic figure. Not because he's particularly difficult or guarded, but simply because what he tells you suggests a lifelong penchant for inscrutable behavior."[59] White himself confesses, "Sometimes I think I'm a simple guy, but I think the reality is I'm really complicated, as simple as I wish I was."[59]
White has been called "eccentric".[103][178] He is known for creating a mythology around his endeavors;[14] examples include his claim that the Stripes began onBastille Day,[40] that he and Meg are the two youngest of ten siblings,[40][43][179] and that Third Man Records used to be a candy factory.[21] These assertions came into question or were disproven, as when, in 2002, theDetroit Free Press produced copies of both a marriage license and divorce certificate for him and Meg, confirming their history as a married couple.[180] Neither addresses the truth officially, and Jack continues to refer to Meg as his sister in interviews,[21] including in the documentaryUnder Great White Northern Lights, filmed in 2007.[181] In a 2005 interview withRolling Stone magazine, Jack alluded to thisopen secret, implying that it was intended to keep the focus on the music rather than the couple's relationship: "When you see a band that is two pieces, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, you think, 'Oh, I see ... ' When they're brother and sister, you go, 'Oh, that's interesting.' You care more about the music, not the relationship—whether they're trying to save their relationship by being in a band."[1]
It became hypnotic. This was the minimum amount of staples I could put to hold this fabric down. The number three exemplifies the almost iconic, mysterious perfection that cannot be obtained ... To this day, I still think about it all the time.[59]
He has an attachment to the number three,[45][182] stemming from seeing three staples in the back of aVladimir Kagan couch he helped to upholster as an apprentice.[59] His business ventures frequently feature "three" in the title and he typically appends "III" to the end of his name.[36] During the White Stripes 2005 tour in the UK, White began referring to himself as "Three Quid"—"quid" being British slang for pound sterling.[183]
He maintains an aesthetic that he says challenges whether people will believe he is "real".[1][36] He frequently color-codes his endeavors, such as the aforementioned Third Man Upholstery and the White Stripes, as well as Third Man Records, which is completely outfitted in yellow, black, red, and blue (including staff uniforms).[2][184] As ataxidermy enthusiast—that correlates to his work as an upholsterer—he decorates his studio in preserved animals, including apeacock, giraffe,bison andHimalayan goat.[36][184][6]
White is protective of his privacy and gives few details of his family life, even going as far as to disseminate false information.[36] He states that he does not consider his personal life relevant to his art, saying "It's the same thing as askingMichelangelo, 'What kind of shoes do you wear?' ... In the end, it doesn't really matter ... the only thing that's going to be left is our records and photos."[50]
His collection ofephemera includeLead Belly's New York City arrest record,James Brown's Georgia driver's license from the 1980s, andAction Comics 1 featuring the first appearance ofSuperman from June 1938.[56] For $300,000 in January 2015, an online bidder won an auction for Elvis Presley's first recording ever—an acetate of the two cover songs "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin".[184] In its edition of March 6, 2015,Billboard magazine announced the buyer had been White.[184]
Raised in Detroit, White is a fan of theDetroit Tigers baseball team.[185]
On multiple occasions, he has decried video games as being useless and a waste of time, going so far as to state that he does not allow his children to play them.[186]
From 1996 to 2000, White was married to bandmateMeg White. Jack took Meg's last name, legally changing his surname.[187][180]
In 2003, White was in a relationship with actressRenée Zellweger, after they met during the filming ofCold Mountain.[67]
From 2005 to 2013, White was married to British model and singerKaren Elson. They met when she starred in theWhite Stripes' music video for "Blue Orchid".Meg White was themaid of honor at their wedding.[188] They co-parent their daughter and son.
In 2009, White met American musicianOlivia Jean at aThe Dead Weather concert.[189] They were married in 2022. They reside inNashville, Tennessee.[141]
In October 2016, upon learning that Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump had used the White Stripes songSeven Nation Army in video campaign materials, the band denounced the presidential candidate[190] and began selling shirts reading "Icky Trump"—a play on the White Stripes song "Icky Thump"—through the Third Man Records website.[191] He publicly endorsed SenatorBernie Sanders for the2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and performed a six-song set at a Sanders event at Cass Technical High School on October 27, 2019. At the rally, White stated that he believes that "Sanders is telling the truth, and I really do trust him". He was drawn in by Sanders' view that theElectoral College should be abolished, also stating at the rally that "I have this silly notion that the person who gets the most votes should be elected" and "[the Electoral College] is the reason we're in the mess we're in now".[192]
On November 20, 2022, White wrote a note toElon Musk explaining his reason for leaving the Twitter platform; he said, "So you gave Trump his Twitter platform back. Absolutely disgusting, Elon. That is officially an asshole move".[193] In August 2024, White threatened to sue theDonald Trump 2024 presidential campaign after "Seven Nation Army" was once again used without permission, calling Trump and the campaign staff "fascists".[194] He and Megreunited to file acopyright infringement lawsuit in September 2024,[195][196] which was later dropped in November 2024.[197][198]
On December 13, 2003, White was involved in an altercation withJason Stollsteimer, lead singer ofthe Von Bondies, at the Magic Stick, a Detroit club.[199][200] White was charged withmisdemeanoraggravated assault.[201] He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault andbattery, was fined $750 (including court costs), and was sentenced to takeanger management classes.[2][200]
White has repeatedly referred to conflicts that erupted between him and fellow artists in Detroit's underground music scene after the White Stripes gained international success.[1][45] In a 2006 interview with theAssociated Press, he said that he eventually left Detroit because "he could not take the negativity anymore."[202] However, in an effort to clarify his feelings towards the city of Detroit itself, he wrote and released a poem called "Courageous Dream's Concern".[202] In it, he expresses his affection for his hometown.[24][202]
I so love your heart that burns
That in your people's body yearns
To perpetuate, and permeate, the lonely dream that does encapsulate,
Your spirit, that God insulates,
With courageous dream's concern[24]
During their 2013 divorce proceedings, Elson entered into evidence an email White had sent her that included disparaging remarks aboutthe Black Keys.[36][203] When asked about the email in a 2014Rolling Stone interview, White stood by the remarks, saying, "I'll hear TV commercials where the music's ripping off sounds of mine, to the point I think it's me. Half the time, it's the Black Keys."[2] He later apologized for the comments.[204] In September 2015, Black Keys drummerPatrick Carney posted a series of tweets alleging that White tried to fight him in a bar.[205] White denied the claim in a statement toPitchfork, saying that Carney should talk to him directly, and not on the internet.[206] The following day, Carney posted a tweet saying, "Talked to jack for an hour he's cool. All good."[207] White tweeted on the Third Man Twitter account, "From one musician to another, you have my respect Patrick Carney."[206]
On February 1, 2015, theUniversity of Oklahoma's newspaperOU Daily ran a story regarding White's show of February 2 at McCasland Field House that included the publication of White's tourrider.[208] The rider, especially the guacamole recipe it included and White's ban of bananas backstage, received some media coverage.[209] It was later reported that, in response to the rider's publication, White's booking agency, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, had banned its acts from playing shows at the University of Oklahoma.[210] On February 15, White released an open letter addressed to "journalists and other people looking for drama or a diva" in which he referred to the guacamole recipe as his tour manager's "inside joke with local promoters" and "just something to break up the boredom" and the ban of bananas being alluded to food allergies of an unnamed tour member, while criticizing journalists who wrote about the rider as "out of their element".[211] In the same letter, he forgaveOU Daily for publishing the story and reaffirmed his affinity for the state of Oklahoma and his desire to perform there.[211]
Current lineup
_(53994852329).jpg)
Fear of the Dawn andEntering Heaven Alive lineup
Boarding House Reach-era lineup
Lazaretto-era lineup
| Lazaretto-era previous members
|
Blunderbuss-era lineup
The Buzzards (all-male band)
| The Peacocks (all-female band)
|
Solo albums Main article:Jack White discography
With the White Stripes Main article:The White Stripes discography
| With the Raconteurs See also:The Raconteurs § discography
With the Dead Weather See also:The Dead Weather § discography
|
Notes
References
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
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