Buck White obit

Country Music Patriarch Buck White Has Died At 94

 

He was not on the list.

Father and grandfather of The Whites, the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, and a grand patriarch of country music has passed away. Buck White of The Whites has died at the age of 94.

Buck White was the somewhat reluctant, but ultimately proud leader of one of country music’s most important bluegrass, country, and Gospel bands. Born December 13, 1930, Buck White was mostly a moonlighting musician for much of his life, working as a plumber by day, and playing piano and mandolin by night. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Buck loved the music, but didn’t care too much for the places you had play late at night like dancehalls and wrestling arenas.

It’s when Buck White’s daughters Sharon White (born December 17, 1953) and Cheryl White (born January 27, 1955) showed early promise in music that Buck White started to take it more seriously as a career. Buck White and The Down Home Folks formed in 1972 and did well, and Buck recorded a solo album for Sugar Hill in 1979 called More Pretty Girls Than One. But it’s when The Whites formed officially in the early 1980’s as a family band signed to Curb Records that things started to click.

The Whites earned multiple Top 10 hits through memorable songs like “Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling,” “Pins And Needles,” You Put The Blue In Me,””If It Ain’t Love (Let’s Leave It Alone),” and “When The New Wears Off of Our Love” among others. Buck White’s mature age didn’t hold the group back at all. It gave The Whites a venerated and wholesome appeal.

Just as much as Buck White and The Whites are revered for their songs, they’re perhaps best known for their collaborations, as well as their long-standing membership to the Grand Ole Opry, and their countless appearances on the program. The Whites were signed on as Grand Ole Opry members in 1984, and have been Opry mainstays ever since, including Buck White making appearances into his 90s.

Daughter Sharon White married Ricky Skaggs in 1981, and this commenced a relationship where The Whites would regularly perform in Ricky’s band, and Skaggs would regularly perform with The Whites, including collaborations on songs, albums, and on the Grand Ole Opry regularly. Sharon White and Ricky Skaggs minted the hit song “Love Can’t Ever Get Better Than This” in 1987, and in 2008, The Whites won a Grammy for the album Salt of the Earth in collaboration with Skaggs.

Buck White and The Whites were nominated numerous times by both the CMA and ACM for Vocal Group of the Year during the ’80s decade. But perhaps their biggest recognition came through their contribution to the Grammy Album of the Year-winning soundtrack to the acclaimed movie Oh Brother Where Art Thou in 2001. Their rendition of “Keep on the Sunny Side” introduced The Whites to an entirely new generation and audience.

The Whites are members of the Texas Music Hall of Fame, and celebrated 40 years at the Grand Ole Opry in March of 2024.

The family said in a statement on Monday, January 13th,

“The Lord answered our prayers and took our daddy home peacefully this morning at 8:00 a.m. We are so thankful for his 94 years on this earth. He was a great Dad who taught us by example to put Jesus first always. His great loves were the Lord, our mother, his family and music. Most people will remember him not only for being a great musician and entertainer, but also for being fun-loving and full of mischief. He lived a full life and finished well.“

Along with Leroy Van Dyke and Willie Nelson, Buck White was one of the oldest living primary performers in country music. His passing marks the end of an era when family bands could still rise to the top of popularity in country music, though The Whites will continue on, just without the physical presence of their beloved patriarch.