The Many Faces of Jack White

Innovator. Visionary. Gearhead. And a guitar hero like no other. Jack White is all of these things and more...

- By Jenna Scaramanga

Guitarist, writer, arranger, producer, and much more. Jack White is a genuine polymath.

In the heyday of the guitar hero, the 1960s and 70s, you could hardly move for them. Guitars were the dominant instrument in popular culture and those who could conjure riffs were gods among mortals. But while great new electric guitarists turn up daily, guitar heroes - names bordering on the mythical, who take over the mainstream and whose names become synonymous with awesome licks - come along less often. In the 21st Century, the one who stands tallest is Jack White.

One man who graduated from guitar hero to guitar god is Jeff Beck. When Beck invited The White Stripes to join him on stage at his 2002 Royal Festival Hall residency, it suggested a passing of the torch. Beck, who many call the greatest living guitarist, spotted White's genius.

The White Stripes were then known only as one of the 'The' bands, disparate garage rock revivalists who all happened to hit success in 2001. Other leading figures in the moment were The Hives, The Strokes and The Vines. 'The' bands represented a punk rock reaction against nu metal, much as grunge was to hair metal ten years earlier. At a time when metal albums were overproduced into oblivion, every element digitally shifted to be metronomically in time, garage rock was a refreshing celebration of the lo-fi, the loose, and the lairy.

Strange as it seems now, it was initially unclear which of the 'The' bands would be the movement's Beatles and which its Herman's Hermits. Unclear to all except perhaps Jeff Beck, who saw the spark.