Clarence White: the forgotten guitarist Jimmy Page called “absolutely brilliant”
Thanks to the haunting Neil Young lyric forever immortalised by Kurt Cobain, it’s often said that artists should burn out rather than fade away. However, in reality, there’s nothing sadder in music than an act losing their career at an early age. It has sometimes added to the mystique and legend surrounding specific artists, but the vast majority have been forgotten.
For every Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, or Amy Winehouse who secured their status as an all-time great in their fleeting careers, dozens more artists have been unfairly written out of the history books. It can take decades for artists to reach their creative peak, and sadly, this opportunity is not handed to everyone.
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has been at the forefront of the music industry since he started as a session musician to the stars in the 1960s. During that time, Page has witnessed unthinkable tragedy and powerful highs in Led Zeppelin alone, ranging from their rise to becoming the world’s biggest rock band to the heartbreaking loss of John Bonham. Additionally, Page has seen many young guitarists cut their teeth in sweaty clubs before graduating to music’s grandest stages. He also knows everything there is to know about his chosen instrument. With that in mind, Page is an artist eternally grateful to his forefathers, who were critical in developing the blues, which birthed rock ‘n’ roll and, in turn, his entire career.
In Page’s mind, nobody can compete with Hendrix, who he believes was the greatest guitarist ever. However, Hendrix isn’t the only pioneering musician who inspired the founder of Led Zeppelin in his quest for glory. Another person he greatly respects is the late Clarence White, who Page believes is one of the most gifted in history.
Sadly, despite White’s vast influence, his name isn’t as familiar to the average rock fan as it should be. While his work with The Byrds and The Kentucky Colonels is ingrained into the souls of many, his name isn’t given the respect that it would have if his career continued to flourish.
Aged 29, White was killed in 1973 after being fatally hit by a drunk driver. He’d recently finished a White Brothers concert with his brother, Roland, and as the pair loaded their equipment into a vehicle, the guitarist was struck.
Significantly, as a session musician, White played alongside talents including Joe Cocker, Randy Newman, The Everly Brothers, and Jackson Browne. The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia toured with White in 1964 and looked up to him as a mentor figure, once saying, “Clarence made it look like playing was the easiest thing in the world. He was special, the kind of guitar player who comes along once in a while.”
Although Page didn’t have the opportunity to get up close and personal with White like Garcia did, he’s equally in awe of the late guitarist’s skill. He once remarked: “We’ve lost the best guitarist any of us ever had, and that was Hendrix. The other guitarist I started to get into died also, Clarence White. He was absolutely brilliant. Gosh.”
Undoubtedly, White left an indelible mark on the music industry during his short time on the planet, but his legacy could have been so much more. The day before his death, he agreed to start a new musical project with Roger McGuinn, his former bandmate in The Byrds and was looking ahead to the future. McGuinn later recalled of his friend: “He was incredibly talented, and full of life and full of music. I know he’d still be doing something great today if he was still around.”
In 1973, White’s career was only getting started. He’d spent a decade learning his trade by working with established names in the business and had the world in his hands. Yet, the overarching theme of his legacy is question marks over what could have been. In another universe, White’s name could have been as revered as Page or other greats such as Jeff Beck, but he was cruelly robbed of the opportunity to fulfil his artistic potential.
