BY ED GEBERT
Times Bulletin News Writer
egebert@timesbulletin.com
"I've spent the last six years of my life really learning about humility," admitted country singer Bryan White.
At the ripe old age of 35, country singer and songwriter Bryan White is back around as a recording artist, appearing at Marsh Auditorium Saturday at 7:30 p.m. After scoring a series of number one hits on the country charts in the 1990s, he withdrew from the life of tour buses, bright lights, and celebrity photographers.
White explained, "I took a break from the industry about 2000-2001 and I took time to focus on what I had always dreamed of doing and that was having a family. I'm so blessed and so thankful that God allowed me to do that. I'm grateful for the 90s because we had a lot of good fortune. We were able to step back and take a break because of what the 90s and the fans afforded us to do."
It may have been a step away from life as a recording artist, but White's talents as a songwriter continued to flourish. He penned a number of songs that were recorded by other singers. And he found that having a family only added to his need to write.
"When you're focused on all those things, the well of inspiration grows deeper," he shared. "I've always remained active as a songwriter and continued writing through that and pitching songs to other artists. And I've had a lot of good fortune in that area too... But I'd written about so many things that are personal to me that I felt I started feeling the itch again. Everyone knows what their knack is, their talent, their gift, and you it can't be suppressed."
That gift was evident when White first appeared on the Nashville scene in the early 1990s. After leaving Oklahoma and showing up on Music Row as a drummer and singer, he was signed to Asylum Records. His first two albums were certified platinum, and White scored four consecutive number one singles: "Someone Else's Star", "Rebecca Lynn", "So Much for Pretending", and "Sittin' on Go". White was also Shania Twain's duet partner for "From This Moment On" in 1998.
After four albums of his own, White took a break. " I think I just needed to recharge and do some soul searching to find out who I was and who I was not and how I can better myself," he noted.
These days, the touring life is different than it used to be. Instead of staying on the road for weeks and months, White and his band perform once or twice in a weekend. In addition, the show in Van Wert will not be the typical produced country music concert. "This particular show is going to be fun and interesting. We've been doing a lot of these shows lately. This is kind of a scaled-down version of what we do," White explained. "It's an acoustic show. It's me, a percussionist and a piano player. We've been doing a lot of that the last two years, and it's been so fun, and the response from the fans has been so awesome because they don't get to see us do things kind of unplugged. It's fun to go to a big blown-out rock show, and we do that too, but I think this is a nice break. It's not as structured and that's a real special show to be a part of."
White has a new album to promote as well, only his second since his break from recording. "Dustbowl Dreams" has taken a bit of time to put together, but White said that getting the project out quickly for the public was not his goal. He laughed, "I just took it upon myself to make the best record possible, and every time I thought I was almost done, I'd write another song and think, 'Oh my, I've got to put this on there!' And that would tack on another three months!"
It was a surprise, even to White, how fast he found success almost 20 years ago. First came a publishing contract, then a recording contract, then stardom. He remembered, "I never thought all that stuff would happen that fast. I thought maybe I had a chance at some of those things happening, but I'd heard so many sob stories that I had it in my mind that I was going to have to grind it out for a few years. So when the success came that soon, it was definitely very shocking to me."
These days, White knows that he is basically starting over with music fans. He credits being a husband and a father with teaching him humility, emphasizing that he is far from perfect. Years removed from his whirlwind beginning, Bryan White is still a talented singer and songwriter, but now he has the freedom to play on his own terms. In Van Wert Saturday night, White and his scaled-down band are out to share the music with his old fans and with new ones.
He summarized, "Now, for me, it's a matter of reconnecting with the fans. We're not in major tour mode because we are not on a major tour, so we have to rev ourselves up each time we go out, and reconnect as a band. It's challenging, but I'm really excited about reconnecting with the fans, and exciting about reintroducing myself and new music as well."
Bryan White (born February 17, 1974 in Lawton, Oklahoma) is an American country music artist. Signed to Asylum Records in 1994 at age 20, White released his self-titled debut album that year. Both it and its follow-up, 1996's Between Now and Forever, were certified platinum by the RIAA, and 1997's The Right Place was certified gold. His fourth album, 1999's How Lucky I Am, failed to produce any major singles, and he was dropped from the label's roster.
White has charted seventeen singles on the Billboard country charts, of which four reached Number One: "Someone Else's Star" in 1995; "Rebecca Lynn" and "So Much for Pretending," both in 1996; and "Sittin' on Go" in 1997. He was also a duet partner on the album version of Shania Twain's 1998 single "From This Moment On", which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Overall, he has recorded four studio albums, a Greatest Hits package, and three EPs.
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