Clarence White facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Clarence White

Background information
Birth name	Clarence Joseph LeBlanc
Born	June 7, 1944 Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
Died	July 15, 1973(1973-07-15) (aged 29) Palmdale, California, U.S.
Genres	Bluegrass, country, country rock, rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer
Instruments	Guitar, mandolin, vocals
Years active	1954–1973
Labels	Sundown, Republic, Briar International, World Pacific, Bakersfield International, Columbia, Warner Bros.
Associated acts	The Kentucky Colonels, Nashville West, The Byrds, Muleskinner

Clarence White (born Clarence Joseph LeBlanc; June 7, 1944 – July 15, 1973) was an American bluegrass and country guitarist and singer. He was a very important musician who helped create a new style of music called country rock in the late 1960s.

Clarence White was famous for being a member of two bands: the bluegrass group The Kentucky Colonels and the rock band The Byrds. He also played guitar for many other famous artists as a session musician, meaning he was hired to play on their recordings. Some of these artists included The Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, and The Monkees.

With his friend Gene Parsons, Clarence White invented a special guitar part called the B-Bender. This device helped him make his guitar sound like a pedal steel guitar. In 2016, he was honored by being added to the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame.

Early Years of Clarence White

Clarence Joseph LeBlanc was born on June 7, 1944, in Lewiston, Maine. His family, who later changed their last name to White, came from Canada. Clarence's father played many instruments, so Clarence grew up surrounded by music. He started playing guitar when he was only six years old. At first, he was too small to hold a guitar, so he played the ukulele until his hands grew bigger.

In 1954, when Clarence was ten, his family moved to Burbank, California. Soon after, he joined his brothers Roland and Eric Jr. in a band called Three Little Country Boys. Roland played the mandolin and Eric Jr. played the banjo. They started by playing country music, but soon switched to bluegrass.

In 1957, the band added two more members and changed their name to The Country Boys. In 1961, they added Roger Bush on bass. That same year, Clarence and The Country Boys appeared on two episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. Between 1959 and 1962, they released three songs on different record labels.

The Kentucky Colonels' Music Journey

After recording their first album, The Country Boys changed their name to The Kentucky Colonels in 1962. Their album, The New Sound of Bluegrass America, came out in 1963.

Around this time, Clarence's special way of playing guitar, called flatpicking, became very important to the band's sound. He saw a famous guitarist named Doc Watson play and was inspired to make the acoustic guitar a lead instrument in bluegrass. Before this, the guitar was mostly used for rhythm. Clarence learned from Doc Watson and added his own fast and skillful playing. His amazing guitar work helped make the guitar a main instrument in bluegrass music.

The Kentucky Colonels became very popular and played many shows across California and the U.S. Clarence also played on another album that later became the soundtrack album for the movie Deliverance.

In 1964, the band released their second album, Appalachian Swing!. This album was very successful and showed how Clarence's guitar playing was changing bluegrass music forever. A music critic said that Clarence's playing on the album "helped pioneer a new style in bluegrass."

Even though they were successful, it became hard for the Kentucky Colonels to earn enough money. People were listening to different kinds of music like folk rock and bands from the British Invasion. So, the Colonels started using electric instruments and added a drummer. But these changes didn't help much, and the band broke up in late 1965. Clarence and his brothers tried to form a new version of the band in 1966, but it didn't last long.

Clarence White's Session Work (1966–1968)

By 1965, Clarence White was a well-known guitarist. He started looking beyond bluegrass and became interested in rock 'n' roll. He admired country guitarists like Doc Watson and Joe Maphis, but also jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and rock 'n' roll star Chuck Berry.

Clarence switched from his acoustic guitar to an electric Fender Telecaster. He wanted to become a studio musician, someone who plays on other artists' recordings, like his hero James Burton. He quickly learned how to play the electric guitar. Between 1965 and 1968, he played on recordings for artists like Ricky Nelson and The Monkees.

In 1966, Clarence met Gene Parsons and Gib Guilbeau. He started playing live with them and also played on their records. That same year, Clarence played lead guitar on former Byrds member Gene Clark's first solo album.

During these recording sessions, Clarence reconnected with Chris Hillman, who was a member of The Byrds. In 1966, Chris invited Clarence to play country-style guitar on two songs for The Byrds' album Younger Than Yesterday. This was a new sound for The Byrds and showed their interest in country music. Clarence also played guitar on their next albums, The Notorious Byrd Brothers and the famous 1968 country rock album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

Nashville West: A New Sound

By mid-1967, Clarence White was playing in a band called The Reasons, also known as Nashville West. This band included Gene Parsons on drums and Gib Guilbeau as lead singer. They often played at a club called Nashville West and used the club's name for their band.

Many people now see Nashville West as one of the first bands to perfectly mix country and rock music. A live recording of Nashville West was released in 1979. It showed how the band used more electric rock sounds than most country bands at that time.

In July 1967, Clarence White released two solo songs: "Tango for a Sad Mood" and "Grandma Funderbunks Music Box." He also recorded a solo album, but it was never released.

The StringBender: A Guitar Invention

A drawing of the first Parsons/White StringBender (also called the B-Bender)

In 1967, while playing in Nashville West, Clarence White and Gene Parsons invented a special device. This device helped Clarence make his electric guitar sound like a pedal steel guitar. Clarence wanted to bend his guitar's B-string (the second string) up a whole step, but he needed a "third hand" to do it while playing. So, he asked his friend Gene Parsons, who was good at building things, to help him.

The device they created was called the Parsons/White StringBender, or the B-Bender. It was a spring-lever system built inside Clarence's guitar. It connected to the guitar's strap button and the B-string. When Clarence pulled down on the guitar neck, it would pull the B-string. This made the guitar create the "crying" sound of a pedal steel. Clarence used this invention a lot when he played with The Byrds. The unique sound of the StringBender became a key part of The Byrds' music during his time with them.

Clarence White Joins The Byrds

In July 1968, after Gram Parsons left The Byrds, Clarence White was asked to join the band full-time. He stayed with The Byrds until the band broke up in February 1973. This made him the second longest-serving member of The Byrds, after Roger McGuinn. Chris Hillman suggested Clarence because he could play both the band's older rock songs and their newer country-style music.

Once he joined, Clarence convinced Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman to replace their drummer with his friend Gene Parsons from Nashville West.

Chris Hillman left The Byrds soon after Clarence joined to form a new band called The Flying Burrito Brothers. Clarence and Gene Parsons were invited to join this new band, but they decided to stay with Roger McGuinn's Byrds instead.

The Byrds with Clarence White, Roger McGuinn, and Gene Parsons (along with different bass players like John York and Skip Battin) released five albums and toured constantly from 1969 to 1972. Even though the first version of The Byrds is often remembered most, many critics and fans thought the band with Clarence White was much better in live concerts. They were a very strong live band and always in demand for tours. A journalist said that Clarence's "powerful, perfect tone and melodic ideas" helped rebuild The Byrds' creative reputation.

Clarence White (third from left) on tour with The Byrds in the Netherlands, June 1970.

The first Byrds album with Clarence as a full member was Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde in 1969. It included a new version of the song "Nashville West" and the traditional song "Old Blue", which was the first Byrds song to use the StringBender. The Ballad of Easy Rider album followed in 1969. On this album, Clarence sang lead vocals for the first time on a Byrds song, "Oil in My Lamp".

In 1970, The Byrds released the double album (Untitled), which had live recordings and new studio songs. This album was very popular and successful. Clarence sang lead vocals on two songs: "Truck Stop Girl" and "Take a Whiff on Me". He also played mandolin on "Take a Whiff on Me".

The 1971 album Byrdmaniax featured Clarence singing lead on "My Destiny" and "Jamaica Say You Will". He also helped write the bluegrass song "Green Apple Quick Step", which featured his father playing the harmonica.

Farther Along, released in 1971, was the last album by The Byrds with Clarence White. He sang lead on the song "Farther Along" and a cover of "Bugler". Many people think "Bugler" is the best song Clarence sang with The Byrds.

After Farther Along, the band kept touring in 1972, but didn't release new music. In late 1972, the original members of The Byrds decided to get back together. So, Roger McGuinn decided to break up the current version of the band. The last concert with Clarence White in The Byrds was on February 24, 1973.

Even while touring and recording with The Byrds, Clarence White continued to play as a session musician for other artists. He played on albums by Joe Cocker, Randy Newman, and The Everly Brothers. He also played on albums by Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, and Arlo Guthrie.

After The Byrds

In February 1973, just before The Byrds broke up, Clarence White joined a bluegrass supergroup called Muleskinner. The band was formed to play for a TV show, but they ended up performing on their own when the main artist couldn't make it. A recording of this show was released as an album in 1992.

Because their TV performance was so good, the band got a record deal. They recorded the Muleskinner album in 1973. This album mixed country rock, traditional bluegrass, and a new style called "progressive bluegrass." It was also one of the first bluegrass albums to use a full drum kit. Critics now see this album as a very important step in the development of progressive bluegrass.

Clarence also played guitar and mandolin on his friend Gene Parsons' first solo album, Kindling, in 1972 and 1973.

After finishing the Muleskinner album in April 1973, Clarence reunited with his brothers Roland and Eric Jr. They toured as The White Brothers (also known as The New Kentucky Colonels). They played shows in California and then went to Europe in May 1973.

Clarence's last tour was with The New Kentucky Colonels in June 1973. They were part of a tour with other country rock artists like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. After the tour, Clarence started working on his own solo album in late June 1973. He recorded six songs, and four of them were later released on an album in 1980.

Clarence White's Passing

Clarence White died on July 15, 1973. The accident happened early in the morning, around 2 a.m. He and his brother Roland were putting equipment into their car in Palmdale, California, after a concert. His death deeply affected many people, including Gram Parsons, who sang "Farther Along" at Clarence's funeral. Gram Parsons later wrote a song called "In My Hour of Darkness" as a tribute to Clarence.

Clarence White was survived by his brothers Roland and Eric, his sisters JoAnne and Rosemarie, and his daughter Michelle.

Clarence White's Musical Impact

Clarence White helped make the acoustic guitar a lead instrument in bluegrass music. Before him and guitarists like Doc Watson, the guitar was mostly used for rhythm. Many famous guitarists who play in the flatpicking style say Clarence White was a major influence. These include Dan Crary, Norman Blake, and Tony Rice. Tony Rice even owned and played Clarence White's special 1935 Martin D-28 guitar.

Clarence White was also very influential with his electric guitar playing. He and Gene Parsons invented the B-Bender device. This device makes the B-string of the guitar go up a whole step by using pulleys and levers. When you push down on the guitar neck, it creates a sound like a pedal steel guitar. Many guitarists were influenced by this sound. Marty Stuart, another famous guitarist, now owns and plays Clarence White's 1954 Fender Telecaster with the original B-Bender.

Music expert Alec Palao called Clarence White "one of a handful of true greats" among musicians. He said that Clarence's unique style still influences bluegrass, country, and rock 'n' roll music today. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Clarence White as No. 41 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2010, Gibson ranked him at No. 42 on their Top 50 Guitarists of All Time list.

Selected Album Discography

NOTES:

This list does not include albums that Clarence White played on only as a session musician, except for Dobro Country, where his name is mentioned.

Kentucky Colonels

The New Sound of Bluegrass America (1963)
Appalachian Swing! (1964)
Kentucky Colonels (1974) — UK reissue of Appalachian Swing! with two bonus tracks.
Livin' in the Past (1975) — Various live recordings from 1961 to 1965.
The Kentucky Colonels 1965-1966 (1976) — Live recordings.
Scotty Stoneman, Live in LA with the Kentucky Colonels (1979) — Live recording from 1965.
Kentucky Colonels 1966 (1979) — Studio demo recordings for an unreleased album.
Clarence White and the Kentucky Colonels (1980) — Live recordings.
On Stage (1984) — Live recordings.
Long Journey Home (1991) — Live recordings from the 1964 Newport Folk Festival.
Live in Stereo (1999) — Live recordings from a 1965 concert in Vancouver.
Bush, Latham & White (2011) — Live recordings from 1964.

Tut Taylor, Roland and Clarence White

Dobro Country (1964)

Nashville West

Nashville West (a.k.a. The Legendary Nashville West Album) (1979) — Live recordings from 1967.

The Byrds

Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969)
Ballad of Easy Rider (1969)
(Untitled) (1970)
Byrdmaniax (1971)
Farther Along (1971)
Live at the Fillmore – February 1969 (2000)
Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971 (2008)
The Lost Broadcasts (2011) — Live recordings from The Byrds' 1971 appearance on the Beat-Club television program.

Muleskinner

Muleskinner (aka A Pot Pourri of Bluegrass Jam) (1973)
Muleskinner Live: Original Television Soundtrack (1992) — Live recordings from a 1973 television broadcast.

The New Kentucky Colonels

The White Brothers: The New Kentucky Colonels Live in Sweden 1973 (1976)
Live in Holland 1973 (2013)

Clarence White

33 Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals (2003) — Recorded in 1962.
Tuff & Stringy Sessions 1966–68 (2003) — Various studio sessions.
Flatpick (2006) — Recorded 1964, 1967, 1970 and 1973.
White Lightnin' (2008) — Various recordings from 1962 to 1972.

Tut Taylor & Clarence White

Tut & Clarence Flatpickin' (2003)

Images for kids

Clarence White