Tony White

by Christi Marsico
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 12:52 PM MDT

Placing his black shades on top of his head, Tony White, 27, sits down and flashes his bright smile.

A white bandage covers his newest tattoo on his right arm, which makes a total of eight tattoos now.

Sporting an onyx ring on his right hand with a cool attitude, White is a local DJ, writer and photographer.

"I have a real passion for creativity and enlightenment and meeting new people," White said.

This Natrona County fellow has been a DJ with the on-air personality of DJ Tone. He’s hosted his show "Reggae sound system" on Saturdays from 11 p.m. to midnight for three years on 107.7 the River.

White enjoys giving back to his hometown a little of his zeal for reggae, Jamaican, ska and calypso just to name a few.

"My mom always said I had a food face for radio," White said with a laugh.

He also has been a DJ at Elixir's on the first three Fridays of every month, playing music determined by his and the crowd’s moods.

White’s love for music began at an early age, being influenced by his parents’ classic vinyl collection, as well as his grandparents’ love for the Big Band era.

However, the young White's introduction to punk music created a lasting impact on his taste for unique after he heard the group, The Clash.

Despite his wide knowledge of music and various musician family members, White never has been in a band, but rather finds his artistic ambitions leading him to photography.

While attending Natrona County High School, White described the day he worked in the darkroom as changing the direction of his life.

"I fell in love with black and white images. It was like hearing music for the first time, and I took it real serious."

Pursuing photography opportunities at Casper College's newspaper, The Chinook, White continued his heavy focus on photography while attending the community college for 2-1/2 years.

After a brief stint in Jackson Hole seeking photography work, White returned to Casper on a mission for more than a year.

"I locked myself in my room and studied photography and taught myself everything I could," White said.

His ambitions led him to network his name around as a local photographer, as well as putting on local photography exhibits.

While working at Sonic Rainbow, he met the Philadelphia band, The First Wave, who invited him to document them while on tour for 2-1/2 weeks on the West Coast.

Shooting more than 30 rolls of film, White has big plans for the band photos, including a gallery exhibit and a book with the working title "Somewhere Downtown" for the spring/summer of 2009.

"The premise of the book is to follow your dreams, which I feel is universally applicable," White said.

The ambitious DJ and photographer remarked that his closet influences in life are his faith in Jesus, his parents and his grandpa A.J. Pettrini.

When asked to share his top three nicknames, White looked to the side with a grin and said, "Seriously? Well, it would be ‘T,’ ‘Tone’ and my uncle has called me ‘Oh no’ since I was little."

With a lot of cool and even more artistic endeavors in the works, White is one local guy worth listening to.

To contact Tony White, call 259-8601 or e-mail djtone1079@gmail.com.

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