TALENT OF TONY JOE WHITE* - Across The Pontchartrain* - DONNIE FRITTS*

ACROSS THE PONTCHARTRAIN
(Tony Joe White & Donnie Fritts)
B3: NC Thurman
Bass: David Hood
Drums: Mike Dillon
Guitar, Eletric guitar & Harmonica: Tony Joe White
Keyboards: Donnie Fritts & Spooner Oldham
Lead guitar: Kelvin Holly
Trumpet: Wayne Jackson
Vocals: DONNIE FRITTS

Donnie Fritts began his career as a musician at the age of 15, playing drums and keyboard.

In 1965 Fritts began writing songs and had songs recorded by Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson and others.

As a songwriter, Donnie's songs were performed and appeared on the national charts by Charlie Rich (You're Gonna Love Yourself In the Morning' (1980), Dolly Parton (We Had It All-1986), and Waylon Jennings (We Had It All-1973).

In 1967, Fritts began playing keyboards for Kris Kristofferson, also a Florence, Alabama native, a relationship that spanned 20 years and in locations both nationally and internationally.

Donnie appeared in several movies with Kris Kristofferson, including 'The Last Years of Frank and Jesse James' (1986-TV), 'Songwriter' (1984), 'Convoy'(1978), and 'A Star is Born' (1976), and two other Sam Peckinpah's movies in addition to 'Convoy'; 'Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid' (1973) and 'Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia' (1974).

In 1998, Donnie released an album 'Everybody's Got A Song' which includes guest appearances by Willie Nelson, Tony Joe White, and Kris Kristofferson and John Prine, as well as many others.

In 2001, Fritts had a kidney transplant that closely followed seven heart operations.

While he was recovering in the hospital after the transplant, a friend asked how he was doing. Fritts responded that he had "one foot in the groove." It became the title of a CD in 2008.

On February 22, 2008, Kristofferson was on hand in Montgomery, Alabma to induct Donnie into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

On March 06, 2008, Donnie Fritts who is active on the Muscle Shoals (Alabama) music scene appeared with Billy Bob Thornton for The Billy Bob Bash: A Muscle Scoals Homecoming at the Shoals Theatre in downtown Florence, Alabama as a part of the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival. In 2008 Billy Bob and Donnie also began co-writing several new songs.

Tony Joe White reigns supreme as one of the true masters of get-down funky bluesy swamp rock music. The singer/songwriter/guitarist was born on July 23, 1943. He was the youngest of seven children who grew up on a cotton farm near Oak Grove, Louisiana. White first began performing music at school dances. Following graduation from high school Tony Joe went on to perform in night clubs in Texas and Louisiana. White went to Nashville in 1968. He had a big hit with his classic hard-stomping song "Polk Salad Annie." Tony Joe had modest country hits with "The Lady in My Life" and "We Belong Together." Brook Benton scored a substantial success with his moving and soulful rendition of White's beautiful "Rainy Night in Georgia." Among the artists who have recorded Tony Joe's songs are Dusty Springfield, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, George Jones, Hank Williams, Jr., Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed, Jessi Colter, and Elvis Presley (the King of Rock'n'Roll sings "Polk Salad Annie" in the rock concert documentaries "Elvis on Tour" and "Elvis: That's the Way It Is"). In 1989 White wrote four songs for and played both guitar and harmonica on Tina Turner's "Foreign Affair" album. Tony Joe has toured with such groups as Steppenwolf, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Sly and the Family Stone. He's done jingles for McDonald's and Levi's 501 Blues jeans. White composed the scores for the made-for-TV film "Living Straight" and the musical Shakespearean rock opera "Catch My Soul" (he also plays Cassio in this latter picture). A huge cult favorite in Europe, Tony Joe White continues to record albums on his own Swamp Records label and performs in concerts all over the world.