[1] Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, he first began performing in his teens with a gospel group, the Harps of David, before moving to Chicago in 1956.
[3] He continued to perform and record, releasing the album Blues Boy on the Ronn label in 1985 and thereafter adopting the title as his sobriquet.
[1] He became ill later in the decade, developing multiple health issues and increasingly becoming confined to a wheelchair,[3] but returned to occasional performances such as a concert to honor Buddy Guy in 2008.
[1][3] After his death, the Artie “Blues Boy” White Youth Scholarship Foundation was set up in Illinois.
Its expressed purpose is "to mentor and support youth, up to age 21 years, who are in pursuit of a career in music.