Tony Joe White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Joe White
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Swamp Fox |
| Born | July 23, 1943 Louisiana, U.S. |
| Origin | Oak Grove, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 24, 2018 (aged 75) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Swamp rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, harmonica |
| Years active | 1967–2018 |
| Labels | Monument, Warner Bros., Polydor, Yep Roc, Easy Eye Sound |
Tony Joe White (born July 23, 1943 – died October 24, 2018) was an American musician. He was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. People often called him the Swamp Fox.
He was famous for his 1969 song "Polk Salad Annie". He also wrote "Rainy Night in Georgia", which became a hit for Brook Benton. Later, he wrote "Steamy Windows" and "Undercover Agent for the Blues". Both of these songs were big hits for Tina Turner in 1989. Many other artists, like Elvis Presley and Tom Jones, also recorded "Polk Salad Annie".
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About Tony Joe White
Tony Joe White was the youngest of seven children. He grew up on a cotton farm in Oak Grove, West Carroll Parish, Louisiana. This area is in the United States. One of his songs, "Old Man Willis", is about a place in West Carroll Parish.
He started playing music at school dances. After finishing high school, he performed in nightclubs. These clubs were in Texas and Louisiana.
Early Music Career
In 1967, Tony Joe White signed with Monument Records. This record company was in Hendersonville, Tennessee, near Nashville. They recorded many types of music. These included rock and roll, country and western, and rhythm and blues. Billy Swan helped produce his first three albums.
Over the next three years, White released four songs. None of them became popular in the U.S. However, his song "Soul Francisco" was a hit in France.
"Polk Salad Annie" and First Album
His song "Polk Salad Annie" was released for nine months. His record company thought it was not successful. But in July 1969, it finally became popular in the U.S. It reached the Top Ten by early August. The song eventually reached No. 8, becoming his biggest hit.
White's first album was called Black and White. It came out in 1969. He recorded it with musicians from Muscle Shoals and Nashville. The album included "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" and "Polk Salad Annie". It also had Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman". Another artist, Dusty Springfield, covered "Willie and Laura Mae Jones".
After his first hit, three more of his songs became minor hits. White then toured with famous bands. These included Steppenwolf and Creedence Clearwater Revival. He played concerts in many countries. He visited France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and England.
In 1973, White was in a movie called Catch My Soul. This film was a rock-opera version of Shakespeare's Othello. White sang four songs and wrote seven for the musical.
Later in 1973, record producer Huey Meaux asked White to join recording sessions. These sessions were in Memphis, Tennessee. They were for Jerry Lee Lewis's Southern Roots album. Many famous musicians played together.
Music in the 1980s
From 1976 to 1983, White released three more albums. Each album was on a different record label. He tried to mix his "swamp-rock" style with popular disco music. But these albums were not very successful.
Because of this, White stopped being a singer for a while. He focused on writing songs for other artists. During this time, he worked with French singer Joe Dassin.
Comeback in the 1990s
In 1989, Tony Joe White helped with Tina Turner's album Foreign Affair. He played many instruments on the album. He also wrote four songs for it. These included the album's title song and the hit song "Steamy Windows".
Because of this success, he got a new manager, Roger Davies. Davies was also Tina Turner's manager. White then signed a new contract with Polydor Records.
His album from 1991, Closer to the Truth, was very popular. It brought White back into the spotlight. He released two more albums with Polydor. These were The Path of a Decent Groove and Lake Placid Blues.
In the 1990s, White toured with Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton. He also played at the Montreux Festival in 1992. Later in the 1990s, he toured with Waylon Jennings. In 1996, Tina Turner released another song written by White, called "On Silent Wings".
2000s and Later Music
In 2000, One Hot July was released in the U.S. This was White's first new album from a major label in 17 years. In 2001, The Beginning came out. Then in 2004, he released Heroines. This album featured duets with female singers. Some of these singers were Shelby Lynne and Emmylou Harris.
In 2006, a live concert album was released. It was called Live from Austin, TX. In 2007, White released another live album, Take Home the Swamp. He also released a collection of his songs called Introduction to Tony Joe White.
His album Uncovered was released in September 2006. It included songs with other famous musicians. These included Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, and J.J. Cale.
A song called "Elements and Things" from his 1969 album ...Continued was used in a TV show. It was featured in the horse-racing scenes of the 2012 HBO series "Luck".
In 2013, White signed with Yep Roc Records. He released the album Hoodoo. Critics praised the album. He also played songs from Hoodoo on the TV show Live...with Jools Holland in London.
On October 15, 2014, White appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman. He performed "Polk Salad Annie" with the band Foo Fighters.
In May 2016, Tony Joe White released Rain Crow. The first song, "Hoochie Woman", was written with his wife, Leann. Another song, "Conjure Child", was a follow-up to his earlier song "Conjure Woman".
The album Bad Mouthin' came out in September 2018. It had six new songs written by White. It also included five classic blues songs. White played acoustic and electric guitar on the album. His son, Jody White, produced it.
After he passed away, an album called Smoke from the Chimney was released on May 7, 2021. This album featured nine of White's vocal and guitar recordings. Producer Dan Auerbach arranged them with other musicians.
Death
Tony Joe White died on October 24, 2018. He was 75 years old. He passed away from a heart attack at his home in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. His son, Jody White, said he was not ill and that there was no pain.
Discography
Images for kids
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Tony Joe White
See also
In Spanish: Tony Joe White para niños
