Season 5: Jody White Unearths Treasures of His Late Father, Tony Joe White

Dan Auerbach, the Black Keys frontman, had always been a big fan of the late Tony Joe White. The singer-songwriter—some knew him as “The Swamp Fox” had an unmistakably swampy baritone and down-home style. He was best known, of course, for songs like “Poke Salad Annie” and “Rainy Night in Georgia.” Over his career, White’s songs were recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles and Tina Turner, among others.

In 2018, White passed away after suffering a heart attack in Tennessee. Afterward, his son and manager Jody White unearthed boxes of reel-to-reel tapes filled with hundreds of demos that no one had ever heard. It was a treasure trove of classic Tony Joe White material just sitting in storage. So Jody sent an email to Auerbach with one of the tracks, as for years the two had spoken about a collaboration.  

What has come of that has been a terrific collection of new Tony Joe White music with more to come and Jody White recently joined us on the Load Out Music Podcast to talk about his father, the legacy of the Swamp Fox, and what’s coming next.