Jack White (music producer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jack White
White in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Horst Nußbaum
Born	(1940-09-02) 2 September 1940 (age 84) Cologne, Germany
Genres	Pop German folk
Occupation(s)	Producer singer
Years active	1964–2014
Labels	White Records JWP AG Gloriella Music
Association football career Position(s) Midfielder Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1961–1963 FC Viktoria Köln 17 (1) 1963–1964 FK Pirmasens 18 (1) 1964–1965 TSC Zweibrücken 11 (5) 1965–1966 PSV Eindhoven 2 (1) 1966–1976 Tennis Borussia Berlin *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jack White (born Horst Nußbaum, 2 September 1940) is a German composer, producer, and former footballer. He was born in Cologne, Germany.

Jack White loved both football and music when he was a kid. He first became a professional football player for six years. Later, he played football as a hobby while starting his music career.

As a singer, Jack White was very popular in Germany and other German-speaking countries. However, he became most famous for producing music for international artists. He has worked on over 2500 records, producing 870 of them. Some famous artists he worked with include Laura Branigan, Barry Manilow, and David Hasselhoff.

To make it easier to work with English-speaking stars, he changed his name to Jack White. His productions have sold millions of copies worldwide. He has also won several European music awards for his own work. These include the German Golden Tuning Fork and the RTL Group Lion award.

Jack White started several record labels, like White Records and Gloriella Music. He used these labels to work with many German and international artists. He officially stopped performing music in 2014. His last public performance was at 'The Summer Festival at the Lake'.

Jack White's Football Journey

White, then Horst Nußbaum, playing for PSV Eindhoven in 1965

Before his music career, Jack White started playing professional football at age 20. He joined FC Viktoria Köln in 1961. He played professionally for six years, until 1966.

After that, he played football at an amateur level for Tennis Borussia Berlin for ten years. This allowed him to focus on his music career. He played for five different clubs during his football journey. He usually played as a right-midfielder or right-back.

White joined FC Viktoria Köln after being scouted by coach Hennes Weisweiler. He played there for two seasons. Then, he moved to FK Pirmasens in 1963. He played many games and scored several goals for this club.

While playing for TSC Zweibrücken, White released his first song. This marked the start of his move into music. He finished his professional football career at PSV Eindhoven in 1966.

From 1992 to 1995, Jack White was the president of Tennis Borussia Berlin. He helped the club financially during this time.

Football Statistics

Here are some of Jack White's football statistics:

Jack White's Music Career

Jack White started as a singer in Germany in the late 1960s. He became popular by performing in bars. At the same time, he began producing and writing songs for other German musicians. His first big hit as a producer was "Schöne Maid" in 1971.

As he became more popular in Germany, he started working with international artists. He produced many songs for a wide range of musicians. He changed his name to Jack White to make it easier to work with English-speaking stars.

Some of the famous songs he produced for the international market include Laura Branigan's "Gloria" (1982) and "Self Control" (1984). He also produced "When the Rain Begins to Fall" (1984) for Jermaine Jackson and Pia Zadora. He worked with other artists like Paul Anka and Barry Manilow.

In the 1980s, White worked with David Hasselhoff. Their most famous song together was "Looking for Freedom". This song became very popular in America and Germany. It was even used in protests against the Berlin Wall.

In 1989, David Hasselhoff sang "Looking for Freedom" on top of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. This song is still popular in German-speaking countries today. It had a big impact because of its connection to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In 1984, Jack White started his own record label called White Records. He released his own music and continued to work with artists through this label. He also directed Jack White Productions (JWP AG), which started in 1998.

In 2008, White started a new label called Gloriella Music. He continued to produce and write for artists there. After he retired in 2014, he sold the distribution rights to Sony Music. However, he still helps Gloriella Music as an executive.

In January 2014, Jack White announced he would perform one last time before retiring. His final public performance was in May 2014 at 'The Summer Festival by the Lake'. He played his own songs and covers of songs he produced. Since then, he has stopped performing and is less involved in the music scene.

Throughout his career, White created 25 of his own records. He is credited on over 2500 records in total.

Jack White's Music Style

As a producer, Jack White worked with many international pop artists. He often focused on synth-pop, which was very popular in the 1980s. The invention of synthesizers and music software influenced his sound. Many early producers in the 1980s helped create electronic dance music.

In Germany, White's music also followed a pop style. However, his early success came from writing folk-style songs. These folk songs, like "Schöne Maid," are still some of his most popular in Germany.

Jack White's own music was similar to his German folk style. He wrote most of his own songs early in his career. He did not use synthesizers or software much in his personal music. For example, his album Jack White at the Piano only used a piano and his voice.

Jack White's Personal Life

Jack White has been married four times. He has children from his marriages. In January 2010, he separated from his wife Janine after 17 years together. They have two children. He also had three children from his two earlier marriages.

On December 18, 2015, he married his fourth wife, Rafaella. In March 2019, when he was 78, he became a father to their son, Maximilian Noah. On October 30, 2023, at the age of 83, he became a father to their daughter, Angelina Melody.

Awards and Achievements

Jack White's work as a producer has won many Music Recording Certification awards. These awards are given when a record sells a certain number of copies. He received awards for both his German and English market productions. European markets gave him the most awards because they have lower sales targets.

Production Awards

• Branigan (Laura Branigan) – 2 Gold awards (1 in America, 1 in Canada)
• Branigan 2 (Laura Branigan) – 1 Gold award in America
• Self Control (Laura Branigan) – 2 Platinum (Canada and US), 2 Gold (Germany and Hong Kong), 1 Silver (United Kingdom)
• Crazy for You (David Hasselhoff) – 6 Platinum Awards (2 in Austria, 1 in Germany, 3 in Switzerland)
• David (David Hasselhoff) – 4 Platinum Awards (2 in Austria, 1 in Germany, 1 in Switzerland)
• Everybody Sunshine (David Hasselhoff) – 3 Gold (1 in Austria, 1 in Germany, and 1 in Switzerland)
• Looking for Freedom (David Hasselhoff) – 5 Platinum (1 in Austria and Germany, 3 in Switzerland)

Personal Awards

Jack White won the Golden Tuning Fork (Goldene Stimmgabel) in 1992. This German music award was for his high record sales. He also received an honorary Lion award from the RTL Group. This was for his important work in the European music industry as a producer.