Roland  White

Roland White passed away on April 1, 2022, at age 83. All who knew him remember the standup guy he was—a warm, welcoming, humble, generous man of wide smile and sleeve-worn heart. And we all remember what an outstanding, innovative mandolinist he was. Having played for decades with many famous bands— with his brother, Clarence, in the Kentucky Colonels, with Bill Monroe in the Bluegrass Boys, to name two—Roland White is bluegrass royalty. I had the honor of playing music with him a dozen years ago. June 2009 CBA Summer Camp, Grass Valley, California Roland was teaching at the California Bluegrass Association Summer Camp along with Laurie Lewis, Bruce Molsky, Jack Tuttle (Molly’s dad), Keith Little, me, and a few others. It fell to Roland to lead the teachers who’d be playing the instructors’ set at the Fathers’ Day Festival following camp.  For the set’s finale, he rehearsed us in a medley: “New River Train,” “Y’all Come,” and “Orange Blosso