Lari White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lari White
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White in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lari Michele White |
| Born | May 13, 1965 Dunedin, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | January 23, 2018 (aged 52) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
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| Years active | 1988–2017 |
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Lari Michele White Cannon (born May 13, 1965 – died January 23, 2018) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She first became known in 1988 after winning You Can Be a Star, a TV talent show. After a short time with Capitol Records Nashville, she signed with RCA Records Nashville in 1993.
White released four albums for RCA between 1993 and 1997. Her album Wishes was very successful. It sold over 500,000 copies and had three songs that reached the top ten on the Billboard country charts. These hits were "That's My Baby", "Now I Know", and "That's How You Know (When You're in Love)". In 1998, she was the first artist to sign with Lyric Street Records. She released the album Stepping Stone before leaving the label in 2000. After that, she released her music independently.
Lari White's music had a special sound because of her voice and different influences like country, blues, and R&B. Besides her own songs, she produced albums for Toby Keith and Billy Dean. She also wrote songs for artists like Tammy Wynette and Travis Tritt. White also acted in a TV show and the 2000 movie Cast Away. She was married to songwriter Chuck Cannon until she passed away in 2018.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and First Steps
Lari Michele White was born on May 13, 1965, in Dunedin, Florida. Her parents were both teachers. As a child, she sang in her family's gospel group called The White Family Singers. She started piano lessons at age four. Even after losing a finger in an accident, she kept playing.
Lari sang in talent shows and a local rock band. She graduated from Dunedin High School in 1983. In 1987, she finished her studies at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. There, she learned about singing and sound engineering. She also wrote music and performed in clubs.
In 1988, Lari White appeared on the TV talent show You Can Be a Star. She won first prize, which included a recording contract. She released one song called "Flying Above the Rain". When it didn't become a hit, she left Capitol Records. After that, she focused on writing songs. Tammy Wynette recorded one of her songs in 1990.
First Album: Lead Me Not (1993)
In the early 1990s, Lari White joined a music publishing company. She also took acting lessons, which helped her feel more confident on stage. She tried out to be the lead singer for the band Highway 101 but didn't get the part.
In 1991, she was discovered by a cousin of country singer Rodney Crowell. Crowell liked her voice and encouraged her to sign with RCA Records Nashville. She signed with them in January 1992.
In 1993, RCA released her first album, Lead Me Not. It included three songs that appeared on the Billboard country chart. These were "What a Woman Wants", the title track, and "Lay Around and Love on You".
Big Success with Wishes (1994–1995)
In 1994, RCA Nashville released Lari White's next album, Wishes. This album became her most successful. It had three songs that reached the top ten on the Billboard country charts. These were "That's My Baby", "Now I Know", and "That's How You Know (When You're in Love)". "Now I Know" was her highest-charting song, reaching number five in 1995.
Lari White co-wrote "That's My Baby" and "That's How You Know" with songwriter Chuck Cannon. They got married just before the album came out. On May 15, 1995, Wishes was certified gold. This meant it had sold 500,000 copies in the United States. White was also nominated for Best New Female artist by the Academy of Country Music.
Don't Fence Me In and Other Songs (1996–1997)
White's next album was Don't Fence Me In, released in early 1996. The main song was a cover of "Don't Fence Me In", a famous song by Cole Porter. Shelby Lynne and Trisha Yearwood sang backup vocals on it. Lari White said the album was about "breaking down barriers" and "rising above tough circumstances".
The first song from the album, "Ready, Willing and Able", was a Top 20 hit in 1996. White also sang a duet with Travis Tritt called "Helping Me Get Over You" in 1997. Her last album for RCA was a collection of her greatest hits called The Best of Lari White. After this, she left RCA.
New Beginnings: Stepping Stone (1998–1999)
In 1998, Lari White signed with Lyric Street Records, a new country music label. She was the very first artist to sign with them. Her song "Stepping Stone" was the label's first release. It became a Top 20 country hit in 1998. It also reached number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The album, also called Stepping Stone, came out later that year. It included a duet with Toby Keith called "Only God (Could Stop Me Loving You)".
Later Music and Acting (2000–2017)
Lari White left Lyric Street Records in 2000 because they wanted her to record more pop-style country music. In the same year, she was chosen for a role in the movie Cast Away. She played Bettina Peterson, a sculptor, and shared scenes with Tom Hanks. After the movie, she took a break from music.
She returned in 2004 with her self-released album Green Eyed Soul. This album focused more on rhythm and blues and soul music. During this time, she also produced albums for Billy Dean and Toby Keith.
White also acted in Broadway theatre shows. One of her roles was in Ring of Fire, a musical tribute to Johnny Cash. In 2007, she created her own show called My First Affair. It included Broadway songs and her own music. An album of the same name was released in 2007.
In 2017, she released two shorter albums (called EPs) titled New Loves and Old Friends. New Loves had new songs, and Old Friends had new versions of her hit songs.
Musical Style
Lari White's music was known for her strong singing voice and different styles. Critics said she had a "strong, clear voice" that mixed country, rock, pop, and blues. Her voice was compared to artists like Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt.
Her first album showed how versatile she was, blending country, gospel, and rock and roll. White once said that she found it hard to fit into country music radio because there were so many female artists at the time. She also felt that the "country radio box was a little too small" for her musical ideas.
Personal Life
Lari White married songwriter and song publisher Chuck Cannon on April 23, 1994. Chuck Cannon co-wrote some of her hit songs, including "That's My Baby". They had three children together: two daughters named M'Kenzy and Kyra Ciel, and a son named Jaxon.
Lari White and Chuck Cannon started their own music label called Skinny White Girl. White released her later albums on this label. They also built their own recording studio.
In September 2017, Lari White was diagnosed with cancer. She passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 23, 2018, at the age of 52.
Discography
Studio albums
- Lead Me Not (1993)
- Wishes (1994)
- Don't Fence Me In (1996)
- The Best of Lari White (1997)
- Stepping Stone (1998)
- Green Eyed Soul (2004)
- My First Affair soundtrack (2007)
See also
In Spanish: Lari White para niños
