Chip White grew up living in the shadows of his celebrity sister. Now, he’s sharing stories of how others with similar upbringings are finding their own light.
SAN ANTONIO — Most households in America know her as Wheel of Fortune’s Vanna White.
She’s graced the puzzleboard for more than 40 seasons.
For Chip White, he knows her as his generous, down-to-earth big sister.
This summer, White launched the “Relatively Famous” podcast. It offers a firsthand perspective on what life is like being a relative of a celebrity.
Episodes are recorded in the Alamo City, which he also calls home.
“I feel for what we do, it’s a play on words — for the relative part,” said White.
Last year, White met Philip Nelson, owner of Nelco Comics and Nelco Media. The two teamed up and decided to record episodes inside the comic book store off North Flores St.
The comic book shop with a “speakeasy vibe” sells nothing but the classics — meaning pretty much everything is from the 20th century.
As you walk inside, the comic books make way for a production set: A table surrounded by lights, cameras and television monitors. A small production booth is behind a door where Nelson sits during tapings.
White sits at the table, earpiece in, behind the mic.
“If you’re a relative, you’re in. Cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces, brothers, sisters,” White explained. “I get to discover things about people that I think I know.”
Thursday, the team filmed four episodes
We sat in on White’s conversation with Ray Leonard Jr., the son of 6-time world champion boxer and gold medalist Sugar Ray Leonard.
Right off the bat, White acknowledged the big “shadow” under which Leonard grew up. White asked, “How is it for you to start making your own light?”
“We all have a story,” said White following the recording. “Like Ray said at the end, he’s not special. None of us are special. We just have a story.”
While Relatively Famous shares the joys of life in the orbit of someone famous, the raw conversations also touch on the challenges.
“I’ve had several guests come out about their addiction and being clean and sober for x amount of time,” said White, who himself is 21 years sober. “I’m not looking for dirt. I want to know what you do and what’s it like for you.”
Among his interviewees so far: Ryan Cassidy (son of Shirley Jones), James Borrego (brother of Jesse Borrego), Savannah Foster (daughter of Simone Griffeth), Chris Carson (nephew of Johnny Carson) and Gigi Santo Pietro (daughter of Vanna White).
“I’m trying to hook Josh Brolin…I think he’d be a hilarious interview. Evan Stanley, who is Paul Stanley from Kiss, his son,” said White, listing off his bucket list of interviewees. “I’d love to get Philip Foden, the UK soccer player, I’d love to get one of his brothers on. I’d love to get an F1 driver’s sibling or mother or father.”
It took a while for White to figure out what he wanted to do.
“Worked in the film business, worked in the television business,” he said. “Limo driver, I’ve worked at H-E-B.”
He even filmed a pilot in the 90’s for his own talk show.
“It was almost a joke it started at in the 90s. Everybody was getting a talk show, So I thought let’s be blatant about it and make it Vanna White’s Brother’s Talk Show,” said White. “We had President Bill Clinton’s brother Roger.”
Nearly two decades later, White is finding his passion in San Antonio bonding with strangers with whom he has at least one thing in common.
“We think our career’s not great when we look at everyone else’s right?” he said. “I’ve had a good life and a good career, so I have to step back and go, ‘You know, it’s all good.'”
You can find “Relatively Famous” anywhere you stream your podcasts. So far, 10 episodes are streaming with 10 more on the way.
Relatively Famous is looking for sponsors, and is donating 10% of proceeds to Joedance Pediatric Care Fund.
Meanwhile, you can catch Chip White’s sister and new host Ryan Seacrest on the new season of Wheel of Fortune. It premieres Monday, September 9 on KENS 5.
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