In 1969, deep voiced southern songsmith Tony Joe White from Oak Grove, Louisiana had a U.S. Top 10 hit with his classic swamp rock tune "Polk Salad Annie".White continues to tour and record into the 21st century, and his bluesy songs have been covered by dozens of artists ranging from Elvis Presley and Tim McGraw, to Dusty Springfield and Tina Turner. His latest release in a forty plus year career is 2010's "The Shine". Born in 1943, White was the youngest of seven children in a part-Cherokee family raised on a cotton farm, and first showed an interest in music at the age of 16 when he heard an album by Lightning Hopkins. ...show more

In 1969, deep voiced southern songsmith Tony Joe White from Oak Grove, Louisiana had a U.S. Top 10 hit with his classic swamp rock tune "Polk Salad Annie".White continues to tour and record into the 21st century, and his bluesy songs have been covered by dozens of artists ranging from Elvis Presley and Tim McGraw, to Dusty Springfield and Tina Turner. His latest release in a forty plus year career is 2010's "The Shine". Born in 1943, White was the youngest of seven children in a part-Cherokee family raised on a cotton farm, and first showed an interest in music at the age of 16 when he heard an album by Lightning Hopkins.

He later began performing at school dances and night clubs, first as Tony and the Mojos and then as Tony and the Twilights. After moving to Memphis in the late 1960's, White was signed to Monument records and his first single release was a Ray Stevens song "Georgia Pines". White's 1969 debut album, Black And White, featured originals such as "Willie And Laura Mae Jones" and "Polk Salad Annie," and psychedelic ode to the west coast "Soul Francisco" which became a hit in France. The album also featured a cover of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman".

His follow up record for Monument was "...Continued" followed by Tony Joe in 1970, his last for Monument. By 1970 he released The Train I'm On marking the fifth album in Tony Joe White's career, and his second recorded for Warner Bros. it was produced by Jerry Wexler and recorded at the legendary muscle shoals studio in Alabama. Johnny Cash had White as a guest on his tv show twice, and in Europe White gained legendary status following a successful debut at the historic Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. ...show less