Chris White | |
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White performing live in 2015
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Background information | |
Birth name | Christopher Taylor White |
Born | 7 March 1943 |
Origin | Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Years active | 1959–present |
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Notable instruments | |
Gibson EB-3 |
Christopher Taylor "Chris" White (born 7 March 1943) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.
White's music career spans more than 50 years. He came to prominence in the mid 1960s as the bass guitarist of the English rock band The Zombies. White is one of the main composers of the Zombies' music, and made major lyrical contributions to the band's songs.
Christopher Taylor White was born on 7 March 1943, in Barnet, Hertfordshire, and brought up in Markyate, where his parents owned a village shop. He attended St Albans School, where he met Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, and Hugh Grundy, the musicians who became the Zombies.
White replaced the Zombies' initial bass guitarist, Paul Arnold, and became one of the band's two main songwriters, alongside Rod Argent. He wrote two tracks on their US debut album, The Zombies, released in January 1965. On the UK debut release, Begin Here, he had three tracks. For the Zombies' performances in the 1965 film Bunny Lake Is Missing White wrote "Nothing's Changed" and "Remember You". He also wrote seven of the twelve songs on the band's album and generally acknowledged masterpiece, Odessey and Oracle. White also contributed lead vocals to "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" and a verse of "Brief Candles".
His song "I Love You", originally recorded by the Zombies in 1965, was a hit for the band People! in 1968.
Following the demise of the Zombies, White contributed songwriting and production work to Colin Blunstone's solo career and Rod Argent's new band, Argent. With Argent he co-wrote their 1972 hit "Hold Your Head Up". In 2007, as part of the band White Circle, he co-wrote, co-produced and performed on the album The Key with his son Matthew White and wife Vivienne Boucherat.