Jack White, born John Anthony Gillis is an American Rock musician, record producer and occasional actor. He took his wife's name of marriage), often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, record producer and occasional actor. He is best known as being the guitarist, pianist, and lead vocalist of The White Stripes until they split in February 2011.

He was ranked #17 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". White's popular and critical success with The White Stripes enabled him to collaborate as a solo artist with other renowned musicians, such as Beck, The Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, Alicia Keys, Bob Dylan, Electric Six and Loretta Lynn, whose 2004 album Van Lear Rose he produced and performed on. In 2005, White became a founding member of the rock band The Raconteurs. In 2009, he became a founding member and drummer of his third commercially successful group, The Dead Weather. He was awarded the title of "Nashville Music City Ambassador" by the Nashville mayor Karl Dean in 2011.

Of Scottish, Polish, and Canadian descent, John Anthony Gillis,the son of Teresa and Gorman Gillis, was born the youngest of ten children (six brothers, three sisters), in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a Catholic family.

He began playing an instrument, a drum, at the age of six. White grew up in a lower middle-class neighborhood in southwest Detroit. White, as a teenager, was already listening to the blues and 1960s rock that would influence him in The White Stripes, Son House and Blind Willie McTell being among his favorite blues musicians. He and his childhood friend, Dominic Suchyta, would listen to records in White's attic on weekends and began to record cover songs on an old 4-track reel to reel. At the time White was described as "a kid with short hair and braces". He has said in many interviews that Son House's "Grinnin' In Your Face" is his favorite song of all time