On Monday, January 13, Ricky Skaggs shared some depressing news with his social media followers. The Grammy Award-winning bluegrass group the Whites’ founder, Buck White, passed away.
When the girls were little, Buck White formed the Whites with his daughters, Sharon and Cheryl White. Later, Sharon would wed Skaggs, who would often work with the patriarch of the family on recordings or live performances.
In the 1980s, they collectively achieved multiple Top 10 and Top 20 hits on the country airplay charts. Up until the turn of the decade, country radio continued to play songs from the Old Familiar Feeling album, including “You Put the Blue in Me,” “Hangin’ Around,” and “I Wonder Who’s Holding My Baby Tonight.”
The quartet was included on the Grammy-winning O Brother, Where Art Thou? album in 2001 and would go on to become well-known bluegrass performers through the turn of the century.
On his personal Facebook page, Skaggs shared a message from the four White daughters.
“The Lord answered our prayers and took our daddy, Buck White, home peacefully this morning at 8:00 a.m.,” said the note. “We are incredibly grateful that he lived for 94 years. He was a wonderful father who set an example for us by always putting Jesus first.
His greatest passions were music, his family, our mother, and the Lord. The majority of people will remember him for being a fun-loving, mischievous person in addition to being a fantastic musician and entertainer. He finished successfully and lived a long life. -his daughters, Melissa, Rosie, Cheryl, and Sharon
A gifted pianist, Buck White frequently shared the stage with artists such as Ernest Tubb and Hank Snow. The family band came into being when he and his wife Pat relocated the family from Texas to Arkansas in the early 1960s. The pair initially called themselves the Down Home Folks (with the Down Home Kids) and performed with another couple.
When they relocated to Nashville and started recording in the 1970s, the moniker remained popular. After Pat retired in 1973, Skaggs was able to work on the music within ten years, contributing to the production of their breakthrough album.
The Whites joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1984. The band was admitted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. In addition to accolades and nominations at the CMAs, ACMs, and other events, they have two Grammys and five nominations overall.
