Blues Genes: 15 of Jack White’s Biggest Influences
From blues outsiders to punk royalty, the inspiration army that shaped the sound of contemporary rock’s great eccentric


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Trying to trace Jack White's many influences yields something like a map of Old Weird America that's both ancient and up-to-the-minute. With the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, the Dead Weather and his booming solo career, the Rolling Stone cover star specializes in updating old sounds and vintage vibes into a post-modern blues-rock pastiche. And even when the influences are recognizable, White puts it across with an elan very much his own. In advance of the upcoming Lazaretto, we've narrowed White's voluminous list of influences down to a few key sources. By David Menconi