Chris White (born 13 July 1955) is an English jazz/rock saxophonist who toured with Dire Straits[1] from 1985 to 1995, and who has played with many bands and artists, including Robbie Williams, Paul McCartney, Chris De Burgh and Mick Jagger.
Chris White | |
|---|---|
 White performing with The Straits at Concert at the Kings in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 13 July 1955 Bristol, England |
| Genres | Rock, celtic rock, country, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, flute, tambourine |
| Labels | Vertigo, Mercury |
Biography
editWhite took up the saxophone at the age of 13, whilst a pupil at Lawrence Weston Secondary School. He started gigging a couple of years later, and was soon playing in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and touring with other musicians (such as France Gall). He joined Dire Straits in 1985 (saxophones, flute, backing vocals and percussion) for their two final world tours, Brothers in Arms (1985-1986) and On Every Street (1991-1992), and played at both the Live Aid concert in 1985 and the Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Concert in 1988. He played on the sixth Dire Straits studio album On Every Street, released in September 1991, and on the band's second live album On the Night, released in 1993, which was recorded during the On Every Street tour at tour concerts in Nîmes, France and Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
In 2002, White joined the Dire Straits band again, together with Mark Knopfler, Guy Fletcher, John Illsley and Danny Cummings in the four small reunion gigs in London and Beaulieu Abbey. In May 1990, he joined The Notting Hillbillies, a country rock project formed by Mark Knopfler.
In 1991, White released his first and only solo album, Shadowdance comprising Jazz-Rock, Fusion and Contemporary Jazz. A motorcycle accident in 1993 prevented him from touring with Pink Floyd.
In 2007, White played with Tom Jones and Bryan Ferry at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium.
He was a member of The Straits, a former Dire Straits cover band and tribute band where "former members of Dire Straits perform the band's greatest hits", its members being Alan Clark, Chris White, Terence Reis, Steve Ferrone, Mickey Feat, Adam Philips and Jamie Squire. The Dire Straits Legacy also planned, as of 2017, on releasing original material. He, along with the other members of tribute act and cover band The Dire Straits Experience[2] also performed at a charity event in Gurgaon and Bangalore, India in March 2017.[3]
As of 2022, 2023 and 2024, White continues to perform and tour with The Dire Straits Experience band.
Discography
edit- Shadowdance, 1991.
- On Every Street Dire Straits, 1991.
- On The Night Dire Straits, 1993.
References
edit- ^ Bishop, Pete (7 August 1985). "Dire Straits merely magnificent". Pittsburgh Press. p. D7. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
- ^ "The Dire Straits Experience | Former band member Chris White and six world class musicians perform the music of Dire Straits". Direstraitsexperience.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Listen Songs Online, Watch And Download Video Songs". Songdew.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.