Jack White

Jack White
White in 2021
White in 2021
Background information
Birth nameJohn Anthony Gillis
Also known asJack White III
Born (1975-07-09) July 9, 1975 (age 49)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass guitar
  • keyboards
  • drums
DiscographyJack White discography
Years active1994–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly of
Spouses
  • (m. 1996; div. 2000)
  • (m. 2005; div. 2013)
  • (m. 2022)
Websitejackwhiteiii.com

John Anthony White ( Gillis; born July 9, 1975) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer who achieved international fame as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the 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-wife Meg 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 as Loretta Lynn and Bob Dylan.[1] In 2005, White founded the Raconteurs with Brendan Benson, and in 2009 founded the Dead Weather with Alison Mosshart of the Kills. In 2008, he recorded "Another Way to Die", the title song for the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace, alongside Alicia Keys, making them the only duet to perform a Bond theme.

As a solo artist, White has released six solo studio albums, which have garnered critical and commercial success. He is a board member of the Library of Congress' National Recording Preservation Foundation. His record label and studio Third Man Records releases vinyl 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 famous blues artists. He is a vocal advocate for analog technology and recording techniques.

A key artist of the 2000s garage rock revival, White is known for his distinctive musical techniques and eccentricity. He has won 12 Grammy Awards among other 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 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, but were not inducted.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference WOW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference jonah was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  4. ^ "100 Greatest Guitarists". Rolling Stone. December 18, 2015. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  5. ^ Fricke, David (December 3, 2010). "100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Eells, Josh (April 5, 2012). "Jack Outside the Box". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.