After seventeen years of performing the music of British rock band Led Zeppelin, Michael White and his band, aptly called The White, have progressed beyond the days of playing the club circuit of Los Angeles, California, but are still able to capture the spirit of Led Zep with every performance. Born in Long Beach, California, Michael White got his start playing the LA rock clubs in the seventies.
In 1975 Van Halen was a warm-up band for White's group called "The Boyz", which also included guitarist George Lynch, who later went on to fame with the group Dokken "I had a couple of bands of my own and whenever we would go to record companies with demo tapes, they would say, you sound too much like Led Zeppelin, and that the singer in particular sounds like Robert Plant," said White during a recent interview. "After a time we started doing some Zeppelin songs and the crowds just went crazy. So it just evolved into doing them." It was at that point the group started touring the country as a Zeppelin tribute act. "We started out small and within a year, we were going coast to coast," says White. "I think I did about sixty tours of North America."
During a stop over in Toronto twelve years ago, White liked the city so much he moved there, and has called it home ever since. "It's a lot cleaner than LA and kind of reminded me of a cross between LA and NY," he says. Back in 1983, White ran into a fan who was related to Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, who later told her famous cousin about White's band. After one of Plant's concerts, White finally got a chance to meet his mentor. "I went to the show and Plant invited me to come to the press conference he was holding and introduced me. He said this is Michael White. He plays Led Zeppelin and I only do Robert Plant songs. That was kind of cute." .
White also got a chance to meet Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. "He had heard tapes of us playing Led Zeppelin and said that we were the best Led Zeppelin sounding band he had ever heard," White says proudly. "I met him in 95 when they came to Toronto and he invited me backstage and I sat with him for about an hour and a half. We were talking about playing that material live and how fun it is and all the different aspects of trying to achieve that sound. It was great." White, who says his band does over 200 shows per year, also admits that the group has gone though more lineup changes than Spinal Tap. "We've had lots of changes, but this version of the band is the best by far, both musician and show wise," he says.
"It is a real treat to play live with this band, as we take the audience through so many aspects of Led Zeppelin." Band members consist of Steve Major (Guitar), Kelly Mauricette(Drums),Chaz Butcher (Bass).
In 1975 Van Halen was a warm-up band for White's group called "The Boyz", which also included guitarist George Lynch, who later went on to fame with the group Dokken "I had a couple of bands of my own and whenever we would go to record companies with demo tapes, they would say, you sound too much like Led Zeppelin, and that the singer in particular sounds like Robert Plant," said White during a recent interview. "After a time we started doing some Zeppelin songs and the crowds just went crazy. So it just evolved into doing them." It was at that point the group started touring the country as a Zeppelin tribute act. "We started out small and within a year, we were going coast to coast," says White. "I think I did about sixty tours of North America." 
During a stop over in Toronto twelve years ago, White liked the city so much he moved there, and has called it home ever since. "It's a lot cleaner than LA and kind of reminded me of a cross between LA and NY," he says. Back in 1983, White ran into a fan who was related to Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, who later told her famous cousin about White's band. After one of Plant's concerts, White finally got a chance to meet his mentor. "I went to the show and Plant invited me to come to the press conference he was holding and introduced me. He said this is Michael White. He plays Led Zeppelin and I only do Robert Plant songs. That was kind of cute." . 
White also got a chance to meet Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. "He had heard tapes of us playing Led Zeppelin and said that we were the best Led Zeppelin sounding band he had ever heard," White says proudly. "I met him in 95 when they came to Toronto and he invited me backstage and I sat with him for about an hour and a half. We were talking about playing that material live and how fun it is and all the different aspects of trying to achieve that sound. It was great." White, who says his band does over 200 shows per year, also admits that the group has gone though more lineup changes than Spinal Tap. "We've had lots of changes, but this version of the band is the best by far, both musician and show wise," he says. 
"It is a real treat to play live with this band, as we take the audience through so many aspects of Led Zeppelin." Band members consist of Steve Major (Guitar), Kelly Mauricette(Drums),Chaz Butcher (Bass).