73 years old and still going strong, Louisiana-born Tony Joe White is nothing short of a musical treasure. A bona fide legend of the music game, White just keeps getting better. So it is with great pleasure that Vector Arena announce his return to New Zealand for a show on Sunday 9 April 2017 at The Great South Pacific Tuning Fork.

Part-Cherokee, White was brought up as part of a big brood on a cotton farm in Louisiana, raised on a diet of Lightnin’ Hopkins and local bluesmen, an upbringing reflected to this day in his evocative, haunting music.

Gems like 'Polk Salad Annie' and 'Rainy Night in Georgia' were just the beginning. His recording career has now spanned parts of six different decades and spawned well over 20 albums with his songs recorded by Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones and Etta James. He has worked in the studio or on stage with a list of artists that would make your head spin - Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, The MGs, Eric Clapton, JJ Cale, Waylon Jennings, Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris and appeared with the Foo Fighters on Letterman as they performed “Polk Salad Annie” which prompted host David Letterman to say "If I was this guy, you could all kiss my ass." 

Not one to sit still, the “King of Swamp Rock” is still as relevant as he ever was with the release of his latest album, Rain Crow. American Songwriter magazine gave it a 4 from 5 star review and said “Rain Crow is yet another stunning example that Tony Joe White’s uncompromising, often ominous vision, shows no signs of diminishing.”

Recorded at his own studio and produced by his son, Jody White, Rain Crow summons recollections of long ago, when animals foretold the weather, tongue-talking worshippers proved their faith by handling snakes and a “bad wind” could drive a man to edge of insanity. The nine-song set features new compositions White wrote over the past three years, including co-writes with his wife, Leann, and Billy Bob Thornton on “The Middle of Nowhere.”

So whether you’ve been with White for the duration or are a newcomer to his incredible music come along and join the festivities when the legend that is Tony Joe White graces the Tuning Fork stage this April.

Tony Joe White

Sunday April 9th: The Tuning Fork, Auckland

Tickets via Ticketmaster