RIVER VALLEY and OZARK AREA — Residents and visitors to Heber Springs will enjoy an “electric, rocking, band kind of thing” at this year’s lights over the lake.
Charlie White of Prim will be playing. The New York native turned Nashville transplant now makes his home in Cleburne County with his family, but he has fond memories of playing music all over the world.
“I primarily played guitar for a few national acts in the late ’90s,” White said.
It’s something he doesn’t like to talk about around town, but if he’s asked, there is no shortage of interesting travel stories.
“Just getting to the gigs a lot of times was a harrowing experience,” White said.
There were also adventures in exotic locales.
“I was in Norway, or no - it was Switzerland,” White began.
Melisa Gardner, his friend and employer, says a lot of his stories begin that way.
“I took a cab to downtown Stockholm and rented a Harley,” he continued. “I was lost in the Swedish countryside for the next 14 hours. I saw a moose and made it back for the gig.”
White’s passion for music started when he was only 13
years old.
“My parents didn’t play. I don’t know why they got me
a guitar,” White said. “They said I’d been wanting one, but
I never remember saying that. I must have.” White is primarily self-taught and feels lucky that he
was able to make music his career.
“I’ve always felt fortunate,” White said. “Guitar has been
pretty much my life in one way or another, either studiowiseor playing guitar for people or repairing guitars.” White toured with Highway 101, Pam Tillis and others. He also spent time in Nashville recording and writing songs.
“Sometimes they would sit me down with a famous songwriter and try to have us come up with a hit song,” White said. “That’s all they were interested in.” Writing was fun, White said. Although he hasn’t written for several years, he would enjoy doing it again.
“I still get little checks in the mail from those songs,” he said, “but not any retirement checks.” White works and teaches music at Red River Music Co.
Gardner said White showed up when she and her husband were in the process of opening the store.
“We were so focused on getting our store open, and we knew we wanted someone to come in and teach lessons, but we had no idea of what we were getting,” Gardner said.
“He has been a huge part of our lives and our store. He has been invaluable.” White has taught Gardner’s sons music.
“Two of my kids were singing for a long time, but he is the one who really taught them how to play together,” she said.
The liner notes on The Gardner Boys’ album, American Classics Vol. 1, thank White for his dedication to theireducation and success.
“The Gardner Boys would like to give a special thanks to Charlie White,” the note reads. “He has been their teacher, mentor, friend, role model and engineer for the past two years.”
White said he enjoys teaching but doesn’t have any special tricks up his sleeve.
“I don’t really have a method or a book or a magic program for every student,” White said. “Each one is an individual. I try to access where they are at as a player. After figuring out what their goals are with their instrument, then I work toward that for each individual.”
When White isn’t teaching, he enjoys singing at church with his 10-year-old son, repairing guitars or buying and selling vintage instruments.
White attends church in Parma and enjoys his life in Cleburne County with his family.
He still has not ruled out traveling and touring.
“I have a new record I’m working on, and I might try to go back to Europe next summer and do an acoustic thing and maybe take my family,” he said.
White said he still isn’t sure what he wants to do“when he grows up.”
He enjoys writing and listening to public-radio broadcasts.
One hobby White doesn’t enjoy is listening to music.
“I have to listen to music for my students, so by the end of the day, I have listened to enough just from them,” White said. “There’s always some kind of music blasting in my head anyway.” - czilk@ arkansasonline.commatter of fact I grew up in: Jamestown, N.Y.
My sons are: Kolton, 10, and Kolby, 6 My favorite book is: The Grapes of Wrath Someday I will: Get better. I want to continue to improve as a musician and as a teacher and as a parent.
My hidden talent is: Writing. I think I might be able to be a good writer - maybe someday when I grow up.
River Valley Ozark, Pages 140 on 06/27/2010