Clarence White
Encyclopedia
Clarence White (June 7, 1944 – July 15, 1973) was a guitar
player for Nashville West
, The Byrds
, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels
. His parents were Acadians from New Brunswick, Canada. The father, Eric LeBlanc, Sr., played fiddle
, guitar, banjo
and harmonica
, and his children, Roland
, Eric Jr., Joanne and Clarence took up music at a young age.
, Maine
. In 1954 the family followed relatives to Burbank, California
from Madawaska, Maine
. That year, the White brothers (Roland, Clarence, and Eric Jr.) formed a band called the Three Little Country Boys. They soon secured a regular spot on a local radio program, and attracted the interest of country star, Joe Maphis
. In 1958 the band cut their first single, and had become well enough known to land several appearances on the Andy Griffith Show. In late 1962, the Country Boys became the Kentucky Colonels
.
Despite their successes, the Colonels were having a harder time making a living playing bluegrass
. The folk boom had been staggered by the British Invasion
in 1964, but the death blow, ironically, was dealt in mid-1965 with the release of "Mr. Tambourine Man
" by The Byrds
and "Subterranean Homesick Blues
" by Bob Dylan
. While they did attempt to experiment with electric instrumentation, this was only met with indifference from rock audiences and consternation from their folk and country fan base. By October 1965, the Colonels dissolved as an ongoing unit after playing their final show on Halloween night.
, and performed at night with future Byrd Gene Parsons
in the group Nashville West
. Along with the International Submarine Band
and the Flying Burrito Brothers
, the band was one of the first to play a seamless blend of country and rock in modern pop music.
White's association with the Byrds began in earnest in 1966, when he contributed his distinctive playing to former member Gene Clark
's solo album Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers
; he and Gene Parsons briefly joined Clark's touring band shortly thereafter. Striking up an acquaintance with Byrds bassist Chris Hillman (who played mandolin in bluegrass combo The Hillmen
before electing to join the rock wave) during the Clark sessions, White contributed twangy lead guitar to two of his songs from the album Younger Than Yesterday
: "Time Between" and "The Girl With No Name". Both of the country flavored songs were a bit of a stylistic departure for the group, who until that point had rarely strayed from folk or psychedelic rock.
White was invited back to play on The Byrds' next album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers
, and he also contributed to Sweetheart of the Rodeo
, the group's Gram Parsons
-led foray into traditional honky-tonk which has become a landmark recording.
After the abrupt departure of Gram Parsons in 1968, with Hillman following not long after, White was finally invited to join the reconstituted Byrds in September 1968, remaining until the group was finally dissolved by Roger McGuinn
in 1973. The White-era group (McGuinn, White, Gene Parsons, and bassists John York
and Skip Battin
), while never held in the same esteem as the original band and often dismissed as being little more than McGuinn and his backing band, would maintain a loyal following into the early 70s and record five albums to somewhat favorable reception. However, while the original group's ability to play live was often questioned, the latter-day Byrds – propelled by the intertwining lead/rhythm guitars of White and McGuinn – were considered to be one of the live powerhouses of the epoch (see Live at the Fillmore - February 1969
). Never one to abandon his roots, White was well-known for downplaying his onstage virtuosity, maintaining the stern "poker face" composure common amongst bluegrass musicians.
Despite being on the road for the majority of the year (poor business decisions had left the band wallowing in debt, forcing McGuinn to continue to use the Byrds moniker and interminable stretches of road work), White continued to play sessions during his Byrds tenure, alternating with Ry Cooder
as guitarist on Randy Newman
's 12 Songs
and collaborating with singer-songwriter Jackson Browne
on his albums. Periodically fronting the group, White sang the Browne composition "Jamaica Say You Will" on Byrdmaniax
and the bluegrass standard "Farther Along
", providing the title for the group's final album.
on board for the band's farewell show, much of McGuinn's attentions had been diverted to a possible reunion of the original Byrds, contingent on his disbanding of the "other" Byrds. After fulfilling their final obligations in early 1973, the Clarence White-era Byrds broke up.
White remained busy throughout early 1973. In addition to more Browne sessions, he joined with Peter Rowan, David Grisman
, fiddler Richard Green
and banjo player Bill Keith
to form the bluegrass supergroup Muleskinner. The group was scheduled to back up Bill Monroe
on a TV broadcast, but ended up performing on their own when Bill's bus broke down on the way to the show. The band played anyhow and the live tapes once thought lost have reappeared and been released in recent years. Shortly after the concert, they made some preliminary recordings, all of which were in the vein of contemporary bluegrass or "newgrass". Then there was the 1973 tour that produced the "Live in Sweden" album, with Alan Munde on banjo.
His final road jaunt was a three-date "country-rock" package tour with the likes of Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris
, Sneaky Pete Kleinow
, and Chris Ethridge
. Even though they had presumably been acquainted with one another in the past, Parsons and White would develop a fast friendship after what was by all accounts a very acrimonious re-acquaintance.
White died on July 15, 1973 after being struck by a drunk driver. The accident occurred shortly after 2 a.m., while he and his brother Roland were loading equipment into their car following a spur-of-the moment reunion gig of the Colonels. Especially shaken by his death was Gram Parsons, who would lead a singalong of "Farther Along" at the funeral service and conceive his final song before his own death, "In My Hour of Darkness", as a partial tribute to White.
Clarence White is survived by his brothers Roland and Eric and sisters JoAnne and Rosemarie, one daughter, Michelle, and her five children.
). Many of the most influential flatpickers
of the 20th century cite White as a primary influence, including Dan Crary
, Norman Blake
, and Tony Rice
. Rice owns and plays White's highly modified 1935 Martin D-28. David Grier
and Russ Barenberg
are two other acoustic guitarists who were heavily influenced by White's guitar work.
On the electric side of the guitar spectrum, White was similarly influential. Together with fellow Byrds bandmember Gene Parsons
, White invented the B-Bender
device. This device raises the B-string (second string) of the guitar a whole step by the use of pulleys and levers attached to both the upper strap knob and the second string on the guitar. It is activated by pushing down on the neck, and produces a "pedal steel" type sound. Subsequently, his Telecaster sound became as notable as his bluegrass playing. Marty Stuart
, another guitarist influenced by White's playing, now owns and regularly plays White's 1954 Fender Telecaster
with the prototype B-Bender.
In 2003, White was ranked #41 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2010, guitar manufacturer Gibson
ranked White at #42 on their Top 50 Guitarists of All Time list.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player for Nashville West
Nashville West
As a session band, Nashville West recorded prolifically, though never under the Nashville West name, backing other artists on Gary S. Paxton's record label. However, in 1976, an album under the name Nashville West was eventually released on the Sierra Records label...
, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels (band)
The Kentucky Colonels was a popular bluegrass band in the 1960s. They included Clarence White, later with The Byrds.-History:The White brothers started out as the Country Boys in 1954, with their brother Eric. With the addition of Latham, Mack and Sloane, and Roger Bush replacing Eric, they changed...
. His parents were Acadians from New Brunswick, Canada. The father, Eric LeBlanc, Sr., played fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, guitar, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, and his children, Roland
Roland White
Roland White is an American bluegrass music artist, performing principally on the mandolin.-Biography:At an early age, White formed himself, his two brothers and his sister into a bluegrass band which performed locally...
, Eric Jr., Joanne and Clarence took up music at a young age.
The Kentucky Colonels
Clarence Joseph LeBlanc was born on June 7, 1944 in LewistonLewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. In 1954 the family followed relatives to Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
from Madawaska, Maine
Madawaska, Maine
Madawaska is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,035 at the 2010 census. Madawaska is opposite Edmundston in Madawaska County in New Brunswick, Canada, to which it is connected by the Edmundston-Madawaska Bridge. Today many of its residents speak French; 83.4% of...
. That year, the White brothers (Roland, Clarence, and Eric Jr.) formed a band called the Three Little Country Boys. They soon secured a regular spot on a local radio program, and attracted the interest of country star, Joe Maphis
Joe Maphis
Joe Maphis, born Otis W. Maphis , was an American country music guitarist. He married singer Rose Lee Maphis in 1948....
. In 1958 the band cut their first single, and had become well enough known to land several appearances on the Andy Griffith Show. In late 1962, the Country Boys became the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels (band)
The Kentucky Colonels was a popular bluegrass band in the 1960s. They included Clarence White, later with The Byrds.-History:The White brothers started out as the Country Boys in 1954, with their brother Eric. With the addition of Latham, Mack and Sloane, and Roger Bush replacing Eric, they changed...
.
Despite their successes, the Colonels were having a harder time making a living playing bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
. The folk boom had been staggered by the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
in 1964, but the death blow, ironically, was dealt in mid-1965 with the release of "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" by The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and "Subterranean Homesick Blues
Subterranean Homesick Blues
"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, originally released in 1965 as a single on Columbia Records, catalogue 43242. It appeared 19 days later as the lead track to the album Bringing It All Back Home. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit, peaking at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also...
" by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. While they did attempt to experiment with electric instrumentation, this was only met with indifference from rock audiences and consternation from their folk and country fan base. By October 1965, the Colonels dissolved as an ongoing unit after playing their final show on Halloween night.
The Byrds
After the dissolution of the Colonels, White found employment as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, playing on early records of The MonkeesThe Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, and performed at night with future Byrd Gene Parsons
Gene Parsons
Gene Victor Parsons is an American drummer, banjo player, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and innovative engineer, best known for his work with The Byrds from 1968 to 1972. Parsons has also released solo albums and played in bands including Nashville West, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Parsons Green...
in the group Nashville West
Nashville West
As a session band, Nashville West recorded prolifically, though never under the Nashville West name, backing other artists on Gary S. Paxton's record label. However, in 1976, an album under the name Nashville West was eventually released on the Sierra Records label...
. Along with the International Submarine Band
International submarine band
The International Submarine Band was formed by country rock pioneer Gram Parsons while a theology student at Harvard University and John Nuese, a guitar player for local rock group, The Trolls. Nuese is largely credited with having persuaded Parsons to pursue the country-rock sound he would later...
and the Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers was an early country rock band, best known for its influential debut album,The Gilded Palace of Sin . Although the group is most often mentioned in connection with country rock legends Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel changes.-Original...
, the band was one of the first to play a seamless blend of country and rock in modern pop music.
White's association with the Byrds began in earnest in 1966, when he contributed his distinctive playing to former member Gene Clark
Gene Clark
Gene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
's solo album Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers
Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers
Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers is the debut solo album of Gene Clark, released in February of 1967 on Columbia Records, catalogue CS 9418. It was his first effort after his departure from folk-rock group the Byrds in 1966...
; he and Gene Parsons briefly joined Clark's touring band shortly thereafter. Striking up an acquaintance with Byrds bassist Chris Hillman (who played mandolin in bluegrass combo The Hillmen
The Hillmen
The Hillmen were a southern Californian bluegrass group. Formed in 1962, the original line-up of the Golden State Boys consisted of Vern Gosdin on guitar and lead vocals, his brother Rex Gosdin on double bass, Hal Poindexter on guitar, and Don Parmley on banjo...
before electing to join the rock wave) during the Clark sessions, White contributed twangy lead guitar to two of his songs from the album Younger Than Yesterday
Younger Than Yesterday
Younger Than Yesterday is the fourth album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in February 1967 on Columbia Records . The album saw the band continuing to integrate elements of psychedelic rock into their music, a process they had begun on their previous LP...
: "Time Between" and "The Girl With No Name". Both of the country flavored songs were a bit of a stylistic departure for the group, who until that point had rarely strayed from folk or psychedelic rock.
White was invited back to play on The Byrds' next album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the fifth album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in January 1968 on Columbia Records . Musically, the album represents the pinnacle of The Byrds' psychedelic experimentation, with the band blending together elements of folk rock, psychedelic rock,...
, and he also contributed to Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo is the sixth album by American rock band The Byrds and was released on August 30, 1968 on Columbia Records...
, the group's Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
-led foray into traditional honky-tonk which has become a landmark recording.
After the abrupt departure of Gram Parsons in 1968, with Hillman following not long after, White was finally invited to join the reconstituted Byrds in September 1968, remaining until the group was finally dissolved by Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
in 1973. The White-era group (McGuinn, White, Gene Parsons, and bassists John York
John York (musician)
John Foley York is an American bassist and guitarist, born in White Plains, New York on August 3, 1946. He is best known for his work with The Byrds, who he joined in September 1968 as a replacement for the band's original bass player Chris Hillman. He remained with the group until September...
and Skip Battin
Skip Battin
Clyde "Skip" Battin was an American singer–songwriter, performer and recording artist. He is best remembered as a member of The Byrds, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Flying Burrito Brothers...
), while never held in the same esteem as the original band and often dismissed as being little more than McGuinn and his backing band, would maintain a loyal following into the early 70s and record five albums to somewhat favorable reception. However, while the original group's ability to play live was often questioned, the latter-day Byrds – propelled by the intertwining lead/rhythm guitars of White and McGuinn – were considered to be one of the live powerhouses of the epoch (see Live at the Fillmore - February 1969
Live at the Fillmore - February 1969
Live at the Fillmore — February 1969 is a live album released by the American rock band The Byrds in 2000 on Columbia Records. This release was compiled from two performances at the famed Fillmore West on February 7 & 8, 1969. The album includes several songs not found on the group's studio...
). Never one to abandon his roots, White was well-known for downplaying his onstage virtuosity, maintaining the stern "poker face" composure common amongst bluegrass musicians.
Despite being on the road for the majority of the year (poor business decisions had left the band wallowing in debt, forcing McGuinn to continue to use the Byrds moniker and interminable stretches of road work), White continued to play sessions during his Byrds tenure, alternating with Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
as guitarist on Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
's 12 Songs
12 Songs (Randy Newman album)
12 Songs is a 1970 album by singer/songwriter Randy Newman. His second album, 12 Songs received much better reviews than his first. On 12 Songs Newman collaborates with Clarence White and Ry Cooder. The album set the stage for Newman's later career with songs sung from the point of view of...
and collaborating with singer-songwriter Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
on his albums. Periodically fronting the group, White sang the Browne composition "Jamaica Say You Will" on Byrdmaniax
Byrdmaniax
Byrdmaniax is the tenth album by the American rock band The Byrds. It was released in June 1971 on Columbia Records at a time of renewed commercial and critical success for the band, due to the positive reception that their two previous albums, Ballad of Easy Rider and , had received...
and the bluegrass standard "Farther Along
Farther Along (song)
"Farther Along" is a Southern Gospel song published by the Stamps-Baxter Music Company.-History:The lyrics to the song were written in 1911 by Rev. W. A. Fletcher, an itinerant preacher, while he was travelling to the Indian Territories by train...
", providing the title for the group's final album.
Post-Byrds and death
By 1972, the pace of the group had slowed considerably; while they would mount two more tours with percussionist Joe LalaJoe Lala
Joe Lala is an actor and voice actor, notable for his dubbing of Kun Lan of the video-game Killer7.He also played drums and percussion on 32 gold and 28 platinum albums. His credits include Blues Image, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Manassas, The Bee Gees, Whitney Houston, and many...
on board for the band's farewell show, much of McGuinn's attentions had been diverted to a possible reunion of the original Byrds, contingent on his disbanding of the "other" Byrds. After fulfilling their final obligations in early 1973, the Clarence White-era Byrds broke up.
White remained busy throughout early 1973. In addition to more Browne sessions, he joined with Peter Rowan, David Grisman
David Grisman
David Grisman is an American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label in an effort to preserve and spread acoustic or instrumental music.-Biography:Grisman grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey...
, fiddler Richard Green
Richard Greene (fiddle player)
Richard Greene is a violinist and "one of the most innovative and influential fiddle players of all time".-Biography:...
and banjo player Bill Keith
Bill Keith (musician)
Bill Keith is a five-string banjoist who made a significant contribution to the stylistic development of the instrument. In the 1960s he introduced a variation on the popular "Scruggs style" of banjo playing which would soon become known as melodic style, or "Keith style." -Professional...
to form the bluegrass supergroup Muleskinner. The group was scheduled to back up Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
on a TV broadcast, but ended up performing on their own when Bill's bus broke down on the way to the show. The band played anyhow and the live tapes once thought lost have reappeared and been released in recent years. Shortly after the concert, they made some preliminary recordings, all of which were in the vein of contemporary bluegrass or "newgrass". Then there was the 1973 tour that produced the "Live in Sweden" album, with Alan Munde on banjo.
His final road jaunt was a three-date "country-rock" package tour with the likes of Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Sneaky Pete Kleinow
Sneaky Pete Kleinow
Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow was an American country-rock musician, songwriter, and a motion picture special effects artist...
, and Chris Ethridge
Chris Ethridge
Chris Ethridge is an American country rock bass guitarist. He was a member of the International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers, and co-wrote several songs with Gram Parsons.-Career:...
. Even though they had presumably been acquainted with one another in the past, Parsons and White would develop a fast friendship after what was by all accounts a very acrimonious re-acquaintance.
White died on July 15, 1973 after being struck by a drunk driver. The accident occurred shortly after 2 a.m., while he and his brother Roland were loading equipment into their car following a spur-of-the moment reunion gig of the Colonels. Especially shaken by his death was Gram Parsons, who would lead a singalong of "Farther Along" at the funeral service and conceive his final song before his own death, "In My Hour of Darkness", as a partial tribute to White.
Clarence White is survived by his brothers Roland and Eric and sisters JoAnne and Rosemarie, one daughter, Michelle, and her five children.
Musical influence
Clarence White helped popularize the acoustic guitar as a lead instrument in bluegrass music, building on the work of guitarists such as Doc Watson. Prior to the advent of the more aggressive flatpicking style pioneered by guitarists like Watson and White, the guitar was strictly a rhythm instrument, save for a few exceptions (such as the occasional guitar track by banjoist Don RenoDon Reno
Don Wesley Reno was an American bluegrass and country musician best known as a banjo player in partnership with Red Smiley, and later with guitarist Bill Harrell.-Biography:...
). Many of the most influential flatpickers
Flatpicking
Flatpicking is a technique for playing a guitar using a guitar pick held between two or three fingers to strike the strings...
of the 20th century cite White as a primary influence, including Dan Crary
Dan Crary
Dan Crary is an American bluegrass guitarist.He helped re-establish flatpicked guitar as a prominent soloing bluegrass instrument. Crary is an innovator of the flatpicking style of guitar playing. He is also a Speech communications Professor at California State University, Fullerton...
, Norman Blake
Norman Blake
Norman Blake may refer to:*Norman Blake , American folk & bluegrass instrumentalist and vocalist*Norman Blake , Scottish rock musician who is a member of Teenage Fanclub...
, and Tony Rice
Tony Rice
Tony Rice is an American acoustic guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is considered one of the most influential acoustic guitar players in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz.Rice spans the range of acoustic music, from traditional bluegrass to jazz-influenced New...
. Rice owns and plays White's highly modified 1935 Martin D-28. David Grier
David Grier
David Grier is an American acoustic guitarist. He is considered to be one of the premier flatpicking guitarists in the world. His unique phrasing and his ability to create multiple variations on a theme are hallmarks of his playing style...
and Russ Barenberg
Russ Barenberg
Russ Barenberg is a Grammy-nominated American bluegrass musician.-Biography:Barenberg began playing guitar at age 13, taking lessons from Alan Miller, whose brother John Miller Barenberg he would later play with. His style was heavily influenced by the flatpicking technique of Clarence White. He...
are two other acoustic guitarists who were heavily influenced by White's guitar work.
On the electric side of the guitar spectrum, White was similarly influential. Together with fellow Byrds bandmember Gene Parsons
Gene Parsons
Gene Victor Parsons is an American drummer, banjo player, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and innovative engineer, best known for his work with The Byrds from 1968 to 1972. Parsons has also released solo albums and played in bands including Nashville West, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Parsons Green...
, White invented the B-Bender
B-Bender
B-Bender is a guitar accessory that enables a player to mechanically bend the B-string up a whole tone to C-sharp. There are several different designs, but all use levers or pulleys inside or outside the guitar body that are activated by a pull or push of the guitar neck, body, or bridge...
device. This device raises the B-string (second string) of the guitar a whole step by the use of pulleys and levers attached to both the upper strap knob and the second string on the guitar. It is activated by pushing down on the neck, and produces a "pedal steel" type sound. Subsequently, his Telecaster sound became as notable as his bluegrass playing. Marty Stuart
Marty Stuart
John Martin "Marty" Stuart is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for both his traditional style, and eclectic merging of rockabilly, honky tonk, and traditional country music...
, another guitarist influenced by White's playing, now owns and regularly plays White's 1954 Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
with the prototype B-Bender.
In 2003, White was ranked #41 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2010, guitar manufacturer Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
ranked White at #42 on their Top 50 Guitarists of All Time list.
External links
- The Clarence White Forum
- The Essential Clarence White Bluegrass Guitar Leads Retrieved April 19, 2009.
- AOL Biography
- Byrd Watcher: Clarence White. Retrieved October 5, 2008.