The Whites

Biography

The Whites are an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. They consist of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and, until his death, their father, Buck White. Sharon plays guitar, Cheryl is the bassist and Buck played the mandolin and piano. Formed in 1972, the trio has recorded multiple albums and charted multiple songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. They are also known as frequent collaborators of country and bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs, who is Sharon's husband. The group are frequent performers on the Grand Ole Opry, and became members in 1984.

Overview

The Whites consist of Sharon White (born December 17, 1953), her sister Cheryl (born January 27, 1955), and their father Buck (December 13, 1930 – January 13, 2025). Buck grew up playing music, and started playing at dances, wrestling arenas, and auditoriums; but did not really like the atmosphere. Buck had two jobs when the sisters were growing up; a plumber by day, and piano and mandolin player by night. He started really enjoying music when his family started playing together all around the world. In the beginning, Sharon took up bass when she was twelve, moving to guitar when Cheryl took over on bass.
In the 1980s, they scored such hits as "You Put The Blue In Me", "Hangin' Around", "Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling", "Pins And Needles", "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)", "Hometown Gossip", and "When The New Wears Off of Our Love".
In August 1981, Sharon White married Ricky Skaggs, who performed on several of the Whites' early releases. In 1987, the couple released the hit song, "Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This".
In 1991, the Whites joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry on the In The Heat Of The Night TV series album entitled Christmas Time's A Comin', performing on the track, "Let's Live Everyday Like It Was Christmas" (Sonlite/MGM/UA).
The Whites became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1984 and were current regulars on the program in Nashville, Tennessee. Their collaborative album with Ricky Skaggs, "Salt of the Earth" won the 2008 Grammy for Best Southern/Country/Bluegrass Album.
The Whites can be heard on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack with the song "Keep on the Sunny Side". They also appear in Down from the Mountain, the documentary of a concert given by the soundtrack artists.
The Whites were inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 16, 2008, in Carthage, Texas. They were inducted along with Buck Owens and Mickey Newbury.
Also performing on the Grand Ole Opry with Buck, Sharon and Cheryl is Rosanna, better known as Rosie, the third of the four White sisters. She performs high harmony and occasionally does solo performance of the Mel Tillis classic "The Violet and the Rose".
Buck White died on January 13, 2025, at the age of 94. The group entered a short hiatus after his death, but returned to performing on the Opry in August 2025.