Verdine Adams White (born July 25, 1951) is an American musician, best known as a founding member and bassist for the band Earth, Wind & Fire. White was placed at No. 19 on

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

's list of The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time.

Early life

Verdine was born Verdine Adams, Jr. in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, on July 25, 1951. His father, Verdine Sr., was a doctor who also played the

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

. He grew up listening to recordings of

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

, John Coltrane, and other

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

musicians. He was also influenced by Cleveland Eaton,

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, the Motown sound, and his two drummer brothers,

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rod ...

and Maurice. When he was 15, he saw a

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

in his

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

orchestra class and decided that he wanted to play bass. He soon got a red electric bass and, taking the advice of brother Maurice and his father, took private lessons from Radi Velah of the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...

, learning the Billè double bass method, and on weekends learned the electric bass with Chess Records session bassist and trombonist Louis Satterfield, who would later become a member of Earth, Wind & Fire's famed horn section,

The Phenix Horns , originally known as the EWF Horns, were the main horn section for the band Earth, Wind & Fire. The horn section were composed of Don Myrick on saxophone, Louis "Lui Lui" Satterfield on trombone, Rahmlee Michael Davis on trumpet, and Michael ...

. Verdine says he learned everything about the bass guitar from Louis Satterfield, and some of his early bass influences were James Jamerson,

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

, and Gary Karr. Moving toward a newly bought Fender Telecaster Bass instead of the upright bass, Verdine began working the Chicago club scene with local bands. Meanwhile, brother Maurice, who was a former session drummer at Chess Records and a member of pianist Ramsey Lewis' trio, had formed the Salty Peppers, scoring a local hit that caught the ears of

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...

. In early 1970 Maurice moved to Los Angeles, hoping to record the group, which he had renamed Earth, Wind & Fire and called up Verdine asking whether he would like to join, which he did, arriving in Los Angeles on June 6, 1970.

Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine White in 1982 with Earth Wind and Fire

As Earth, Wind & Fire's bassist since the band's inception, White has won six and received two honoree

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s, has been Grammy nominated eighteen times and has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame to name a few honors. The band has also earned more than 50 gold and platinum albums and have sold over 90 million albums worldwide. In November 2008 White was presented with '' Bass Player'' magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award by Nathan East. On Friday, February 26, 2010 Verdine was inducted as a member of

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young Afr ...

at the ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Verdine White holds an honorary doctorate degree from the American Conservatory of Music. On July 2, 2020, Rolling Stone Australia Magazine ranked White number 19 on "The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time".

Songwriter

White's credits as a songwriter date back to Earth, Wind & Fire's self-titled debut studio album, on which White co-wrote "C'mon Children" and "Bad Tune". White co-wrote three songs on their third album, '' Last Days and Time''. He had one writing credit on their fourth album, ''

Head To The Sky ''Head to the Sky'' is the fourth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in May 1973 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 27 on the Billboard 200 chart. Head to the Sky ...

''. On their fifth album, ''

Open Our Eyes ''Open Our Eyes'' is the fifth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 25, 1974 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 15 on the Top Pop Albums chart. ''Open Our E ...

'', White co-wrote the group's first top 5 R&B/Soul hit (No. 4), " Mighty, Mighty" along with his brother Maurice. They also co-wrote, "

Kalimba Story "Kalimba Story" is a song by R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire released as a single in 1974 on Columbia Records. Overview Kalimba Story was produced by Maurice White and Joe Wissert and composed by Maurice and Verdine White. The song also came off EW ...

", a top 10 R&B/Soul hit (No. 6). These two songs along with their single, " Devotion" (No. 23), helped the album top Billboard's Soul Album Chart, given them their first No. 1 album. White's co-writes include some of Earth, Wind & Fire's biggest hits, such as " That's the Way of the World". White is credited on many artist's songs as heard in commercials, movie soundtracks, and televisions shows.

Philanthropy

White is the co-founder and director of the Verdine White Foundation, which aims to provide musical education to underprivileged and gifted students. During 2007 he was as well inducted into the

Boys and Girls Club Boys & Girls Club may refer to: * Boys & Girls Clubs of America * Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada * Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Clubs, Bronx, United States * Essex Boys and Girls Clubs, in Essex and East London, England * The Boys' and Girls' Clubs ...

's Alumni Hall of Fame. White is the founder of the non profit organization, The Verdine White Performing Arts Center (VWPAC), located in Los Angeles. Founded in 2010, VWPAC encourages students to reach their fullest potential as artists and people, equipped with a well-rounded performing arts education and the confidence to take on whatever path they choose within the arts.

Author

In 2012, White co-authored a book with Louis Satterfield, "Playing Bass Guitar, A Beginner's Guide To The Electric Bass".

Personal life

Verdine White lives in Los Angeles in a house built in 1919, with his wife of 40 years

Shelly Clark Shelly Clark (born July 27, 1947) is an American singer, dancer and actress, best known as a founding member of the 1970s R&B girls group, Honey Cone who had the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit single, " Want Ads" released in March 1971. Early life ...

. She was once a member of R&B groups The Ikettes and Honey Cone. They have a son and a granddaughter. He also has a twin sister by the name of Geraldine. He is the younger half-brother of Earth, Wind, and Fire band founder

Maurice White Maurice White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter, and producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, and served as the ...

and older brother of drummer Fred White and Monte White, (October 16, 1953 - April 21, 2020). Both were members of Earth, Wind & Fire. Fred played drums and percussion as a band member from 1974 to 1984 and was inducted with the band into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Monte served as the group's tour manager from 1974 to 1984.

Discography

With Earth, Wind & Fire

Backing Musician and Production Credits

*1974 Ramsey Lewis: '' Sun Goddess'' - (bass, vocals) *1975 Ramsey Lewis: ''Electric Collection'' - (bass, vocals) *1976 Gene Harris: '' In a Special Way'' - (bass) *1976 The Emotions: ''

Flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

'' - (bass) *1976 Deniece Williams: ''

This Is Niecy ''This Is Niecy'' is the debut album of American R&B singer Deniece Williams released on August 13, 1976 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 33 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album ha ...

'' - (bass) *1977 The Emotions: '' Rejoice'' - (bass) *1977: Gene Harris: ''

Tone Tantrum ''Tone Tantrum'' is an album by American jazz pianist Gene Harris recorded in 1977 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' - (bass) *1977: Lenny White: Big City *1977: Harvey Mason: Funk in a Mason Jar *1977: Pockets: '' Come Go With Us'' - (producer) *1977 Deniece Williams : ''

Song Bird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

'' - (bass) *1978 The Emotions: '' Sunbeam'' - (bass) *1978 Eumir Deodato:

Love Island Love Island may refer to: Film * ''Love Island'' (1952 film), an American film directed by Adam Lloyd starring Todd Wathen and Eva Gabor * ''Love Island'' (2014 film), directed by Jasmila Žbanić Music * ''Love Island'' (album), a 1978 album ...

- (bass) *1979 Harvey Mason: Groovin You - (bass) *1983 Level 42: ''

Standing in the Light ''Standing in the Light'' is the fourth studio album released by English jazz-funk band Level 42. The album, released in 1983, generated the group's first top 10 in the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 9. The album was well received by critics a ...

'' - (producer) *1992 Norman Brown: Just Between Us *1997 Urban Knights: '' Urban Knights II'' - (bass, producer) *2002 Jennifer Lopez: '' This Is Me... Then'' - (bass) *2012 Solange: ''

True True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality. True may also refer to: Places * True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * ...

'' - (bass) *2014 Freddie Ravel: Sol to Soul - (bass, associate producer) *2015 Flo Rida: I Don't Like It, I Love It - (bass) *2017

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...

: ''

Meaning of Life The meaning of life, or the answer to the question: "What is the meaning of life?", pertains to the significance of living or existence in general. Many other related questions include: "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?", or "Wha ...

'' - (bass)

Awards

RIAA Awards

Multi-Platinum Albums *1975 - That's The Way Of The World *1975 - Gratitude *1976 - Spirit Platinum Albums *1973 - Head To The Sky *1974 - Open Our Eyes *1981 - Raise! Gold Albums *1980 - Faces *1983 - Powerlight *1987 - Touch The World *1988 - The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. II *2003 - The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire Gold Singles *1975 - Shining Star *1975 - Singasong *1976 - Getaway *1978 - September *1978 - Got To Get You Into My Life *1979 - Boogie Wonderland *1979 - After The Love Has Gone *1981 - Let's Groove

Inductions

*1995 - Star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame *2000 - Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame *2003 - Inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk *2003 - Inducted into The Vocal Group Hall Of Fame *2010 - Songwriters Hall Of Fame *2012 - Beacon of Change award at the Beacon Awards Banquet *2019 - Kennedy Center Honors

Grammy Awards

*2016 - Lifetime Achievement Award *2008 - GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, "Shining Star" *2004 - NARAS Signature Governors Award *1982 - Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, "Wanna Be With You" *1979 - Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, "After The Love Has Gone" *1979 - Best R&B Instrumental Performance, "Boogie Wonderland" *1978 - Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, "All 'n All" *1978 - Best R&B Instrumental Performance, "Runnin'" *1975 - Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, "Shining Star"

American Music Awards

*1976 - Favorite Band, Duo Or Group - Soul/Rhythm & Blues *1977 - Favorite Band, Duo Or Group- Soul/Rhythm & Blues *1978 - Favorite Band, Duo Or Group- Soul/Rhythm & Blues *1980 - Favorite Band, Duo Or Group- Soul/Rhythm & Blues

Other awards

*1994 - NAACP Hall Of Fame Image Award *2002 - BET Lifetime Achievement Award *2002 - ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award *2002 - TV Land's Entertainer Award *2002 - The Daniel L. Stephenson Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement in Music *2008 - Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award *2008 - Honorary Doctorates in the arts from Columbia College in Chicago *2016 - Induction into The Soul Music Hall of Fame. *2021 - Mayor John Hamilton proclaimed February 1, 2021, Verdine White and Shelly Clark day in Bloomington, Indiana.

References

External links

Verdine White's official websiteVerdine White Interview
NAMM Oral History Library, January 20, 2014. {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Verdine 1951 births Living people African-American musicians American funk bass guitarists American male bass guitarists Earth, Wind & Fire members Guitarists from Chicago 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists