Lasses White
Leroy Robert White (August 28, 1888 – December 16, 1949), better known as Lee "Lasses" White or Leroy (sometimes Le Roy or Lee Roy) "Lasses" White, was an American vaudeville pianist, songwriter and entertainer who became an actor of the stage, screen and radio. He became famous doing minstrel shows during the early part of the 1900s, and wrote one of the first copyrighted twelve-bar blues, "Nigger Blues". After spending some time on radio, White entered the film industry in the late 1930s. During his eleven-year career he appeared in over 70 films. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Wills Point (city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States), Died December 16, 1949 (Hollywood (neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1953
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, vocalist, songwriter
Notes: Name appears on some disc labels preceded by apostrophe ('Lasses White).
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 28 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-18565 | 10-in. | 10/19/1916 | Nigger blues | Victor Military Band | Band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-85878 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | One-eyed Sam | 'Lasses and Honey | Male vocal duet, with guitar | composer, lyricist, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-85879 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | Cumberland Valley | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, composer, lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-85880 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | Taxi Jim | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars | vocalist, composer, lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-85881 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | Jimmy Bone | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars | lyricist, composer, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-85882 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | Radio Mama | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars | composer, lyricist, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-85883 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | Alabamy bound | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-85884 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | Nigger blues | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars | vocalist, lyricist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-85885 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | Galloping dominoes | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and dialogue | composer, lyricist, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-85886 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | The prize fighter | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and dialogue | lyricist, vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-85887 | 10-in. | 4/23/1935 | Going to the ball | Lasses and Honey | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and dialogue | lyricist, composer, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-056533 | 10-in. | 10/12/1940 | Sweet mamma, tree top tall | Cecil Campbell ; Tennessee Ramblers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | D9VB-0868 | 10-in. | 2/3/1949 | I'm casting my lasso towards the sky | Slim Whitman | Male vocal solo, with string band and yodeling | songwriter | |
| Columbia | 46920 | 10-in. | 7/18/1916 | Nigger blues | George O'Connor | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | 80921 | 10-in. | 4/3/1923 | Sweet mamma, tree top tall | Lasses White | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer, vocalist, lyricist | |
| Columbia | 80924 | 10-in. | 4/4/1923 | Lasses White minstrels : Levee scene | Al Bernard ; Lasses White and Company | Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 80925 | 10-in. | 4/4/1923 | Lasses White minstrels : Plantation scene | Al Bernard ; Lasses White and Company | Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 48879 | 12-in. | 7/21/1916 | Nigger blues | Prince's Band ; G. Hepburn Wilson | Band | composer | |
| Columbia | 98070 | 12-in. | 4/4/1923 | Old time minstrels | Al Bernard ; Lasses White Minstrel Company | Minstrels | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 98071 | 12-in. | 4/4/1923 | Old time minstrels | Al Bernard ; Lasses White Minstrel Company | Minstrels | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W143084 | 10-in. | 11/5/1926 | Sweet mama, tree top tall | Birmingham Quartet | Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | W147552 | 10-in. | 12/3/1928 | If you don't like my Ford coupe, don't you Cadillac me | Owen Brothers | Male vocal quartet, with fiddle (violin), guitar, and vocal effects | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | C1014 | 10-in. | 6/18/1935 | Sweet mama tree top tall | Westerners (Massey Family) | String band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | C4134 | 10-in. | 1/20/1942 | Honest I do | Bob Atcher | Male vocal solo, with string band | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | C4147 | 10-in. | 1/22/1942 | There'll come a day | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with female vocal solo | composer, lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "White, Lasses," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100879.
White, Lasses. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100879.
"White, Lasses." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: White, Lasses, 1888-1949 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2004076667
Wikidata: Lee "Lasses" White - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q22019593
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/21536454
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1591663 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1591663
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