Biography
Born Thomas Bennett Sim White in Edinburgh, Scotland, White gained recognition primarily as a blues singer with a distinctive gravelly voice. In the 1960s, he recorded with beat groups The Boston Dexters and later The Buzz, who released a single produced by Joe Meek in 1966. During the 1970s, White became the first artist to perform live on Top of the Pops and lent his vocals to Robbie Coltrane’s character Big Jazza McGlone in John Byrne’s acclaimed 1987 TV series Tutti Frutti.
Following the breakup of the Boston Dexters, White experienced mixed success in the 1970s, hosting his own TV show on Scottish Television and performing in working men's clubs before briefly returning to stonemasonry. He told The Scotsman, "Everyone wanted me to be somebody else. I did a series for STV in the 1970s, my own show, and I ended up in a monkey suit – it was incredibly embarrassing – and doing working men's clubs. I got hooked into that, anything to make a living." During this period, White struggled with heavy drinking, which he overcame in 1980.
That same year, White reassembled the Dexters with various members over time, including guitarist Jim Condie and jazz pianist Brian Kellock, with whom he recorded a duet album. Performing as Tam White & The Dexters, the band earned a devoted following through live shows that often sold out. White was a regular at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and opened for renowned artists such as B.B. King, Al Green, and Van Morrison. After the Dexters disbanded a second time, White collaborated with guitarist Neil Warden, harmonica player Fraser Speirs, and bassist Boz Burrell, forming The Shoestring Band. This group performed as a trio or larger ensemble until Burrell's death in 2006, after which White revived the Dexters.
White began his television acting career in 1990, portraying John Maguire in Colin MacDonald’s The Wreck on The Highway. His notable screen roles include appearances in Paper Mask, The Negotiator, Braveheart, Cutthroat Island, Orphans, and two episodes of Taggart in 1992 and 2000. He also featured in Rebus: Black and Blue as Rico Briggs, The Legend of Loch Lomond, Goodbye, Mr Steadman, and Man Dancin'. His most recent TV roles included Tony Macrae in EastEnders from late 2003 to early 2004 and a brief role in BBC Scotland’s soap River City in 2009.
A fitness enthusiast, White passed away from a heart attack after a gym session in Edinburgh on 21 June 2010.
