We're up to #80 in our special feature of The Top 100 Guitarists of the Rock Era*. Our next guitarist hasn't been around long, but he's made quite an impact:
John Anthony Gillis (Jack White) was born July 9, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan. He was the lead guitarist, lead singer and pianist with the White Stripes until they broke up in February of 2011, and is also the founder of the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather.
White was attracted to classical music at an early age and began playing the drums at age six. He became interested in blues and 1960's rock that would influence him later. Jack went to Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He was all set to go to seminary in Wisconsin and be a Catholic priest, but at the last second decided to go to public school. At the age of 15, friend Brian Muldoon introduced White to punk music and coaxed him into joining his group. Muldoon played drums so White decided to play guitar. The two worked in the upholstery business and recorded an album called Makers of High Grade Suites as the Makers of High Grade Suites, as The Upholsterers. White then became the drummer for the Detroit band Goober & the Peas, played in other local bands and did a few solo performances.
White formed the White Stripes in 1997 along with Meg White. The Stripes signed with Italy Records the following year and released their self-titled debut album in 1999. The follow-up, De Stiji, became popular with a limited following. In 2001, White Stripes released White Blood Cells, which was praised by critics. In 2003, the group released Elephant, which was their most successful album, containing the single "Seven Nation Army". The album Get Behind Me Satan represented a change to more piano-drive melodies and more rhythm-based guitar playing by White. The group's sixth release Icky Thump in 2007 debuted in the U.K. at #1 and at #2 in the United States. It included more punk influences than Get Behind Me Satan.
The documentary, The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, capturing the group's 2007 tour in every Canadian province and territory, was shown at the 2009 Toronto Internaitonal Film Festival.
White formed the Raconteurs in 2005 along with Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. They released their initial album Broken Boy Soldiers and went on tour to support the album, opening for Bob Dylan. Their follow-up album salute Your Solution in 2008 received a Grammy nomination.
In 2008, White worked with Alicia Keys on "Another Way to Die", the theme song from the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. White also performed five songs for the "Cold Mountain" Soundtrack.
In 2009, White formed his third group, the Dead Weather, with lead singer Alison Mosshart, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age on keyboards and guitar, Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence and White plays drums. Dead Weather released the album Horehound in 2009 and Sea of Cowards in 2010.
White was featured in the movie It Might Get Loud, in which he, Jimmy Page and the Edge talk about the electric guitar and their unique styles.
White plays a 1965 JB Hutto Montgomery Airlines, an Airline Town & Country, a Crestwood Astral II, a Kay Hollowbody, a Grestsch White Penguin and a custom Grestsch Rancher Falcon acoustic. With the Raconteurs, White has played Grestch-styled copies of the Duo Jet double-cutaway guitar, a Grestsch Anniversary Jr. with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece and three Filtertron pickups. Recently, White added a custom white Billy Gibbons/Bo Diddley signature Grestsch Jupiter Thunderbird.
Unlike some of our featured guitarists, which rely on their own talent to produce effects, White uses numerous special effects, including relying on a DigiTech Whammy WH-4. He uses a Fender Twin Reverb, a MXR Micro Amp and two 100-watt Sears Silvertone 6 x 10 combo amplifiers and custom Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Distortion/Sustainer, the Polyphonic Octave Generator, a Whammy IV and three Z.Vex Tremolo Probes.
White plays the power chords by using his little finger rather than his ring finger for the higher notes.
In 2011, White was awarded the title of Nashville Music City Ambassador by Nashville mayor Karl Dean. White is set to release his debut solo album, Blunderbuss, in April of 2012.
Jack White, one of the most talented of the newer guitar players of the last 20 years or so, ranks #80 for the Rock Era*.
#80: Jack White, White Stripes
23 years as an active guitarist
John Anthony Gillis (Jack White) was born July 9, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan. He was the lead guitarist, lead singer and pianist with the White Stripes until they broke up in February of 2011, and is also the founder of the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather.
White was attracted to classical music at an early age and began playing the drums at age six. He became interested in blues and 1960's rock that would influence him later. Jack went to Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He was all set to go to seminary in Wisconsin and be a Catholic priest, but at the last second decided to go to public school. At the age of 15, friend Brian Muldoon introduced White to punk music and coaxed him into joining his group. Muldoon played drums so White decided to play guitar. The two worked in the upholstery business and recorded an album called Makers of High Grade Suites as the Makers of High Grade Suites, as The Upholsterers. White then became the drummer for the Detroit band Goober & the Peas, played in other local bands and did a few solo performances.
White formed the White Stripes in 1997 along with Meg White. The Stripes signed with Italy Records the following year and released their self-titled debut album in 1999. The follow-up, De Stiji, became popular with a limited following. In 2001, White Stripes released White Blood Cells, which was praised by critics. In 2003, the group released Elephant, which was their most successful album, containing the single "Seven Nation Army". The album Get Behind Me Satan represented a change to more piano-drive melodies and more rhythm-based guitar playing by White. The group's sixth release Icky Thump in 2007 debuted in the U.K. at #1 and at #2 in the United States. It included more punk influences than Get Behind Me Satan.
The documentary, The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, capturing the group's 2007 tour in every Canadian province and territory, was shown at the 2009 Toronto Internaitonal Film Festival.
White formed the Raconteurs in 2005 along with Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. They released their initial album Broken Boy Soldiers and went on tour to support the album, opening for Bob Dylan. Their follow-up album salute Your Solution in 2008 received a Grammy nomination.
In 2008, White worked with Alicia Keys on "Another Way to Die", the theme song from the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. White also performed five songs for the "Cold Mountain" Soundtrack.
In 2009, White formed his third group, the Dead Weather, with lead singer Alison Mosshart, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age on keyboards and guitar, Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence and White plays drums. Dead Weather released the album Horehound in 2009 and Sea of Cowards in 2010.
White was featured in the movie It Might Get Loud, in which he, Jimmy Page and the Edge talk about the electric guitar and their unique styles.
White plays a 1965 JB Hutto Montgomery Airlines, an Airline Town & Country, a Crestwood Astral II, a Kay Hollowbody, a Grestsch White Penguin and a custom Grestsch Rancher Falcon acoustic. With the Raconteurs, White has played Grestch-styled copies of the Duo Jet double-cutaway guitar, a Grestsch Anniversary Jr. with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece and three Filtertron pickups. Recently, White added a custom white Billy Gibbons/Bo Diddley signature Grestsch Jupiter Thunderbird.
Unlike some of our featured guitarists, which rely on their own talent to produce effects, White uses numerous special effects, including relying on a DigiTech Whammy WH-4. He uses a Fender Twin Reverb, a MXR Micro Amp and two 100-watt Sears Silvertone 6 x 10 combo amplifiers and custom Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Distortion/Sustainer, the Polyphonic Octave Generator, a Whammy IV and three Z.Vex Tremolo Probes.
White plays the power chords by using his little finger rather than his ring finger for the higher notes.
In 2011, White was awarded the title of Nashville Music City Ambassador by Nashville mayor Karl Dean. White is set to release his debut solo album, Blunderbuss, in April of 2012.
Jack White, one of the most talented of the newer guitar players of the last 20 years or so, ranks #80 for the Rock Era*.
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