Drake White

Country singer and songwriter Drake White's mix of country, blues, funk, rock & roll, and reggae, and his energetic, foot-stomping live shows have led him to Nashville and beyond. On his 2016 album Spark, White co-wrote all but one of the songs, and his stories of Southern life were full of knowing details and subtle wit, which was a fine match for the strength of his vocals. Health problems sidelined him for a while, but 2022's The Optimystic and 2024's Low Country High Road confirmed he was back at full strength. Drake White was born in Hokes Bluff, Alabama, on October 3, 1983. Growing up, he sang in the choir at his local church, and after getting a guitar at the age of 14 from a neighbor down the road who played bluegrass, he began writing and playing songs, continuing to do so while attending Gadsden State Community College and then Auburn University, earning a degree in building science even as he played in the local venues at night. After graduation, White took a job with a general contractor in Nashville, working by day and playing the song rounds at night, developing, with his band the Big Fire, a crackling and energetic stage presence that often found him freestyling lyrics in the middle of songs. He caught the eye of producer Jeremy Stover and was soon signed to MCA Nashville. White turned his attention full-time to music, and released a debut single, "Simple Life," on the label early in 2013. A year later, he signed with Big Machine affiliate Dot Records, resulting in a pair of 2015 singles, "It Feels Good" and "Livin' the Dream." In August 2016, Dot released White's debut album, Spark, which debuted at number four on the Top Country Albums chart. Two years later, White released the Pieces EP. In August 2019, White collapsed on-stage during a show in Roanoke, Virginia, as he experienced a hemorrhagic stroke. Several days later, he announced that he'd been diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a condition that disrupts normal blood flow in the brain. White's treatment -- which included six rounds of brain surgery -- kept him out of the studio and off the road for a while, but in 2022, he independently released The Optimystic, a set of songs informed by his years of struggle and the COVID-19 pandemic that shook the world. The album was well-received by fans, and in 2024, his Reverend White label issued Low Country High Road, a collection of upbeat songs rooted in themes of resilience and determination. In 2025, White and fellow singer/songwriter Reid Haughton teamed up to record a single, the amiably laid-back "The Wheel." ~ Steve Leggett