Effron White

Effron White was born in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1954. He was first exposed to the music of Bob Dylan in the early sixties, when the strange new sounds of that young folk singer came emanating out of the walls of his older brother's bedroom. A few years later, he staked claim to a neglected acoustic guitar his brother had gotten for Christmas. In college, at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, he majored in art while writing songs and performing with his college musical partner, Elmo Sapwater, as the duo Sapwater and White. After earning a master's degree in art in 1985, he began concentrating more seriously on singing and songwriting. In 1990 he began performing regularly in venues all around northwest Arkansas. When you hear Effron White, you are immediately struck by the uniqueness of his songs and their delivery. His gravelly vocal is reminiscent of Tom Waits, John Prine, or Bob Dylan; yet, there's a personal earthiness that drives the emotional truth of his songs right into your heart. As a songwriter, Effron draws his influences from those legends of the past who are looked upon as poets as much as songwriters, such as, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Guy Clark. His skills as a singer/songwriter have resulted in nationwide recognition. In 2004, Effron won the coveted "New Folk" Award at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival. He has also been honored as a Northwest Arkansas Music Award's Hall of Fame Artist, as a result of having been voted Best Singer-Songwriter in three previous years. In 2010, he was featured in American Songwriter Magazine’s Lyric Spotlight for his song, Long Haul, a story song about a down and out trucker. The same song won the Billboard Song Contest in 2011. He has performed in many venues featuring songwriters of the highest caliber, including the Kerrville Folk Festival (Kerrville, TX), the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival (Okemah, OK), the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival (Perdido Key, FL), the 30A Songwriters Festival (Santa Rosa Beach, FL), the Nashville Songwriters Festival, The Bluebird Cafe (Nashville, TN), Douglas Corner Cafe (Nashville, TN), and Bass Performance Hall’s McDavid Studio (Fort Worth, TX). He has recorded four albums, the latest of which is “Long Haul”, co-produced with Texas Music Awards “Producer of the Year, 2012”, John Inmon. COMPLETE LIST OF AWARDS: 2016 - OUR TOWN/YOUR SONG Finalist ("Long Haul") 2011 - 18TH ANNUAL BILLBOARD SONG CONTEST, 1st Place Americana/Folk ("Long Haul") 2010 - AMERICAN SONGWRITER MAGAZINE's "LYRIC SPOTLIGHT" Artist, March/April Issue 2010 - AMERICAN SONGWRITER MAGAZINE Lyric Contest, Third Place ("Long Haul") 2008- NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MUSIC AWARDS "Hall of Fame" Artist 2008 - OZARK FOLK FESTIVAL SONG CONTEST, Finalist 2007- NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MUSIC AWARDS "Best Singer-Songwriter" 2006- NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MUSIC AWARDS "Best Singer-Songwriter" 2004- KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL "New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters", Winner 2003- OZARK FOLK FESTIVAL Folk Song Contest, 3rd Place 2003- OKLAHOMA SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS ASSOC. (OSCA) One Plus One Song Contest, 1st Place 2002- OZARK MUSIC AWARDS "Best Original Song" ('Yankee Dime") 2002- NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MUSIC AWARDS "Best Folk Artist" 2001- GREAT AMERICAN SONGWRITING CONTEST "Honor Award" 2001- UNISONG INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING CONTEST Finalist 2001- OKLAHOMA SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS ASSOC. (OSCA) One Plus One Song Contest, 2nd Place & Honorable Mention 2001- COOCH MUSIC SONG CONTEST Honorable Mention and One-Year Single Song Contract 2000- OKLAHOMA SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS ASSOC. (OSCA) One Plus One Song Contest, 1st Place 2000- WOODY GUTHRIE SONGWRITING COMPETITION, 3rd Place 2000- ENORMOUS RECORDS Song Contest, Grand Prize Winner 1999- CHRIS AUSTIN SONGWRITING CONTEST (MERLEFEST), 2nd Place (Country) 1999- WALNUT VALLEY FESTIVAL (WINFIELD, KS), "NewSongs Showcase" Selectee "...but, the best award is when someone tells you you've touched their heart with a song." -Effron "Best version of that song I have ever heard."--Guy Clark, on hearing Effron perform "L.A. Freeway" "He's very sincere, a great storyteller."--Fred Bogert, record producer "Effron White has what it takes as a songwriter. Every song tells a story and his voice is full of the character needed to deliver it." --Paul Pearcy (Lost Gonzo Band,Terri Hendrix Band, Dixie Chicks) “White’s time-worn but warm voice is outstanding…” –Andrew Griffin, Norman Transcript, Norman, OK “An extraordinary songwriter and an expressive and believable singer.” –John Inmon, Producer and Musician, Bastrop, TX (Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Lafave, Elisa Gilkyson) "I propose any list of the best country songs ever written includes Long Haul by Effron White. Seriously great." - Kyle Kellams, KUAF-FM PUBLIC RADIO (NPR)

Linden, TN