Three Little Country Boys

Three little country boys

Clarence White was born on June 7th 1944 in Madawaska, Maine as Clarence Joseph LeBlanc. Nearly all his close relatives were born in Canada of French ancestry - and soon LeBlanc was changed to WHITE.

Musically the family heritage was a rich one and their home was filled with the sound of traditional fiddle music and country music after work and on weekends. Their father Eric White, Sr. played fiddle, banjo, harmonica and guitar.

At the age of 8 Clarence's brother Roland, older by 6 years, learnt his first chords on guitar from his father Eric and two years later got his first mandolin. Although Clarence first played the guitar when he was six years old, the first instrument he owned was a Ukelele given to him by his father for Christmas 1950 and from then he started strumming the Ukelele to accompany Roland's mandolin playing before graduating to the guitar. Clarence gave his first public performance aged 8 at a local "Grange Hall" entertainment in Chinalake, Maine.  They played standard country numbers like "Ragtime Annie", "Golden Slippers", "Rubber Dolly" and "Under The Double Eagle" - a famous march written by Josef Franz Wagner, who was born in Vienna, Austria 1856.

In 1954 the whole family moved from Madawaska, Maine to Burbank, California where they joined an aunt who had preceded them in finding work. Shortly thereafter, they learned of a talent show "Country Show" every sunday on KXLA in Pasadena. Going by the name of THREE LITTLE COUNTRY BOYS, the children won a show, and they began to appear on many local radio & TV shows such as "Squeskin' Deacon's Show", "The Old Riverside Rancho Show" or "Cal's Corral". At that time, Eric, the middle brother, played tenor banjo and bass, Roland was on mandoling with Clarence on guitar and for a short time, their sister, Joanna, sang with them and sometimes played the bass.
 Roland White first heard Bluegrass in 1955 (before the family moved to California, they had not seen live Bluegrass music, and neither was it very popular in California at this time) on a record of Bill Monroe "Pike County Breakdown" and he fell in love with that music.

Joe and Rose Maphis further helped fire the enthusiasm of the young White brothers for Bluegrass music. Joe Maphis gave some tapes of Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian to Clarence, and Joe taught him the basics of various guitar playing styles.
 In the middle of 1957 the three brothers began appearing regularly on a local radio show.
At the age of 19, Roland set out for Nashville and in his absence the White family met Billy Ray Lathum who moved to California from Cave City, Arkansas and the name was shortened to THE COUNTRY BOYS.

 Roland returned just in time for the group to begin picking small local jobs. Shortly thereafter, they also met LeRoy Mack (LeRoy McNees) who played the dobro and began playing some back-up for the group - Billy Ray played the banjo. They regularly appeared at the "Frontier Club" in Pomona, CA, two nights every week.

Up until about 1959, they had little contact with any live bluegrass or acoustic music except through occasional concerts at the Town Hall Party. The Ash Grove was to be the scene of their introduction to many folk acts. Through the New Lost City Ramblers they met Ed Pearl, manager of the Ash Grove, who subsequently booked the Country Boys. At the time, Clarence and Eric were still in school and the others had day jobs.

 he band (Clarence, Roland & Eric White, Billy Ray Lathum and LeRoy Mack) practiced and recorded songs at LeRoy Mack's parents' residence. They practiced songs like: Angel Of Death / Who Will Sing For Me / Singing All Day / If I Be Lifted Up / Wicked Path Of Sin / Are You Afraid To Die / Let Me Walk Alone / Workin' On A Building / A Beautiful Life / Old Time Religion.
The first COUNTRY BOYS single was released 1959 on the "Sundown" label: "I'm Head Over Heals In Love With You" / "Kentucky Hills".