FEATURE:
The ‘White’ in The White Stripes
Meg White at Fifty: Her Best Beats
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AS we are heading towards Christmas…
PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Pantano
there is not a lot of music news of anything happening in the world of music. Not huge, anyway. There are a few significant birthdays of amazing musicians. One such example is Meg White’s fiftieth birthday on 10th December. The literal ‘White’ in the duo, The White Stripes (she and Jack White were married before they released their debut album (they divorced in 2000); Jack White’s real name is John Anthony Gillis), they released their eponymous debut in 1999. Until they split in 2011, they enjoyed this incredible career. This D.I.Y.-sounding aesthetic. Quite lo-fi and comprised of vocals, guitar and drum, they adopted a uniform of wearing red, white and black. The number three playing a big role. If some felt Meg White’s drumming was basic and child-like, they overlook how skilled and powerful she was! Her child-like abandon was one of her great strengths. She is an incredible percussionist whose beats and energy defined the best songs of The White Stripes! To mark her upcoming fiftieth birthday, I have combined some of her best performance from the discography of The White Stripes. One of the best drummers in my view, she has faced criticism because of her style. Jack White came to her defence. There was this ignorance and misogyny around her. If you listen to The White Stripes, it is clear how Meg White was instrumental when it came to evolving and defining their sound! An incredible drummer who I hope has not retired and will feature on other albums, this is a birthday salute…
TO the amazing Meg White.