Prior to attending school, White toured the country performing with his parents in their acrobatic/hand-balancing act called Barry and Brenda and Company.
"[3] In 1955, White auditioned friends and acquaintances from his neighborhood, to form a vocal group that he named The Juvenaires, in which he sang first tenor.
The other original members were Danny Rapp (lead singer), Joe "Terry" Terranova (baritone), and Frank Maffei (second tenor).
White said: "We recorded "Do the Bop" with Johnny Madara singing lead vocals and my group, The Juvenaires, backing him up.
Artie took it back to Dick Clark and gave him half the publishing of the song.”[3] The song was recorded at Reco-Art Studios in Philadelphia, together with a ballad by White called "Sometimes (When I'm All Alone)".
The Juvenaires were renamed Danny & the Juniors, since it was a more contemporary name, and "At the Hop" backed with "Sometimes (When I'm All Alone)" was released on Singular Records, Artie Singer's label with partner, disc jockey Larry Brown.
"Sometimes (When I'm All Alone)" became a favorite of a lot of street corner groups just starting out who later became successful, including The Capris, The Chimes, The Cleftones, The Rascals, The Del Satins, The Dovells, The Elegants, The Impalas, The Earls, Randy & the Rainbows, The Tokens, The Vogues, and Vito & the Salutations, among others.
White was now attending Temple University on a full gymnastics scholarship, but when Dick Clark started playing "At the Hop", he left college, never to return, instead going over to Danny Rapp's house every weekday to watch American Bandstand.
In an independent production deal with Mercury Records, White and Madara composed "You Don't Own Me" for Lesley Gore (#2 in Billboard).
This song has become an anthem for women's rights and is featured in several motion pictures, including Dirty Dancing, Hairspray, and The First Wives Club.
The Spokesmen recorded an album and made appearances on The Mike Douglas Show, Shindig!, Shivaree, Where the Action Is, and Hollywood A Go-Go, among others.
It has been covered by Cher, The Manhattan Transfer, Astrud Gilberto, Lou Christie, The Spiral Starecase, and Wayne Newton.