The Whites are an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. They consist of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and, until his death, their father, Buck White. Sharon plays guitar, Cheryl is the bassist and Buck played the mandolin and piano. Formed in 1972, the trio has recorded multiple albums and charted multiple songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. They are also known as frequent collaborators of country and bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs, who is Sharon's husband. The group are frequent performers on the Grand Ole Opry, and became members in 1984.

Overview The Whites consist of Sharon White (born December 17, 1953), her sister Cheryl (born January 27, 1955), and their father Buck (December 13, 1930 – January 13, 2025). Buck grew up playing music, and started playing at dances, wrestling arenas, and auditoriums; but did not really like the atmosphere. Buck had two jobs when the sisters were growing up; a plumber by day, and piano and mandolin player by night. He started really enjoying music when his family started playing together all around the world. In the beginning, Sharon took up bass when she was twelve, moving to guitar when Cheryl took over on bass.

In the 1980s, they scored such hits as "You Put The Blue In Me", "Hangin' Around", "Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling", "Pins And Needles", "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)", "Hometown Gossip", and "When The New Wears Off of Our Love".

In August 1981, Sharon White married Ricky Skaggs, who performed on several of the Whites' early releases. In 1987, the couple released the hit song, "Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This".

In 1991, the Whites joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry on the In The Heat Of The Night TV series album entitled Christmas Time's A Comin''', performing on the track, "Let's Live Everyday Like It Was Christmas" (Sonlite/MGM/UA).

The Whites became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1984 and were current regulars on the program in Nashville, Tennessee. Their collaborative album with Ricky Skaggs, "Salt of the Earth" won the 2008 Grammy for Best Southern/Country/Bluegrass Album.

The Whites can be heard on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack with the song "Keep on the Sunny Side". They also appear in Down from the Mountain, the documentary of a concert given by the soundtrack artists.

The Whites were inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 16, 2008, in Carthage, Texas. They were inducted along with Buck Owens and Mickey Newbury.

Also performing on the Grand Ole Opry with Buck, Sharon and Cheryl is Rosanna, better known as Rosie, the third of the four White sisters. She performs high harmony and occasionally does solo performance of the Mel Tillis classic "The Violet and the Rose".

Buck White died on January 13, 2025, at the age of 94. The group entered a short hiatus after his death, but returned to performing on the Opry in August 2025.

Awards and nominations

The Whites have been nominated for five CMA Awards (The Horizon/New Artist award 1983, Vocal Group of the Year 1983/1985 and Instrumental Group of the Year 1983/1985) and won the Album of the Year honour in 2001 for their contribution to O Brother, Where Art Thou?. In 1987, Sharon White and her husband Ricky Skaggs won the Vocal Duo of the Year award.

They also received Top Vocal Group nominations in 1982 and 1983 from the ACM Awards and an album of the year nomination for O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

In 1984, they were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

In 1987, Sharon White and her husband Ricky Skaggs won the Country Music Association Award for Vocal Duo of the Year.

Also for their contribution to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Whites won Album of the Year at the 2001 International Bluegrass Music Awards. That same year, Sharon and Cheryl also received the Recorded Event of the Year award for their contribution to Follow Me Back to the Fold: A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass''. In 2006, they were awarded the IBMA's Distinguished Achievement Award for their contributions to the genre.

The Whites were among the artists honoured with the prestigious Grammy Award for Album of the Year for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". Salt of the Earth, their 2007 collaboration with Ricky Skaggs won them a Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album.

In 2007, The Whites and Ricky Skaggs received a GMA Dove Award for Bluegrass Recorded Album of the Year.

In 2008, they were inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.

Discography Albums Title Album details Peak positions US Country US Grass Buck White & the Down Home Folks Release date: 1972 Label: County Records — — In Person Release date: 1977 Label: County Records — — That Down Home Feeling Release date: 1977 Label: Ridge Runner Records — — Poor Folks' Pleasure Release date: 1978 Label: Sugar Hill Records — — More Pretty Girls Than One Release date: 1979 Label: Sugar Hill Records — — Old Familiar Feeling Release date: June 1983 Label: Curb / Warner Bros. Records 22 — Forever You Release date: June 1984 Label: Curb / MCA Records 37 — Whole New World Release date: March 1985 Label: Curb / MCA Records 42 — Greatest Hits Release date: 1986 Label: Curb / MCA Records — — Ain't No Binds Release date: February 1987 Label: Curb / MCA Records 37 — Doing It By the Book Release date: 1988 Label: The New Canaan Records — — Give a Little Back Release date: April 3, 1996 Label: Step One Records — — A Lifetime in the Making Music Release date: August 15, 2000 Label: Ceili Music — — Love Never Fails Release date: August 12, 2003 Label: Daywind Records — — Salt of the Earth Release date: September 25, 2007 Label: Skaggs Family Music 45 1 Hearts Like Ours Release date: September 30, 2014 Label: Skaggs Family Music — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles Year Single Peak positions Album US Country CAN Country 1981 "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On" 66 — 1982 "You Put the Blue in Me" 10 — Old Familiar Feeling "Hangin' Around" 9 5 1983 "I Wonder Who's Holding My Baby Tonight" 9 14 "When the New Wears Off of Our Love" 25 34 "Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling" 10 16 1984 "Forever You" 14 30 Forever You "Pins and Needles" 10 12 1985 "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)" 12 22 Whole New World "Hometown Gossip" 27 36 "I Don't Want to Get Over You" 33 — 1986 "Love Won't Wait" 36 46 Greatest Hits "It Should Have Been Easy" 30 44 Ain't No Binds 1987 "There Ain't No Binds" 58 — 1989 "Doing It By the Book" 82 — Doing It By the Book "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Sharon White solo singles Year Single Peak positions Album US Country CAN Country 1987 "Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This" 10 7 Love's Gonna Get Ya! / Ain't No Binds 2003 "Closer to Home" — — Love Never Fails 2004 "Love Never Fails" — — 2014 "Forever's Not Long Enough" — — Hearts Like Ours "—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

External links The Whites - Skaggs Family Records