Jack White Marries Olivia Jean Onstage in Detroit — Just Minutes After Proposing
How does Jack White cap off a whirlwind Friday? By staging a surprise wedding onstage in front of an audience of his fans, of course.
According to a Tweet by the Detroit Daily News, White married his girlfriend, fellow musician and songwriter Olivia Jean, during his sold-out Supply Chain Issues tour opener at Detroit’s Masonic Temple Theatre mere moments after proposing during a rendition of The White Stripes’ 2001 single, “Hotel Yorba.” White’s mother and Jean’s father, according to the Detroit Free Press, were in attendance for the impromptu nuptials, while each musician’s bass players served as best man and maid of honor.
White’s wedding comes after a jam-packed day for the Detroit native — which, in addition to Friday evening’s concert, included the release of his new album, Fear of the Dawn, and performing the National Anthem for the Detroit Tigers’ Opening Day at Comerica Park.
The newlyweds first met when White — who also hails from Detroit — invited Jean to his Third Man Records studio in 2009, shortly after receiving a demo of her recordings. White was instrumental in introducing the songwriter, who lacked a backing band, to the group of musicians that would go on to form the Jean-fronted, all-female goth garage rock outfit, The Black Belles. The band was signed to Third Man and released several singles and a self-titled studio album before going on hiatus to allow Jean to pursue her solo career.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, White discussed how his attitude towards life changed during the last two years — which, perhaps, made the singer more open to the idea of giving love a second shot after two divorces. (White was previously married to his White Stripes bandmate, Meg White, before their rise to fame, and musician Karen Elson.) “There’s been a complete rebirth on all levels of my life throughout the pandemic,” he said. “I made a goal to myself that no matter how long it lasted I was going to come out of it with a totally different scenario of looking at life.”
It appears that a post-wedding honeymoon isn’t immediately in the cards for the couple, however. White’s tour in support of Fear of the Dawn — which features support from a wide variety of artists including Cherry Glazerr, The Afghan Whigs, Starcrawler and a newly reunited Be Your Own Pet — runs through the end of August. In July, the musician is expected to release his second album of the year, Entering Heaven Alive. He’s also scheduled to headline the Bourbon and Beyond Festival on Sept. 15 in Louisville, Kentucky.
