Fred White, the drummer who accompanied brothers Maurice and Verdine White in the Grammy Award-winning band Earth, Wind & Fire, has died. 67 years old.
The band’s vocalist, percussionist and bassist Verdine White posted on his Instagram account on Sunday that his brother Frederick Eugene “Freddie” White had passed away. He did not say where or how his brother died.
Earth, Wind & Fire was founded in 1970 under the guidance of Maurice White, creating a band capable of fusing elements of jazz, funk, R&B, soul, dance, pop and rock, bringing African musicality and spirituality to life.
It started with praising. He gained popularity with the Phoenix Horns of the horn section and energetic live performances, and was signed to Columbia Records, which was managed by Clive Davis at the time.
Before joining Earth, Wind & Fire in the mid-1970s, Fred White was an accomplished drummer, playing for Donnie Hathaway.
Together with drummer and percussionist Ralph Johnson, the tight, upbeat rhythm section paved the way for songs like “Boogie Wonderland” and “September” to become instant favourites.
Verdine White was such a talented child musician that his younger brother Fred said, “At the age of 16, he released a gold record!” Fred White remained with the band until 1983.
But more than that, at home and away, he always entertained me, and he was a wonderful and playful older brother! ”. And we’ve always counted on him to brighten up a seemingly bad situation,” White wrote.
Some of the band’s biggest hits are still hugely popular, often sampled and used in countless movies. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, performed at the 2005 Super Bowl halftime show, and won six Grammy Awards.
The Beatles’ version of “Got to Get You Into My Life” was featured on President Barack Obama’s first Spotify playlist.
The band’s most successful period began with the 1975 album That’s The Way of The World and continued for the next decade. Other hits included “Serpentine Fire,” “Shining Star,” and “After the Love Has Gone.”
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