Jack White, aka The Third Man, Three Quid or Jack White III, is a successful rock musician and a Grammy Winner, who sometimes takes the time to appear in Hollywood movies. He is the lead singer and guitarist of the indie/garage rock band The White Stripes. But his life previous to complete stardom was anything but perfect.

He was born John Anthony Gillis on the 9th of July, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan and was the youngest of ten siblings. His family was far from wealthy - and they lived in a lower-middle-class area. From a young age, our lad was fascinated with blues and 60s rock - as opposed to his mates and neighbors who were into more commercial music. But even back then, Jack was special and a bit of an eccentric. And he has maintained this label of a bizarre character even these days - because how many rock stars out there dig taxidermy? Well, he does, and apart from this, there are a series of small things due to which he has gained the reputation of being a bit of an offbeat persona. Like, for example, he is obsessed with number three, with the colors white, red and black (which The White Stripes members always wear) and least, but not last, frequently referred to his former wife as 'his sister'. But all this peculiar stuff only makes him more mysterious and fascinates his fans. Plus, he is very private about his personal life: 'It's the same thing as asking Michelangelo ''What kind of shoes do you wear?''... In the end, it doesn't really matter... the only thing that's going to be left is our records and photos'.

But back to his growing up period; there are other things that mesmerize us: he's a rock god who once wanted to be a priest. However, life had other plans for him - on the very last moment he decided not to attend the seminary and instead focus on music. One of his first jobs was his own one-man business called Third Man Upholstery, which he advertised through the slogan 'Your Furniture's Not Dead'. Later on, Mr. White started playing as a drummer in various bands. But it was not until he met his future wife, Meg White and started The White Stripes with her that he gained worldwide recognition. Legend has it that while Jack was practicing his guitar, he heard Meg playing the drums and was totally bewitched by her childlike, rough style. And the rest is history, as they say: with Three Quid's playful and gutsy lyrics, the band soon became a hit. Unfortunately enough, in 2000, the two artists divorced but decided to go on with their music. And they kind of laughed at everyone by claiming in the media that they were brother and sister.

These days, Jack White has put up yet another band, The Racounters, but this doesn't mean that The White Stripes have called it quits. In regards to his personal life, the musician married Karen Welson, a model whose trademark is her red hair and porcelain skin - the two have a daughter. As a side note, in a recent list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, revealed by Rolling Stone magazine, Jack is ranked the 17th. So, on his 32nd anniversary, we'd like to wish Mr. White a happy, happy birthday! What do you think about the life and works of this gifted lad? Is he IN or OUT? 

 

White Stripes Albums:

* The White Stripes (1999)

* De Stijl (2000)

* White Blood Cells (2001)

* Elephant (2003)

* Get Behind Me Satan (2005)

* Icky Thump (2007)

Solo Albums:

* Cold Mountain (2003)

- "Wayfaring Stranger"

- "Great High Mountain"

- "Sittin' on Top of the World"

- "Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over"

* Van Lear Rose (2004)

- "Little Red Shoes"

Filmography:

* Cold Mountain (2003)

* Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

* Fearless Freaks

* Walk Hard (2007)