Oral History of Abe White, interviewed by William Debruhl, Brody R. McGrath and Timothy Mullane, 13 April, 2017

Oral History of Abe White, interviewed by William Debruhl, Brody R. McGrath and Timothy Mullane, 13 April, 2017

Saxophonist Abe White was born in downtown Charleston in 1935. He attended Burke High and there he realized he could be a musician. Soon, with almost no training, he started playing at the local bars on Reynolds Avenue in North Charleston and in downtown Charleston. The job allowed him to make money and support his mother financially but also exposed him to the nightlife dangers. After graduating from high school, White joined the Air Force in an administrative position. He was stationed in Texas, Colorado, California, Florida, Germany, and Thailand. At each location, after his office hours, he pursued opportunities to play. When he returned to the civilian life, he started his own business, "The Abe White Affair". In the interview, White reflects about his music and career and the long journey that took him from playing at armors and bars to his performances in local concerts and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

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application/pdf

English

Text

https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/621

Charleston (S.C.)

51 minutes

William Debruhl

Brody R. McGrath

Timothy Mullane

Abe White

Charleston, South Carolina