Jack White’s to-do checklist was a busy Friday: releasing new album. Play the National Anthem for Detroit Tigers Opening Day. Detroit Open Tour. Marry during the encore.
The rocker married Olivia Jean, a singer for his Third Man label, who had opened for his concert earlier that night, on stage at the Masonic Temple Theatre, a historic venue in the couple’s hometown. The surprise marriage proposal itself had come just minutes earlier, in the middle of a rendition of Hotel Yorba.
Third Man’s top man Ben Swank officiated at the wedding, where White and Jean’s bassists served as best man and maid of honor.
According to Detroit Free Press writer Brian McCollum’s report, the headliner was onstage 80 minutes into his set with “Hotel Yorba,” when the show took a detour as he brought Jean onstage to sing backing vocals. White introduced her as his girlfriend and said, “And I love her very much,” an unusual PDA for White, although things were about to get even more unusual.
The song has lyrics, “Let’s get married,” the approach of which was White’s cue to dump the band and get his assistant to film with a cell phone.
“I have a little question for you, Olivia Jean. Will you marry me?” he said. After signaling “a bubbly yes, her face tears streaked,” as McCollum put it, they ended the White Stripes’ signing number — with White opening her with a jubilant read of the line, “Let’s get married.” resumed – and he carried his fiancé off the stage.
Jack White beats Olivia Jean to David Swanson onstage during a concert in Detroit, Michigan on April 8, 2022
Minutes later, they returned to the stage for an encore, which included a wedding ceremony attended by White’s mother, Theresa Gillis. Jean’s father also came onstage mid-vow, prompting White to take him aside and ask if they had his blessing — “Be honest!” Video posted by TMZ shows Swank adjusting the vows that way that Jean promised to always tell her husband “what’s up,” while only White had vowed to “obey” his spouse.
Fan footage of the wedding is in short supply as White is a longtime, proud supporter of requiring fans to lock their phones in Yondr bags at his concerts, but fans smuggled video of the proposal and the ceremony that followed.
It is the third marriage for White, who was previously married to White Stripes drummer Meg White and model Karen Elson, who also recorded for Third Man.
Jean has a long history on White’s label: a single album with her group The Black Belles was released in 2011, followed by two solo albums for Third Man, the most recent being 2019’s ‘Night Owl’.
White’s very busy day on Friday had begun with the official release of his new solo album Fear of the Dawn, of which Variety said in a review: ‘White’s latest album is exciting enough to almost single-handedly offset the unexciting rest of Rock’ n’ Roll is right now.” (Read the full review here.)
His album release date happened to align well with what turned out to be a belated opening game for his beloved Detroit Tigers, with the well-known baseball fanatic wearing a team jersey at Comerica Park. Lest anyone worry about White hitting the notes as well as Whitney Houston, he performed the tune as an instrumental slide guitar-based instrumental with his touring band (see video below).
Detroit native Jack White performs the national anthem on opening day. #DetroitRoots pic.twitter.com/cANcnHzOYm
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 8, 2022
“God bless you Detroit,” reported fans, who White said as the show wrapped on Friday. “What a day.”
Honeymoons may have to wait a while as White’s Supply Chain Issues tour continues steadily through May 1, though there’s a several-week hiatus before it resumes on May 23. Jean will also be the upbeat for the next two shows, again in Detroit tonight and then in Grand Rapids on Sunday, although what they will do for an encore to that encore remains to be seen.
Musician Jack White performs the national anthem prior to the first inning of a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox on Friday, April 8, 2022 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) AP
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