Jason White (Green Day guitarist)

For other people named Jason White, see Jason White (disambiguation).

Jason White
Jason White performing in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 2009.
Background information
Birth name	Jason White
Also known as	Balducci, Frosco Lee
Born	(1973-11-11) November 11, 1973 North Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Genres	Punk rock, pop punk, alternative rock, New Wave, garage rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Guitar, bass, slide guitar, piano, vocals
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Reprise, Lookout!, Adeline

Jason White (born November 11, 1973 in Little Rock, Arkansas) is an American guitarist who has played in various punk rock bands. He is most notable for being the long-time additional lead guitarist for Green Day and guitarist for Californian punk quartet Pinhead Gunpowder. Jason White has been a touring member of Green Day since 1999 when they recorded Warning. He is co-founder of Billie Joe Armstrong's record label Adeline Records.

Biography

Early musical acts: 1992-1999

In the Summer of 1992, White filled in guitar duties at the last minute for Bay Area punk band Monsula, who were performing at Little Rock, AR club Vino's. After the performance, Jason toured as guitarist for the band and eventually relocated to the Bay Area after the breakup of Chino Horde in summer 1993. As a friend of punk rock trio Green Day, he appeared in the "When I Come Around" video, where he is seen making out with a girl (his real-life girlfriend at the time). In 1994, White joined punk quartet Pinhead Gunpowder after the departure of singer/guitarist Mike Kirsch (with whom White had played the previous year in Sixteen Bullets). White joined The Big Cats in 1996, after the temporary departure of bassist Josh Bentley, and took over guitar duties in 2000 after the death of guitarist Shannon Yarbrough. The group is a side project of many musicians, playing live very rarely. Their newest record, On Tomorrow, was released in 2007. When Green Day/Pinhead Gunpowder frontman Billie Joe Armstrong founded Adeline Records in 1997, White helped him run it. He re-appeared with Armstrong for two Green Day shows in 1999, both of which raised money for the Bridge School Benefit. After making Warning, Green Day asked him to assist them on their tour as a second guitarist.

The Influents and The Network: 2000-2003

Because of Pinhead Gunpowder's infamy for sporadic get-togethers, White and Gunpowder bassist Bill Schneider began looking to form another band that would be a group the two could focus on. After recruiting Schneider's brother Greg Schneider to join and finally convincing Willie Samuels to play drums, The Influents were formed. White and Greg would become the focus of the band, splitting songwriting duties, as well as singing time. Bill Schneider left the band on good terms after the group's first album Check Please to focus on his drum shop and was soon replaced by Johnnie Wentz. The new line-up soon recorded a follow up, Some of the Young, and went on tour. Due to personal and creative differences, as well as White's growing dedication to Green Day, The Influents dissolved in 2003.

In 2003, allegedly under the name Balducci, White joined the members of Green Day for their side-project The Network. The band has released one album so far, called Money Money 2020.

American Idiot: 2004-2005

With the release of American Idiot, White was required again to play with the band during the supporting tour of the album. In February 2005, Jason got married. That year, he played with Green Day in their video, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" – the first time that any musician outside the trio appeared as a performer in a Green Day video. He also appears along the band in their 2005 live CD/DVD Bullet in a Bible.

Covers and Habitat for Humanity: 2006-2007

In 2006, Jason recorded a cover of The Replacements "Torture" for the Replacements Cover compilation, "We'll Inherit the Earth". He's also featured in the May 2007 release, Towncraft, a documentary covering twenty years of the punk music scene in Little Rock, AR, White's home. That same year, White played with Green Day in the video for the cover of "Working Class Hero."

In April 2007, White and his wife joined Armstrong and his family in their Spring Break working with Habitat For Humanity and writing a diary for GreenDay.net.

Foxboro Hot Tubs and Green Day's Fourth Member: 2008-present day

In 2008, White joined Green Day's side project Foxboro Hot Tubs as lead guitarist along with Kevin Preston of Prima Donna on rhythm guitar. In 2009, he toured with Green Day in support for their latest record, 21st Century Breakdown.

White made his fourth appearance on a Green Day video for "21 Guns" and his fifth in "Last of the American Girls"; prior to this, and not including his live appearances on "Jesus of Suburbia" and "East Jesus Nowhere", he had appeared in three Green Day videos: "When I Come Around", "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Working Class Hero".

On July 13, 2010, Max Recordings released White's debut 45 single - "Hungover" b/w "I'm A Mess". He appeared once again as Green Day's sideman for their 2011 live album Awesome As Fuck.

White is credited with contributing "Guitar" in the press release of Green Day's ninth studio album ¡Uno! In addition, his face appears in the stylized artwork inside the album's cover and he appears in photographs with the band. As stated by Billie Joe Armstrong, White is now the fourth member of the band after over 10 years of being a touring member.

Personal life

Tattoo

Jason has a tattoo of a small flower on his right hand, about level with his wrist and got the tattoo after marrying his current wife Janna (formerly Rollins).

Associated acts

• Numbskulz (guitar, 1988)
• Step By Step (vocals, 1989–1990)
• Chino Horde (bass, 1990–1993)
• Fishwagon (guitar/vocals, 1991)
• Monsula (guitar, 1992–1993)
• Pretty (bass, 1993)
• Sixteen Bullets (bass, 1994)
• Pinhead Gunpowder (guitar/vocals, 1995–present)
• The Big Cats (bass/vocals, 1996–2000; guitar/vocals, 2000–present)
• The Influents (guitar/vocals, 1999–2003)
• The Kicks (guitar, 2000–2004)
• The Network (credited as Balducci, guitar, 2003–present)
• Foxboro Hot Tubs (guitar, 2007–present)
• Green Day (lead guitar/vocals, 1999–present)

Equipment

Guitars

• Gibson Les Paul 1958 plain top reissue
• Gibson Les Paul 1957 gold top reissue
• Gibson Les Paul 1959 Special
• Gibson SG
• Gibson ES-335 dot reissue (which features a Fishman powerbridge for acoustic sound, piezo pickup bridges and a Fishman aura spectrum DI)

Amplification

• Marshall Plexi amplifier 100-watt heads (modded with Dookie Mod and SE Lead mod - Modded by Martin Golub) and four Marshall 4x12" cabinets
• Custom Audio Electronics CAE 3+ Tube Preamp

Effects

• Xotic RC Booster
• Line6 Echo Pro rack delay
• Line6 DL4 Delay Modeller

External links

• Jason White at IMDb
• Profile on Max Recordings