Clarence White, born Clarence Joseph LeBlanc, was an American bluegrass and country guitarist and singer, known for his work with the Kentucky Colonels and the Byrds. He was a pioneer of the musical genre of country rock during the late 1960s and worked extensively as a session musician, appearing on recordings by numerous artists, including the Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, and Randy Newman.
White was born on June 7, 1944, in Lewiston, Maine, to the LeBlanc family, who later changed their surname to White. His father, Eric LeBlanc Sr., played various instruments, including guitar, banjo, fiddle, and harmonica, and ensured that his children grew up surrounded by music. Clarence started playing guitar at the age of six, but due to his young age and small hands, he briefly switched to ukulele.
In 1954, the White family moved to Burbank, California, and Clarence joined his brothers Roland and Eric Jr. in a trio called Three Little Country Boys. They started out playing contemporary country music but soon switched to a purely bluegrass repertoire, with banjoist Billy Ray Latham and Dobro player LeRoy Mack joining the line-up. The band renamed themselves the Country Boys in 1957, and in 1961, they added Roger Bush on double bass, appearing on two episodes of The Andy Griffith Show that same year. Between 1959 and 1962, the group released three singles on different record labels.
Following the recording sessions for the Country Boys' debut album, the band changed its name to the Kentucky Colonels in September 1962, at the suggestion of country guitarist and friend Joe Maphis. The band's album, The New Sound of Bluegrass America, was released by Briar International in early 1963. Around this time, White's flatpicking guitar style was becoming a more prominent part of the group's music. After attending a performance by Doc Watson, he began to explore the possibilities of the acoustic guitar's role in bluegrass music, integrating elements of Watson's playing style into his own flatpicking technique.
The Kentucky Colonels became well-known on the bluegrass circuit and made many live appearances throughout California and the United States. White's breathtaking speed and virtuosity on the guitar made it a lead instrument within bluegrass. The Colonels' second album, Appalachian Swing!, was a commercial success and saw White's flatpicking permanently expand the language of bluegrass guitar, helping to pioneer a new style in bluegrass.
Although they were a successful recording act, the Colonels found it difficult to make a living due to the waning popularity of the American folk music revival. As a result, they switched to electric instrumentation and hired a drummer, but the band dissolved following a show on October 31, 1965. Clarence, Roland, and Eric Jr. formed a new line-up of the Colonels in 1966, but this second version of the group was short-lived, and they broke up by early 1967.
White's session work as a guitarist continued, and he contributed to recordings by many artists, including Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" and Randy Newman's "Sail Away." He also worked with Gene Parsons on the invention of the B-Bender, a guitar accessory that enables a player to mechanically bend the B-string up a whole tone and emulate the sound of a pedal steel guitar.
In 1968, White joined the Byrds as their lead guitarist, contributing to their seminal country rock albums, "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" and "Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde."
Born as Clarence Joseph LeBlanc in Lewiston, Maine on June 7, 1944, he began playing guitar at the age of six and later switched to ukulele until his hands grew enough to confidently handle the guitar. White's family moved to Burbank, California in 1954, where he joined his brothers in the Three Little Country Boys, which later became the Country Boys.
White and other members of the Country Boys appeared on two episodes of The Andy Griffith Show in 1961. The Country Boys changed their name to the Kentucky Colonels in September 1962 and became well known on the bluegrass circuit, releasing three singles between 1959 and 1962. The group made many live appearances throughout California and the United States, and White's flatpicking guitar style was becoming an increasingly prominent part of the group's music.
White's flatpicking style was largely responsible for making the guitar a lead instrument in bluegrass music, redefining the acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. In addition to his work with the Kentucky Colonels, White was also a session musician, appearing on recordings by many renowned artists, including the Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, and Linda Ronstadt.
In mid-February 1973, White joined a bluegrass supergroup called Muleskinner, along with Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Richard Greene, and Bill Keith. The band was initially assembled as a one-off pickup band to back bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe for a television program, but they ended up performing on their own when Monroe's tour bus broke down on the way to the television studios. A recording of this broadcast was released as an album in 1992, under the title Muleskinner Live, and the band was offered a one-album recording contract with Warner Bros. Records.
White reunited with his brothers Roland and Eric Jr. for a tour as the White Brothers in 1973, and after playing a handful of shows in California, they departed for Europe in May 1973. White's final bout of touring took place with the New Kentucky Colonels in June 1973, as part of a four-date country rock package tour. Following the end of the package tour, White entered the recording studio with producer Jim Dickson to begin work on a solo album. He recorded a total of six songs, four of which were belatedly released on the archival album Silver Meteor: A Progressive Country Anthology in 1980.
Unfortunately, White's career was cut short when he died on July 15, 1973, after being struck by a drunk driver. White's death was a significant loss to the music world, and he was survived by his brothers Roland and Eric and sisters JoAnne and Rosemarie, and his one daughter, Michelle.
White's influence on music is profound and far-reaching, as he helped popularize the acoustic guitar as a lead instrument in bluegrass music. He was an inspiration to many notable guitarists such as Dan Crary, Norman Blake, and Tony Rice, and his bluegrass playing with the Kentucky Colonels influenced Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. White was also influential on the electric side of the guitar spectrum, and he invented the B-Bender device with fellow Byrds band member Gene Parsons.
Alec Palao, a music archivist and writer, has referred to White as "one of a handful of true greats amongst the instrumentalists of 20th-century popular music." Rolling Stone magazine ranked White No. 41 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2003, and in 2010,
By Adam R Sweet. Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved
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