Jordan White (born May 6, 1984) is an American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
musician and singer-songwriter.
Early life and education
Jordan White was born May 6, 1984 in
Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 23,847, an increase of 1,222 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count ...
. His family later moved to
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Nazareth is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The borough's population was 6,053 at the 2020 census. Nazareth is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th most populous metropoli ...
,
[Ragonese, Dana]
"Cranford native Jordan White featured at Rev It Up concert starring Crystal Bowersox"
''Cranford Chronicle'', August 4, 2011. Accessed February 20, 2013. where he graduated from
Nazareth Area High School
Nazareth High School is a public high school located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is the only high school in the Nazareth Area School District and serves grades 9 through 12. Its mascot is the B ...
in the
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
region of eastern
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
White graduated with an A.A. from
Northampton Community College
Northampton Community College is a public community college in Pennsylvania with campuses in Bethlehem in Northampton County and Tannersville in Monroe County. The college, founded in 1967, also has satellite locations in the south side of Bet ...
and then a
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
from
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) is a public university in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of ten state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).
History
What today is East ...
in
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state. Originally known as "Dansbury", East Stroudsburg was renamed for geographic reasons when the Delaware, Lackawanna, and ...
and
M.S.
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
from
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Ship or SU) is a public university in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1871, it later became the first teachers college in Pennsylvania. ...
in
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
Shippensburg is a borough in Cumberland and Franklin counties in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Settled in 1730, Shippensburg lies in the Cumberland Valley, southwest of Harrisburg, and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan St ...
in the field of
psychological science
''Psychological Science'', the flagship journal of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), is a monthly, peer-reviewed, scientific journal published by SAGE Publications.
Publication scope
''Psychological Science'' publishes research r ...
.
White explained that some periods of
depression experienced as a teenager led him to begin composing original music, stating that music "saved me from being another statistic."
Career
White has performed as a
solo artist
In music, a solo (from the Spanish and Italian based-word: ''Solo'', meaning ''alone'' or ''by yourself'') is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung featuring a single performer, who may be performing completely alone or supported by an ...
and with cover bands, an acoustic trio, and an alternative rock band. KineticBlu formed in
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...
in 2008 although inactive until the acoustic act Foreplay, in which White, guitarist Brian Kibler and vocalist Tara Crowe, had been performing merged with drummer Rob Lilly. White was performing a solo show in the
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
when he was approached by Lilly about a new band he was forming. The media had once dubbed KineticBlu "The Lehigh Valley's Sexiest Rock Band".
KineticBlu was named Alternative Addiction's "Next Big Thing" for the month off October 2010 and performed at the fifth annual Bethlehem Harvest, the third annual
Blue Mountain "Rock The Fall" Festival,
and, in February 2011, the 15th annual Millennium Music Conference & Showcase in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
, an event that draws nearly 300 musical acts from across the country.
High Road EP
During January 2016, White recorded a new six-song EP titled ''High Road'' with
Grammy-award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
winning producer Jim Annunziato at Logos Studios in
Massapequa, New York. Contributing to the recording included multi-platinum selling producer and songwriter
Eric Sanicola
Eric Sanicola (born May 6, 1981) is an American music producer and songwriter credited on numerous Gold and Platinum albums, including various ''Billboard'' magazine charting singles.
Career
Since the start of his career in 2003, he has wr ...
and
From Autumn to Ashes
From Autumn to Ashes is a post-hardcore band based in Long Island, New York. The group formed in 2000 under the name Who's to Blame. While the band had gone through many line-up changes, the members include Francis Mark (lead vocals, drums), S ...
rhythm guitarist
Scott Gross
Scott Gross is an American musician, guitarist, composer, producer, audio engineer and writer known as a member of the band From Autumn To Ashes and owner and founder of Hit And Run Studios in Long Island, New York. Before From Autumn To Ashes he ...
. The EP was released by Pangea Records on October 21, 2016.
Flexitone Records
During the summer of 2015, White signed with Flexitone Records and began recording the upcoming single "Crazy Girl" with producer David Ivory. The track was mastered by
Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to:
* Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor
* Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter
* Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer
* Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...
. The song was released nationally on the Flexitone label in September 2015.
Four Songs
Overall, critical reviews of White's "Four Songs" have been mixed with its single "Maybe Amy" placed in rotation at hundreds of U.S. and U.K. radio stations. In an interview on Philadelphia radio, he explained the EP was an "attempt to fuse the confessional singer-songwriter vibe stemming from Southern California during the 1970s with a 1990s alternative, full band sound."
''The Sentinel'''s Stacy Brown remarked that "Four Songs" "contains moments of pop and flavor of southern rock paired with plenty of clean guitar licks amongst White's clear and distinctive vocals."
Ashley McAteer of ''That Music Mag'' wrote that "White's catchy lyrics really do not really draw attention but are easily stuck in your head, although he seems to be giving you just what he knows."
Jennifer Shields from ''The Owl Mag'' described the EP as "taking music back to beautiful simplicity."
Charles Minguez from ''One Minute Sound'' wrote that White's "Four Songs" kicks off with the track 'Maybe, Amy' which is a throwback to the sound of 90s pop icons like Third Eye Blind and Matchbox 20; the EP then rolls into 'Bloodshot' and features heavier driven guitar riffs and a solo borrowed from the pages of Counting Crows. 'Before I Go Out', the third track, is probably the favorite and features subtle slide guitar licks and a quirky piano line. White undeniably has an ear for writing catchy, radio-friendly songs and is extremely talented, however his musical style is a bit outdated. Even when he is pushing out creativity, it still sounds as if he is trying too hard to emulate his influences. White's voice is clean and crisp, though it may not be the composition as much as the production to blame."
Dustin Schoof of ''
The Express-Times
''The Express-Times'' is a daily newspaper based in Easton, Pennsylvania. The newspaper provides national news and extensive local news coverage of the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855, ''The Express-Times'' is the lon ...
'' wrote that "White goes from belting out a tender, folksy acoustic tune ("Maybe, Amy") to plugging in and cutting loose on "Bloodshot," highlighted by a smoking guitar lead. "Before I Go Out" is more of a roots rocker, complete with background harmonica. "No Promises" is a piano ballad that is heartfelt without veering into cheesy territory. It's a balanced and robust and shows off White's skills as a musician and songwriter.
Michael Phoenix of "The Hub" wrote that the lead single "Maybe, Amy" "could have been from the television shows ''
Saved by the Bell
''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in primetime, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United States ...
'' or ''
California Dreams
''California Dreams'' is an American teen sitcom that aired on NBC. It was part of the network's Saturday morning block, TNBC, premiering on September 12, 1992. Created by writers Brett Dewey and Ronald B. Solomon, and executive produced by P ...
'' but gave the rest of the album a positive review, stating that "White comes back, hitting you with the hard beat of 'Bloodshot', a great change up and a way to keep your attention, while 'Before I Go Out' is a good transition song in leading into the piano ballad 'No Promises' with references made to Philadelphia and the Jersey shore, leading you to feel the passion of the song from both the music and lyrics."
DJ "RJ" from
WPHT-FM "The Note" described the collection of songs as "engaging, thoughtful, and very focused; it's an enjoyable listen from a talented singer."
Sandy Lo of ''WHOA'' magazine wrote that "White's music is certainly lyrically based which is a breath of fresh air nowadays with so much machinery and big beats thrown into songs." White also responded regarding his much publicized affair with ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' that "the problem
ith the showis the judges dismissed the best singers but would then send a guy through wearing a clown costume."
Musical influences
White says his musical influences "started with singer-songwriters out of the 1970s," referencing
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
,
Jackson Browne
Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States.
Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
, and
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
. He also cites
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
,
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...
,
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...
,
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
Ritchie Valens
Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens was killed i ...
, and
The Clash
The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...
. His music is considered a mixture of
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
and
acoustic-confessional
pop-rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and ...
.
Awards and recognition
In November 2007, White was a finalist in the Lehigh Valley Acoustic Competition and in 2008 KineticBlu was nominated for two Lehigh Valley Music Awards. In August 2010, White himself was nominated for three 2010 Lehigh Valley Music Awards for Best Songwriter, Best Lyricist, and Best Band Website, being chosen amongst 3,000 other fan and industry nominees. White performed at the awards ceremony on December 5, 2010 in
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...
which was well received. White was nominated for two Montgomery/Bucks County music awards in November 2011 and also nominated for two more Lehigh Valley Music Awards, Best Songwriter and Best Male Vocalist, in April 2012 returned to WFMZ-TV.
White was nominated for three Lehigh Valley Music Awards in fall of 2012 including Best Lyricist, Best Singer-Songwriter and Best Folk Band/Soloist and for Outstanding Songwriter in the 2012 Philadelphia music awards, and in November 2013 was again nominated for five Philadelphia Music Awards including Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Singer-Songwriter, Outstanding Male Vocalist, among others. White accompanied American Idol "top 100" contestants Tyler Grady and Tim Marchetto at the 2014 Lehigh Valley Music Awards on March 9, 2014. The show, broadcast on television and radio has grown significantly in scope, size, and has been steadily receiving more mainstream media attention each year since its inception in the 1990s.
Personal life
In August 2021, White began chatting with
Guns N’ Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
lead guitarist
Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash ...
on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
after White attended the band's first North American tour date of 2021 at
Hershey Park
Hersheypark (known as Hershey Park until 1970) is a family theme park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, about east of Harrisburg, and west of Philadelphia. The park was founded in 1906 by Milton S. Hershey as a leisure park for the employees of ...
in
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey.
The community is lo ...
. Both musicians follow each other's Twitter profiles. The people who are successfully making a living playing music, the reason they got to that level is because they see music as a lifestyle," White told the ''
Northeast Times
The ''Northeast Times'' is an American newspaper, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that primarily targets the Northeast Philadelphia community. Philadelphia Newspapers, parent of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', bought the ''Northeast Times'' in 19 ...
'', adding, "
his
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
requires talent, dedication and endurance" also telling the ''
Sun-Gazette'' that "there are a lot of setbacks and accomplishments. Often you take two steps forward and one step back. It's just how it goes." According to February 2015 article, White still has recurring bouts with depression but is undergoing treatment to "stop dwelling on the past and focus on the future" but admitted it "could be a lifetime battle".
White is a
Nissan
, trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
and
Mazda
, commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan.
In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...
racing enthusiast, and has custom
Datsun
Datsun (, ) was an automobile brand owned by Nissan. Datsun's original production run began in 1931. From 1958 to 1986, only vehicles exported by Nissan were identified as Datsun. Nissan phased out the Datsun brand in March 1986, but relaunche ...
s, Nissan Sentras and 200sxes that are powered by the
SR20DE
The SR engine is a series of , or Inline-four engine, straight-four, four-stroke engine, four-stroke gasoline internal combustion engine, engines manufactured by Nissan Motors, Nissan. It has an aluminum head and cast-iron block with steel Cyli ...
and SR20VE engines. He mentioned that if he wasn't a musician he "would love to work on race cars." White says that when he first purchased a brand new
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctive ...
he soon returned it "because it just wasn't me." He is also a registered independent and animal lover, owning
Chihuahuas,
Doberman
The Dobermann (; ), or Doberman Pinscher in the United States and Canada, is a medium-large breed of domestic dog that was originally developed around 1890 by Louis Dobermann, a tax collector from Germany.[Siamese cats
The Siamese cat ( th, แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Seeaam) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand ( ...]
, and recently adopted a 2 lb
chihuahua from a rescue. His mother also raises seeing-eye
German Shepherd
The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.
It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...
s.
White also is a lifelong
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
fan and in an interview with Mike Viso from "Through The Fence Baseball" when asked about the teams' 2008 World Series victory he replied "I'll always know exactly where I was when it happened. I had waited for it for 20 years. The 1993 World Series loss to the Blue Jays crushed me. I was just a little kid. I stood there in shock as I watched
Joe Carter
Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, ...
round the bases jumping up and down. The Phillies winning it all was something I thought I'd never see in my lifetime. When you break it down it really is just a game, but it was one of the few things not in my control I wanted to witness before I'm gone and I'm really thankful."
White has also spoken about
hearing loss
Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to Hearing, hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to Language ...
in performing musicians, saying initially he did not use
ear protection
Ear protection refers to devices used to protect the ear, either externally from elements such as cold, intrusion by water and other environmental conditions, debris. High levels of exposure to noise may result in noise-induced hearing loss
N ...
but added "it's something to think about more as I older and want to protect my senses. After shows, I'll have this ringing in my ear where it sounds like there's a television on." White claims to have developed a form of
obsessive-compulsive disorder over the years, noting his tendency "to perform certain actions in sequences of even numbers" and says he is "obsessed with the number 4" and also has a fear of flying on airplanes, and reportedly has never flown.
[Joshua Kreger, "White: Unrestricted", 2008 May 1]
2010 September 3 White graduated
Nazareth Area High School
Nazareth High School is a public high school located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is the only high school in the Nazareth Area School District and serves grades 9 through 12. Its mascot is the B ...
and currently lives in the suburbs of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
Discography
''Four Songs'' EP (2012)
Track listing:
# "Maybe, Amy" (3:45)
# "Bloodshot" (5:25)
# "Before I Go Out" (3:28)
# "No Promises" (4:20)
''Crazy Girl'' single (2015)
"Crazy Girl" (3:54)
''High Road'' EP (2016)
# "High Road" (3:02)
# "Like The Rain" (3:50)
# "12/26" (2:25)
# "September" (3:52)
# "Comin' Round Again" (3:04)
# "Random Hearts" (3:44)
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Jordan
1982 births
Living people
American male singer-songwriters
American rock musicians
American rock songwriters
American rock singers
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania alumni
Nazareth Area High School alumni
People from Nazareth, Pennsylvania
People from Cranford, New Jersey
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania alumni
Singer-songwriters from New Jersey
21st-century American singers
21st-century American male singers