Nikki White Lee

Remembering Nikki, Whose Soul Moved to Music

There are some souls whose lives play like a melody—steady, soulful, and full of grace. Nikki White Lee, lovingly known as “Southern Lady,” was one of those rare songs. She was born in Newport on August 21, 1954, to Mr. and Mrs. Aaron and Ethel White.

Nikki lived her life in rhythm—with laughter that could light a room, and love that wrapped around you like a favorite tune. She was the kind of woman who could turn any moment into music—whether she was singing along to her beloved Blues, clapping her hands to the beat, or swaying softly in her chair when the band played just right. The Blues weren’t just her music; they were her ministry, her comfort, and her celebration.

When the stage lights dimmed, Nikki found her peace by the water, where the world grew quiet enough to hear nature’s own song. Fishing was her way of finding harmony—each ripple, each breeze a verse in the soundtrack of her joy.

But her greatest masterpiece was her family. Her home was a place where pots clanged in the kitchen like percussion, stories flowed like verses, and laughter rose like a chorus that never ended. She was the rhythm and the heart—the beat that kept everyone together. Her kindness had a melody all its own, her humor was bright as a horn, and her love… her love was the kind of song you never forget.

Nikki was preceded in death by her parents, Aaron and Ethel White, and her brothers, Richard White, Aaron White Jr., Bobby Ray White and her twin brother, Ricky White.

She is survived by her sons, Kenneth Tate (Janet) of Newport, Broderick Bass of Newport, Myreon Coleman of Plano, Texas, Antonio Corley of Little Rock, Quincy White of Newport; her daughters, Beverly Akins (Isaac) of Little Rock, Stephanie Greer (Gary) of Newport, Crystal Roddy (Willie) of Little Rock; brothers, Floyd White of Newport, Billy White of Newport, Wayne White of Little Rock, Gary Greer Sr. of Conway; sisters, Lucille Cogshell of Little Rock, Tasha Borders of Newport; her grandchildren, Tatania White of Arlington, Texas, Octavia Heard of Little Rock, Bryant Brown (Briana) of Newport, Demarius Greer (Shelby) of Newport, Tamara Greer of Newport, Shay Dixon of Newport, Destiny Joslin of Newport, Haley Joslin of Newport, Elijah Armstrong of Jonesboro, Darrence Stewart of Little Rock; her great-grandchildren, Rha’shaud Rice, Peyton Giles, Presleigh Livingston, Embri Ellis, Armani Elston, Jahari Ellis, Skylar Dixon, and Evelyn Jay Gomez; special friends, Lela Coleman of Arlington, Texas and Evelyn Bass of Pine Bluff; and a host of other family and friends.

Though the final note of her song has faded from this world, her melody lives on—in the laughter of her children, in the strength of her family, and in every Blues song that finds a way to joy through sorrow. Her spirit keeps playing softly in the background, reminding us all that love, like good music, never truly ends.