[1][2] White was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in Oakland, California, taking up the violin when he was six years old.
During his career, he played with musicians such as Sun Ra, Prince Lasha, McCoy Tyner, Eric Dolphy, Wes Montgomery, Pharoah Sanders, Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, John Lee Hooker, and Richard Davis.
In early 2007, The Michael White Quintet's "Mechanical Man" won in the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Jazz Song.
After a long period of obscurity, in the mid 1990s he was involved in a reunion of the Handy Quintet and recorded an album as co-leader with Bill Frisell, Motion Pictures (1997).
[4] With John Handy With John Lee Hooker With The Fourth Way With Sonny Simmons With The Dead Science With Pharoah Sanders With Alice Coltrane With McCoy Tyner With Joe Henderson