# Jeff White (musician)

Jeff White (born August 2, 1957) is an American bluegrass guitarist/mandolinist, songwriter, record producer and sound mixer. Jeff White has performed and produced albums with many artists including: Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, The Chieftains, Lyle Lovett, Tim O'Brien, The Travelin' McCourys, Michael Cleveland and The Earls Of Leicester. White won the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, for Best Bluegrass Album with The Earls of Leicester. One of Jeff's key mentors is award-winning fiddler Michael Cleveland. Jeff and Michael have earned four International Bluegrass Music Awards for Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year. Jeff produced several of Michael Cleveland's albums. Jeff has toured with legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs. He has produced and released three solo albums: in 1996 The White Album, in 1999 The Broken Road and in 2016 Right Beside You.
   Terrific musicianship, top-quality production, and astounding song selection – Right Beside You ought to be nominated for Recorded Event of 2016. Traditional bluegrass remains safe in these hands. Dick Bowden with Bluegrass Today.

## Biography

Jeff White was born in Syracuse, New York; at 13 his family moved to North Manchester, Indiana. Jeff's first interest in bluegrass and country music came from seeing the Hee Haw television show that started in 1971. Jeff started to play guitar in high school and joined the high school bluegrass band, the "Suburban Grass". The band played at schools, coffeehouses and then local bars. In college Jeff discovered his love for bluegrass from a dorm mate that played mandolin. Jeff's dorm mate introduced Jeff to Doc Watson, a pioneer of bluegrass music. Jeff studied Dan Crary, Norman Blake, Don Reno, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Foggy Mountain Boys and The Stanley Brothers. After listening to and learning from the classics, Jeff studied the new bluegrass artists such as Sam Bush and JD Crowe. The next band Jeff joined was The Johnsons. Jeff White and The Johnsons came in 1st place in the Best Bluegrass Band in America contest, put on by KFC in Louisville, Kentucky in 1979. Winning the contest earned them a free recording session in RCA's Nashville studio on Music Row. Tom Collins, an album producer with Real Music City Records, helped them make two singles. In 1981 Jeff White and The Johnsons where named the Best New Bluegrass Band. The Johnsons Band was made up of: Dave Johnson, Dan Anderson, Melody Johnson and Jeff White. White departed the group and returned to Indiana to attend graduate school. But, Jeff returned to bluegrass and moved to Beanblossom, Indiana, there he joined up with a new and upcoming bluegrass fiddler Alison Krauss. In 1987, Jeff join Alison Krauss band the Union Station. Union Station recorded two albums while he was a member: in 1989 Two Highways and in 1990 I've Got That Old Feeling. A seaside resort in Japan wanted a bluegrass music band, so Jeff joined other bluegrass artists: Scott Vestal, Jeff Autry, Dave Peters, and Gena Britt in 1991 and play for a year. Jeff moved to Nashville in 1992, he played bluegrass at the Station Inn with Tim O'Brien. Jeff broke into professional music when Vince Gill took Jeff on the road with George Jones and Conway Twitty. Vince Gill had Jeff sing When I Call Your Name at the Grand Ole Opry. Vince Gill got Jeff a job playing with Lyle Lovett. Jeff's next job was playing with the traditional Irish band formed in Dublin The Chieftains. Looking to cross Celtic music with bluegrass and country, Paddy Moloney looked to Jeff to help with the new sound. Jeff toured, performed and helped produce the 2002 The Chieftains album Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions and in 2003 Further Down the Old Plank Road. Jeff's next project was working with bluegrass fiddle player Michael Cleveland on his albums. Jeff is also a songwriter and has written songs for The Del McCoury Band, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Dale Ann Bradley, Stringdusters and Dan Tyminski. Jeff sometimes plays guitar with the Nashville bluegrass band The Travelin' McCourys. Jeff currently plays mandolin for The Earls of Leicester, a band that plays tribute to Flatt and Scruggs. Jeff is married to country music fiddler, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Laura Weber White. Jeff and Laura live in Nashville and were married on March 12, 2017.

## Discography

Jeff White's discography:

### Albums

Solo albums
| Year | Album |
| 1996 | The White Album |
| 1999 | The Broken Road |
| 2016 | Right Beside You |
Albums
* Albums Jeff has performed on and/or helped produce:
| Year | Album | Artist | Note |
| 1987 | Too Late to Cry | Alison Krauss & Union Station | Guitar |
| 1989 | Two Highways | Alison Krauss & Union Station | Guitar, vocals, Grammy Nominated |
| 1990 | Bluegrass Class of 1990 | Various Artist | Guitar, vocals |
| 1990 | Breathe the Moonlight | Kimberly M'Carver | Guitar, vocals |
| 1990 | I've Got That Old Feeling | Alison Krauss & Union Station | Guitar, vocals, Grammy Awards of 1991 won Best Bluegrass Recording. |
| 1992 | Son of Rounder Banjo | Various Artist | Guitar, vocals |
| 1993 | On a Roll | Pete Wernick | Guitar, vocals |
| 1994 | Inherited Road | Kimberly M'Carver | Guitar, vocals |
| 1994 | When Love Finds You | Vince Gill | Vocals |
| 1995 | In the Falling Dark | David Mallett | Vocals |
| 1995 | All of This Love | Pam Tillis | Vocals |
| 1995 | Appalachian Stomp: Bluegrass Classics | Various Artist | Vocals |
| 1995 | Moonlighter | Claire Lynch | Guitar, vocals |
| 1995 | Now That I've Found You: A Collection | Alison Krauss | Guitar, vocals |
| 1995 | Top of the Hill Bluegrass | Various Artist | Guitar, vocals |
| 1996 | High Lonesome Sound | Vince Gill | Guitar, vocals |
| 1996 | Sisters | Beth & April Stevens | Guitar |
| 1996 | Sweet Harmony | The Whitstein Brothers | Guitar |
| 1996 | The Cold Hard Facts | Del McCoury Band | Composer |
| 1996 | Trouble with the Truth | Patty Loveless | Vocals |
| 1997 | Live in Indianapolis | Gospel Music Workshop of America | Bass Guitar |
| 1997 | So Long So Wrong | Alison Krauss & Union Station | Composer |
| 1997 | Songs of the Louvin Brothers | Various Artist | Guitar |
| 1997 | Steel Rails: Classic Railroad Songs, Vol. 1 | Various Artist | Vocals |
| 1997 | The Long Road | Pam Gadd | Guitar |
| 1998 | A Tribute to Tradition | Various Artist | Guitar |
| 1998 | Brother Jukebox | Paul Craft | Guitar |
| 1998 | Long Way Home | Amy Gallatin | Vocals |
| 1998 | The Key | Vince Gill | Vocals |
| 2000 | Sad Songs & Waltzes | Keith Whitley | Guitar |
| 2000 | Carry Me Across the Mountain | Dan Tyminski | Composer |
| 2000 | Dead Grass Feat: Vassar Clements | Dead Grass | Vocals |
| 2000 | Doobie Shea Essential Sampler | Various Artist | Composer |
| 2000 | Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye | Vince Gill | Vocals |
| 2000 | Ready to Go | Bryan Sutton | Composer |
| 2000 | The Chain Gang | Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe | Composer |
| 2001 | Blue Trail of Sorrow: 16 Top Bluegrass Gems | Various Artists | Composer |
| 2001 | Cool Blue Rocks: Rock 'N' Roll in the Bluegrass Tradition | Various Artists | Vocals |
| 2001 | Mountain Soul | Patty Loveless | Vocals |
| 2001 | O Sister! The Women's Bluegrass Collection | Various Artists | Guitar |
| 2001 | Songcatcher | Various Artists Original Soundtrack | Guitar, vocals |
| 2001 | Two Journeys | Tim O'Brien | Vocals |
| 2002 | Bluegrass Greats | Various Artists | Producer, vocals, guitar, composer |
| 2002 | Delayed but Not Denied | The Bonner Brothers | Engineer, Audio Engineer, Composer |
| 2002 | Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions | The Chieftains | Engineer, vocals, guitar, vocals Producer, Grammy nominated |
| 2002 | O Sister 2: A Women's Bluegrass Collection | Various Artists | Guitar |
| 2002 | Second Son | Jim Hurst | Vocals |
| 2002 | The Angels Are Singing: A Women's Bluegrass Gospel Collection | Various Artists | Vocals |
| 2002 | The Singer-Songwriter Collection | Various Artists | Vocals |
| 2002 | Flame Keeper | Michael Cleveland | Producer, mixer, vocals |
| 2003 | Blue Ridge Mountain Mandolin | Various Artists | Guitar |
| 2003 | Bluegrass Today | Various Artists | Producer, mixer, vocals |
| 2003 | Chartbuster Karaoke: Bluegrass, Vol. 16 | Various Artists | Composer |
| 2003 | Comfort of Her Wings | Charley Pride | Guitar |
| 2003 | Further Down the Old Plank Road | The Chieftains | Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Associate Producer |
| 2003 | Love Goes On | Andrea Zonn | Vocals |
| 2003 | Midnight Call | Don Rigsby | Guitar |
| 2003 | Next Big Thing | Vince Gill | Vocals |
| 2003 | White Dove: The Bluegrass Gospel Collection | Various Artists | Vocals |
| 2004 | Bluegrass Number 1's | Various Artists | Vocals |
| 2004 | High Lonesome and Blue | Del McCoury | Composer |
| 2004 | Live - The Bonner Brothers | The Bonner Brothers | Composer |
| 2004 | Emily Watson EP | Human Hands | Vocals |
| 2004 | Melonie Cannon | Melonie Cannon | Vocals |
| 2005 | Georgia Hard | Robbie Fulks | Guitar, vocals |
| 2005 | Live from Dublin: A Tribute to Derek Bell | The Chieftains | Guitar |
| 2005 | Fired Up | Michael Cleveland | Mixer, producer |
| 2005 | New Standards for Flatpicking Guitar | Various Artists | Composer, Artist |
| 2005 | Catch Tomorrow | Dale Ann Bradley | Guitar, Vocal Harmony |
| 2006 | Day in the Country | Butch Baldassari | Guitar |
| 2006 | Let Er Go Boys | Michael Cleveland | Mixer, producer, vocals |
| 2006 | The Essential Chieftains | The Chieftains | Guitar |
| 2006 | These Days | Vince Gill | Guitar, Vocal |
| 2007 | A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection | Alison Krauss | Guitar |
| 2007 | Giant Bear | Giant Bear | Guitar |
| 2007 | It's Not Big It's Large | Lyle Lovett | Vocals |
| 2007 | The Slow Transmission | The Swivel Chairs | Audio Production |
| 2008 | The Infamous Stringdusters | The Infamous Stringdusters | Composer |
| 2009 | By Request | Del McCoury | Composer |
| 2009 | I am Stranger | Jeremy Garrett | Composer |
| 2009 | Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury | Del McCoury | Composer |
| 2009 | Way Up on a Mountain ' | Spring Creek | Audio Production |
| 2011 | Guitar Slinger | Vince Gill | Vocals |
| 2011 | Somewhere South of Crazy | Dale Ann Bradley | Composer |
| 2011 | Life Goes On: Musicians Against Childhood Cancer | Various Artists | Composer |
| 2013 | Oak Island | Nightlands | Engineer |
| 2013 | Playlist: The Very Best of Patty Loveless | Patty Loveless | Associate Producer |
| 2013 | The King's Gift ' | Trace Adkins | Guitar |
| 2015 | The Blade | Ashley Monroe | Vocals |
| 2015 | Pocket Full of Keys | Dale Ann Bradley | Vocals |
| 2015 | Valley of the Snake | Ruby the Hatchet | Lap Steel Guitar |
| 2016 | Full Circle | Loretta Lynn | Vocals, Guitar |
| 2016 | Rattle & Roar | The Earls of Leicester | Vocals, Mandolin, Group Member |
| 2016 | The Fiddler's Dream | Michael Cleveland | Guitar, vocals, mixer, producer, Grammy Nomination |
| 2018 | King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Mille | Various Artists | Mandolin, Vocal |
| 2018 | Tis Ol War | Coco O'Connor | Mandolin, Vocal |
| 2018 | Live at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame | The Earls of Leicester | Vocals, Mandolin |
| 2019 | Love Hard, Work Hard, Play Hard | Deanie Richardson | Vocals |
| 2019 | Tall Fiddler | Michael Cleveland | Producer |
| 2021 | Still Woman Enough | Loretta Lynn | Acoustic Guitar |
| 2021 | Michael Carpenter And The Banks Brothers – Introducing… | Michael Carpenter | Acoustic Guitar |

### Performances

* Selected: Tours, Performances and Events.
| Year | Event | Artist | Note |
| 1987-1989 | Alison Krauss tours | Alison Krauss | Guitar |
| 1989 | Live at the Ryman | Jeff White | Guitar, vocals |
| 1989 | IBMA Festival Owensboro, KY | Jeff White | Guitar, vocals |
| 1991 | Japan tour | Dave Peters, Randy Howard, James McKinney and Jeff White | Guitar, vocals |
| 1992-2018 (on and off since 1992) | Vince Gill Tour Tours | Vince Gill | Guitar, vocals |
| 1997 | Earl Scruggs Band | Earl Scruggs | Guitar, vocals |
| 2002-2005 (on and off since 2002) | The Chieftains Tours | The Chieftains | Mandolin, Vocals |
| 2009 | Mountain Soul II tour | Patty Loveless | Guitar, vocals |
| 2010 - 2017 | The Travelin' McCourys tour | Travelin' McCourys | Guitar, vocals |
| October 26, 2014 | Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony | Various Artist | Guitar, vocals |
| 2000-2019 (on and off since 2000) | Live at the Station Inn, Nashville | Jeff White | Guitar, vocals |
| 2015 | Flatpick Guitar Demonstration Country Music Hall of Fame | Jeff White | Guitar |
| 2016-2019 | The Earls Of Leicester Tours | The Earls Of Leicester | Guitar, mandolin, Vocals |
| 2018 | 2018 Country Music Hall of Fame | Jeff White | Guitar, vocals |
| 2019 | Flamekeeper, The Michael Cleveland Story | The Michael Cleveland Story | Guitar, vocals |

## Awards

Selected Jeff White Awards:
| Year | Album | Album Artist | Award |
| 2006 | Let Er Go Boys | Michael Cleveland | Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year, produced by Jeff White & Michael Cleveland |
| 2009 | Flamekeeper | Michael Cleveland | Song:Jerusalem Ridge Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year, produced by Jeff White & Michael Cleveland |
| 2011 | Goin' Up Dry Branch | Michael Cleveland | Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year, produced by Jeff White & Michael Cleveland |
| 2011 | Fiddler's Dream | Michael Cleveland | Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year, produced by Jeff White & Michael Cleveland |
| 2015 | Earls of Leicester | Earls of Leicester | 57th Annual Grammy Awards, Best Bluegrass Album |
| 2017 | Earls of Leicester | Earls of Leicester | 28th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year award |