Trustees Honor Roll

White, Joe

Musician and Bandleader (1922-1977)
Inducted on November, 26 1994

Joe White’s life revolved around Cleveland-Style music and making people happy. Working with the Al Strukel, Ray Champa and Frankie Kramer Orchestras from the early 1950s, Joe relocated from his native Western Pennsylvania to Cleveland’s Collinwood area in 1959 before forming his own band in 1964. The Joe White Orchestra quickly became one of Cleveland’s most popular groups, recording for Delta Inter-national and appearing regularly on TV. Later, under the leadership of accordionist Stan Blout, the band recorded memorable Cleveland-Style hits, such as "Kirk’s Polka," "You Don’t Wanna," "Burgettstown Polka," and Joe’s composition, "Waltz of Love." Playing banjo, guitar and bass, as well as vocalizing, Joe performed with Cleveland’s name bands through the 1970s and traveled with Frank Yankovic until his untimely passing in 1977. Also accomplished on the violin, mandolin, harmonica and accordion, Joe White was honored as Collinwood Slovenian Home’s Man of the Year in 1973.