Born : November 12, 1906* in Houston, Mississippi
Died : February 26, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee
* Not any date between 1902-1905 or 1907-1909, as is variously reported.

Bukka is a phonetic spelling of White's first name; he was named after the African-American educator and civil rights activist [a=Booker T. Washington (2)]. In 1990 he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

B.B. King is White's first cousin, and he often credits White as an early teacher and mentor.