Tony Joe White

Induction Year: 2024

Birth Name: Tony Joe White

Birth Date: 07-23-1943

Place of Birth: Oak Grove, Louisiana

Death Date: 10-24-2018

Place of Death: Nashville, Tennessee

One of the musical world’s great minimalists, Tony Joe White needed nothing more than his “whomper stomper” guitar and swampy baritone voice to mesmerize listeners.

Discovered by Nashville’s Bob Beckham, the Louisiana native initially gained popularity in France before 1969’s “Polk Salad Annie” made him an American star.

Throughout the early ’70s, Tony Joe became known as the songwriter/artist behind songs such as “Roosevelt And Ira Lee,” “Willie And Laura Mae Jones,” “Take Time To Love” and the classic “Rainy Night In Georgia,” which has been recorded by a multitude of artists from Brook Benton to Hank Williams Jr.

Other artists who have hit with Tony Joe songs include Elvis Presley with “I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby” and “For Ol’ Times Sake,” Tina Turner with “Steamy Windows” and “On Silent Wings,” Ray Charles with “3/4 Time” and John Anderson with “Mississippi Moon.”

Tony Joe was the subject of two 1998 documentary films in Europe, and his 2004 comeback CD was nominated for an Americana Music Association award. He was also featured in the HBO Series Sonic Highways and appeared on the David Letterman Show with Foo Fighters.

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Song Catalog

 

"3/4 Time"

Ray Charles1983 #37 Country
 

"Easy To Love"

(written with Donnie Fritts)

Joe Simon1977 #12 R&B
 

"For Ol' Times Sake"

Elvis Presley1973 #42 Country, #41 Pop
Tony Joe White1973 

"Goin’ Down Rockin’"

(written with Leann White)

Tony Joe White1998 
Waylon Jennings2000 
Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazelwood2004 
 

"Groupy Girl"

Tony Joe White1970 #22 UK

"I've Got A Thing About You Baby"

Tony Joe White1972 
The Crickets1973 
Elvis Presley1974 #4 Country, #27 AC, #39 Pop
Earl Scruggs Revue1976 
Sammi Smith1979 
Bobby Goldsboro1980 
Clarence Carter1997 
 

"Let The Healing Begin"

Joe Cocker1994 #32 UK
Tony Joe White1995 
 

"Mississippi Moon"

(written with Carson Whitsett)

John Anderson1995 #15 Country
Eric Church2022 
 

"Old Man Willis"

Tony Joe White1968 
Nat Stuckey1970 #31 Country
Ed Bruce1979 
 

"On Silent Wings"

(written with James Ralston)

Tina Turner1996 #13 UK, #24 Adult Contemporary, #47 Dance
 

"Out Of The Rain"

Etta James1990 
Tony Joe White1991 
Joe Cocker1992 
Jefferson Starship1999 
Jessi Colter w/ Waylon Jennings, Shooter Jennings, Tony Joe White & The  
Greater Apostolic Christ Temple Choir2006 

"Polk Salad Annie"

Tony Joe White1969 #8 Pop
Elvis Presley1972 #23 UK
Jo-El Sonnier1998 
Tom Jones1998 
Jason & The Scorchers2002 
Jim Belushi2003 
Los Lonely Boys2009 
Conan O'Brien & The Legally Prohibited Band2010 
Dale Watson2022 

"Rainy Night In Georgia"

Tony Joe White1969 
Brook Benton1970 #1 R&B, #2 AC, #4 Pop
B.J. Thomas1970 
Boots Randolph1970 
Johnny Rivers1970 
Nat Stuckey1970 
Wynn Stewart1970 
Hank Williams, Jr.1974 #13 Country
Tennessee Ernie Ford1975 
Randy Crawford1981 #18 UK
Al Hirt1991 
Sam Moore & Conway Twitty1994 
Eddie Floyd1995 
Ray Charles1997 
Little Milton1998 
Nelson Riddle Orchestra2000 
Chris Young2009 
George Benson2009 
Rod Stewart2009 
Boz Scaggs2013 
Lucinda Williams2021 
 

"Roosevelt And Ira Lee"

Tony Joe White1969 #44 Pop
King Harvest1973 
 

"Steamy Windows"

Tina Turner1989 #13 UK, #33 Dance, #39 Pop
Tony Joe White1991 
John Anderson1992 
Kenny Chesney1997 
Shemekia Copeland2000 
 

"Take Time To Love"

(written with Donnie Fritts)

Tony Joe White1972 
Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge1973 
Charlie Rich1974 

"That's The Way A Cowboy Rocks And Rolls"

Charlie Rich1977 
Jessi Colter1978 
Razzy Bailey1978 
Jacky Ward1980 #7 Country
Tony Joe White2006 
 

"Undercover Agent For The Blues"

(written with Leann White, Tina Turner|1989|, Tony Joe White|1991|, John Mayall|1993|)

 

"Willie & Laura Mae Jones"

Mel Tormé1969 
Tony Joe White1969 
Bettye Swan1970 
Dusty Springfield1972 #78 Pop
Waylon Jennings1972 
Nancy Wilson1996 
 

"You Just Get Better All The Time"

(written with Johnny Christopher)

Tony Joe White1983 
James House1990 #60
Tim McGraw1997 

Other Media

Tony Joe White

Induction Year: 2024