In 1999 after putting out a couple, short-run, vinyl singles on a small, local, independent, label they signed with the bigger, California, indie, label Sympathy for the Record Industry and released another single, their first album, and a follow up single. They started gigging a few months later in Michigan’s thriving, underground, Garage Rock scene. They also chose the band’s strict color scheme of white, red, and black and to concoct a mysterious history by publicly portraying themselves as brother and sister. They decided to call their duo the White Stripes based on Meg‘s love for peppermint candies and as an acknowledgment of them being white kids playing the Blues. Meg’s inexperienced and rudimentary drumming excited and inspired Jack and his fondness for old and dilapidated equipment like his beat-up amplifier and his red, plastic, 1964, Airline brand, Montgomery-Ward catalog, guitar gave them a unique and primitive sound. The following year non-musician Meg learned to play Jack’s drum set while he played guitar and sang. Jack and Meg married in 1996 with him legally taking her last name. The name Jack would later call his record company. When Jack was a high school senior he would read poetry at open mic nights at a Southern-themed restaurant called Memphis Smoke where he met fellow local high school student and aspiring chef Megan White who worked there.Īfter his apprenticeship Jack, who was now playing drums in popular local Cowpunk band Goober & the Peas as well as playing guitar and singing at solo shows, opened his own one-man business called Third Man Upholstery. His boss, who played drums, invited Jack to play with him so Jack switched to guitar. He also took an upholstery apprenticeship with a family friend who turned him on to Punk Rock. Starting as a drummer, Jack was influenced by the usual Classic Rock heroes before he became smitten with the Blues and ‘60s Garage Rock.Īccording to Jack he had been accepted into a Catholic seminary in Wisconsin but instead chose to go to a public high school where he majored in business and played drums and trombone in the school band. Released on April 4th of 2003 on V2, XL, and Third Man Records and produced by Jack White, this is the fourth studio album by the Detroit, Michigan Blues, Punk, Alternative, Garage Rock duo.ĭetroit native Jack Gillis, the youngest of ten children, whose older brothers were in a local band learned to play the instruments they left around their house.
MUSIC HISTORY WRITTEN BY HEAD WRITER DJ MORTY COYLE: