The Whites spend a lifetime making music

Buck White and daughters, Sharon and Cheryl, otherwise known as The Whites, have enjoyed a good measure of success over the past 25 years and are back with a new album.

Originally a bluegrass outfit, The Whites have combined tight harmony singing and an acoustic-based sound resulting in Top 10 country hits like, "Hangin' Around," "Pins And Needles" and "I Wonder Who's Holding My Baby Tonight." All were in the '80's.

"When we first came to town, we were strictly an acoustic band. We had a fiddle or a banjo," says Sharon White, 46, who plays guitar.

Father Buck, 70, plays mandolin and piano while sister Cheryl, 45, plays the bass.

"We did country and folk type songs," says Sharon. "When we first started trying to get a record contract, they said we were too bluegrass, and when we were trying to get on bluegrass festivals or shows, they told us we were too country. We've always been in the middle somewhere."

As pre-pubescents, Cheryl and Sharon performed with their father on the bluegrass festival circuit. In 1971, they moved to Nashville to pursue music full time.

They debuted on vinyl as Buck White & The Down Home Folks on County in 1972 and resurfaced eight years later on Sugar Hill with "More Pretty Girls Than One."

Their first country chart song was "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" in 1981. The next one, "You Put the Blue In Me" hit the top 10 the following year.

The Whites were off and running with a number of singles charting.

Chart success, radio airplay and a recording deal have eluded The Whites in recent years after deals with Capitol, Elektra, Warner and MCA in the '80's.

Their new project, "A Lifetime in the Making," their first since 1996's "Give a Little Back" on the small Step One label, was recently released on Ceili Music/Skaggs Family Records.

As one might expect, it's a very special project for the father-daughter trio.

"It's special to us cause it's a return to our roots," Sharon White explains. "We wanted to go back and record another acoustic album. We had it in our hearts to do. We started talking about it four years ago. Before Ricky's label formed."

Ricky is Sharon's husband, Ricky Skaggs. He is co-owner/co-founder of the record label. The Whites are among a number of bluegrass and acoustic-based artists recording on the label, including Del McCoury, The Sullivans and Skaggs himself.

Sharon White says, "A few months later, my grandad died, and (that) took steam out of it. That put plans on hold for a while. In the meantime, Ricky started a label."

"The family element is special. It's special because it's on Ricky Skaggs' label. Jerry Douglas is on it...he's like family." Dobro ace Douglas was a member of The Whites' band in the '80's. In addition to playing dobro on the album, he produced.

"It was a pleasant, pleasurable experience to do the music we used to do together. We're proud and excited to do it, Dad was saying I just about choked up. It's such a good feeling to put your record on and be so proud of it."

She says that reaction to the album has all been very positive. "Great reviews. I haven't seen a bad one yet. We're pleased."

She says that unlike the groups' previous records, "A Lifetime..." was a project that had to satisfy each of the family members first and foremost.

"We want people to like our music, but it's most import to us that we really like it. And we really like this."

"This was the first time we went to do a record and didn't say 'this isn't a commercial song that's going to appeal to the public, this is a song we like, they moved us emotionally.'"

All three members participated in choosing songs.

"We listened to songs separately, Jerry (Douglas) included. He brought tapes and said here are some things I think you might like. We put out word that we were looking, and some things were submitted."

"Some things I'd have loved to cut, but Dad said, 'I can't hear it.' It's not a rule, but if one of us doesn't like it, it probably isn't going to come out."

Sharon White says the album represents The Whites and their music about as well as anything that the group has ever done.

"This album is so diverse, we didn't have a concept or a direction. But when it came out it portrays us and our music and our musical history together, I think we didn't make a plan, but it has fallen together nicely, everything we love is there."

She credits producer, Douglas for encouraging the group to try different things for the record.

"Jerry stretched us out on some things. He encouraged us to do different arrangements and different things."