Written by By Elisabeth Ponsot, CNN
Legendary artist Jack White has curated a family-oriented album, which features Willie Nelson , Merle Haggard and the Whites performing Hank Williams and George Harrison classics.
Earlier this year, the singer’s Third Man Records teamed up with the Grammy Museum in Nashville, after receiving a grant from the museum’s Performers’ Rights Coalition, to give fans the opportunity to perform iconic songs by artists such as The Beatles and John Lennon for once-in-a-lifetime performances.
“I’ve just been jamming with everybody. It’s a family affair,” White told Rolling Stone.
The Dead, I like Chuck Berry. I’ve been listening to Chuck Berry for years. Some of my favorite artists of all time are Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Beatles, Elvis. I like those kinds of artists.
White also commissioned artists “white house: Journeys In the Life of America’s Lost Artists” to design custom vinyl T-shirts for the album, which are now available. The prints feature photos taken by White of some of the artists featured on the record.
“An appreciation for music is a part of every American’s soul,” said Robert L. Santelli, one of the artists, in a statement. “My project of finding, organizing and photographing posthumous artists has been about helping musicians and their fans rediscover their history, both as musicians and as people. With the White House series, I have done the same thing.”
The album, “Three Great Legends…,” features artists performing classic tracks, such as “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Hey Good Lookin’” and “Here Comes the Sun,” from Williams and Harrison, along with Haggard and White covering early Rolling Stones songs.
Born in 1918, Williams was one of country music’s most celebrated artists. He died at age 29 in 1953, his cause of death unknown.
The album will be released on March 16.