Tam White
Encyclopedia
Tam White was a Scottish
musician, stonemason and actor.
, Scotland
, White was primarily known as a blues
vocalist with a trademark gravel-voiced voice. In the 1960s he recorded with beat groups The Boston Dexters and then The Buzz, who recorded one single
with record producer Joe Meek
in 1966. In the 1970s, White was the first artist to sing live on Top of the Pops
, and he provided the vocals for Robbie Coltrane
to mime to as Big Jazza McGlone in John Byrne's award-winning television series Tutti Frutti
in 1987.
Mixed fortunes in the 1970s after the Boston Dexters split saw him hosting his own TV show on Scottish Television
and performing in working men's clubs, followed by a spell when he returned to stonemasonry. He told The Scotsman
: "Everyone wanted me to be somebody else. I did a series for STV in the 1970s, my own show, and I ended up in a monkey suit – it was incredibly embarrassing – and doing working men's clubs. I got hooked into that, anything to make a living." During this time White was drinking heavily, a habit he kicked in 1980.
In the same year White reformed the Dexters with a changing line-up that over the years included guitarist Jim Condie and jazz pianist Brian Kellock
, with whom he also recorded a duet album. Billed as Tam White & The Dexters, the band built up a solid and loyal following for their live appearances, which generally sold out. In addition to being "a fixture" at the Edinburgh Jazz And Blues Festival, there were also support slots for many better-known blues artists including B.B. King, Al Green
and Van Morrison
. As the Dexters split for a second time, collaborations with musicians such as guitarist Neil Warden, the harmonica player Fraser Speirs
and bassist Boz Burrell
eventually developed into a permanent lineup known as The Shoestring Band, who continued performing together either as a trio or a larger band until Burrell's death in 2006. After this White re-formed the Dexters.
White began acting on television in 1990, playing John Maguire in The Wreck on The Highway by Colin MacDonald. His most notable appearances include Paper Mask, The Negotiator, Braveheart
, Cutthroat Island
, Orphans
, and two roles in Taggart
, once in 1992 and once in 2000. He also had roles in Rebus: Black and Blue
, playing Rico Briggs, The Legend of Loch Lomond, Goodbye, Mr Steadman and Man Dancin. His latest television appearance's was playing Tony Macrae in EastEnders
in late 2003 and early 2004, followed by a brief stint in 2009 in the BBC Scotland
soap, River City
.
A fitness enthusiast, he died of a heart attack
after a gym session in Edinburgh on 21 June 2010.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
musician, stonemason and actor.
Biography
Born Thomas Bennett Sim White in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, White was primarily known as a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
vocalist with a trademark gravel-voiced voice. In the 1960s he recorded with beat groups The Boston Dexters and then The Buzz, who recorded one single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
with record producer Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
in 1966. In the 1970s, White was the first artist to sing live on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, and he provided the vocals for Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
to mime to as Big Jazza McGlone in John Byrne's award-winning television series Tutti Frutti
Tutti Frutti (1987 TV series)
Tutti Frutti is a BBC Scotland six part drama series, transmitted in 1987 and written by John Byrne. It starred Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Maurice Roëves, Richard Wilson and Katy Murphy...
in 1987.
Mixed fortunes in the 1970s after the Boston Dexters split saw him hosting his own TV show on Scottish Television
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
and performing in working men's clubs, followed by a spell when he returned to stonemasonry. He told The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
: "Everyone wanted me to be somebody else. I did a series for STV in the 1970s, my own show, and I ended up in a monkey suit – it was incredibly embarrassing – and doing working men's clubs. I got hooked into that, anything to make a living." During this time White was drinking heavily, a habit he kicked in 1980.
In the same year White reformed the Dexters with a changing line-up that over the years included guitarist Jim Condie and jazz pianist Brian Kellock
Brian Kellock
Brian Kellock is a Scottish jazz pianist.Born in Edinburgh, Brian graduated with a B. Music from Edinburgh University in 1986...
, with whom he also recorded a duet album. Billed as Tam White & The Dexters, the band built up a solid and loyal following for their live appearances, which generally sold out. In addition to being "a fixture" at the Edinburgh Jazz And Blues Festival, there were also support slots for many better-known blues artists including B.B. King, Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
and Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
. As the Dexters split for a second time, collaborations with musicians such as guitarist Neil Warden, the harmonica player Fraser Speirs
Fraser Speirs
Fraser Speirs is a Glasgow-based harmonica player. Originally trained as a medical illustrator, Speirs has been performing for over 30 years and is now an internationally-known performer and teacher....
and bassist Boz Burrell
Boz Burrell
Raymond "Boz" Burrell was an English musician. Originally a vocalist, Burrell is best known for his bass playing and work with the rock bands King Crimson and Bad Company.-Career:...
eventually developed into a permanent lineup known as The Shoestring Band, who continued performing together either as a trio or a larger band until Burrell's death in 2006. After this White re-formed the Dexters.
White began acting on television in 1990, playing John Maguire in The Wreck on The Highway by Colin MacDonald. His most notable appearances include Paper Mask, The Negotiator, Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
, Cutthroat Island
Cutthroat Island
Cutthroat Island is a 1995 action adventure film directed by Renny Harlin. The film stars Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, and Frank Langella. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a major box office bomb: listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest box office flop of...
, Orphans
Orphan (disambiguation)
An orphan is one who has lost both parents.Orphan may also refer to:* Orphan , an automobile built by a manufacturer that either no longer exists or has been acquired by or merged into another company...
, and two roles in Taggart
Taggart
Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
, once in 1992 and once in 2000. He also had roles in Rebus: Black and Blue
Detective Inspector John Rebus
Detective Inspector John Rebus is the protagonist in the Inspector Rebus series of detective novels by the Scottish writer Ian Rankin, ten of which have so far been televised as Rebus...
, playing Rico Briggs, The Legend of Loch Lomond, Goodbye, Mr Steadman and Man Dancin. His latest television appearance's was playing Tony Macrae in EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
in late 2003 and early 2004, followed by a brief stint in 2009 in the BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
soap, River City
River City
River City is a Scottish television soap opera, first broadcast in Scotland on BBC Scotland on 24 September 2002. River City storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional district of Shieldinch in Glasgow...
.
A fitness enthusiast, he died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
after a gym session in Edinburgh on 21 June 2010.
External links
- http://www.tamwhite.co.uk/
- http://www.neilwarden.com/
- http://www.fraserspeirs.co.uk/