Verdine White, his brother and bass guitarist for the group gave a statement to the Associated Press which stated: "My brother, hero and best friend Maurice White passed away peacefully last night in his sleep" and went on to say, "While the world has lost another great musician and legend, our family asks that our privacy is respected as we start what will be a very difficult and life changing transition in our lives. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes."
Steve Harvey conducted an amazing tribute this morning on his show, "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" and noted on twitter the influence of this group to his upbringing.
He even added their music tributes to his stand -up which included the Original Kings of Comedy. Watch his "Old School" set here.
Earth, Wind & Fire, a nine-piece band centered around Verdine and Maurice as well as singer Philip Bailey and the distinctive horn section. They're mission to inspire was excellent. The group's musical style was infused with many layers. They took the genres of Jazz, Soul and Funk; added R&B, Rock, Pop and Gospel to the tunes of Disco, survived through the Hip Hop Era and made beautiful music that transcends time.
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Kevork Djansezian/AP
Maurice White, third from left, the founder and leader of
Earth, Wind & Fire,
died at home in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.
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The band was founded in 1969 by Maurice in Chicago. Other members have included Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, Larry Dunn, Al McKay and Andrew Woolfolk. According to Wikipedia, the band has received six Grammy awards as a group and two of its members, Maurice White and Bailey, won separate individual awards and four American Music Awards. Other achievements include: Lifetime Achievement honors from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award – 2002), NAACP (Hall of Fame – 1994) and the BET Awards (Lifetime Achievement Award – 2002). EWF have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and sold over 100 million records, making them one of the world's best-selling bands of all time.
In 1994 Maurice White decided to retire from touring with the band. At the time, he explained that he wanted to take a rest from the rigors of the road. Maurice suffered from Parkinson's Disease and made that known to the public at the time of their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction in 1995.
White's memoir, "Keep Your Head to the Sky: My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire," is scheduled to be released Sept. 13 by Amistad. The book features a forward by Steve Harvey and an afterword by David Foster.
Earth, Wind & Fire are to be honored at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 15. (AP)
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