You may notice something different about Jack White when he walks across the stage to accept The White Stripes‘ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction alongside Meg White later this year. The 12-time Grammy winner now has a phone.
In a note to fans marking his 50th birthday, the Third Man Records founder joked that it’s “either all over for me now or just the beginning” after being gifted what appears to be an iPhone by his wife, fellow musician Olivia Jean.
White said in an Instagram update he was “now the reluctant owner of a cellular telephone for the first time in my life,” though he also conceded to several difficulties he frequently faced during his impressive run as a phoneless (and in some ways truly free?) man.
“I’ve been saying that my days were numbered for years,” White wrote. “Can’t listen to my music in my car, can’t park at a parking lot by myself because of QR codes, etc. … And I guess Olivia decided to be kind and put me (and all my loved ones) out of my misery!”
Making it this long, White added, gives him a sense of pride.
“I thought if I could make it to 50 years old at least without ever having one that I could be proud of myself, and I am,” he said.
The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Joining The White Stripes in this year’s class of inductees are Outkast, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, Bad Company, and more. In the meantime, White is set for a number of festival appearances through late September, including Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond.
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