Donald Ray White, more commonly known as D. Ray White (April 17, 1927 – July 2, 1985), was an American

mountain dancer A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

and entertainer, and the patriarch of the White family. He has been featured in several American

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

s that detail the White family. His style was a subtle mix of tap and

clog dancing Clog dancing is a form of step dance characterised by the wearing of inflexible, wooden soled clogs. Clog dancing developed into differing intricate forms both in Wales and also in the North of England. Welsh clog dancing mainly originates fr ...

that is native to the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

and

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

. D. Ray rose to regional stardom before his murder in 1985 and became known as one of the greatest mountain dancers of his time. His son,

Jesco White Jesco White, also known as the "Dancing Outlaw" (born July 30, 1956) is an American folk dancer and entertainer. He is best known as the subject of three American documentary films that detail his desire to follow in his famous father's footstep ...

, known as "The Dancing Outlaw," who has also been the subject of several documentaries, has carried on his style and continues to perform.

In media

D. Ray was profiled as a famous mountain dancer on a

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

special titled ''Talking Feet: Solo Southern Dance - Flatfoot, Buck and Tap'',''Talking Feet: Solo Southern Dance - Flatfoot, Buck and Tap'' documentary film by

Mike Seeger Mike Seeger (August 15, 1933August 7, 2009) was an American folk musician and folklorist. He was a distinctive singer and an accomplished musician who played autoharp, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, guitar, mouth harp, mandolin, dobro, jaw harp, ...

and others, 1 hour and 27 minutes, color, Smithsonian Folkways,

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

3/4 tape (1987); DVD region 1 (U.S. and Canada only) (April 24, 2007) and is referred to in '' The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia''. The 1991 PBS film ''

Dancing Outlaw Jesco White, also known as the "Dancing Outlaw" (born July 30, 1956) is an American folk dancer and entertainer. He is best known as the subject of three American documentary films that detail his desire to follow in his famous father's footstep ...

'' chronicled son Jesco's abilities as a mountain dancer. The 2009 film ''It Came from Trafalgar'' and the 2009 docudrama ''

White Lightnin' ''White Lightnin is a 2009 dramatic film directed by Dominic Murphy and written by Eddy Moretti and Shane Smith. It stars Edward Hogg, Carrie Fisher, Muse Watson. Inspired by the life of Jesco White, an Appalachian mountain dancer, it was sh ...

'' were inspired by D. Ray and Jesco. D. Ray and his immediate family are the subject of the

Hank Williams III Shelton Hank Williams (born December 12, 1972), known as Hank Williams III, is an American musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist, known for his unique fusion of traditional country music, rockabilly, heavy metal and punk rock. He was the ...

song "D. Ray White," featured on his album ''Straight to Hell''.

Death

Steve Allen Rowe, 30, a fellow resident of

Boone County, West Virginia Boone County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,809. Its county seat is Madison. Boone County is part of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Leading industries and chief a ...

, town of Prenter, shot D. Ray and his sons Jesco and Dorsey White with a 12-gauge shotgun outside D. Ray's home on July 2, 1985, after quarreling with White and his sons. D. Ray was killed by a shotgun wound to the chest, and Jesco and Dorsey were injured.

References

External links

The Murder of D Ray White
*
Talking Feet: Solo Southern Dance: Buck, Flatfoot and Tap
' *

and Ruth Pershing, ''Talking Feet: Solo Southern Dance of the Appalachian, Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountain Regions'', North Atlantic Books (January 29, 1993), paperback: 152 pages
Official website of The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, D Ray 1927 births 1985 deaths American male dancers Entertainers from West Virginia Folk dancers People from Boone County, West Virginia 20th-century American dancers