Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, R&B,

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

, pop,

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide. The band was formed by

Maurice White Maurice White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey. ...

, originating out of the Salty Peppers; its history includes a hiatus from mid-1984 to mid-1987. Prominent members have included Verdine White,

Philip Bailey Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his fo ...

, Ralph Johnson, Larry Dunn, Al McKay, Roland Bautista, Robert Brookins, Sonny Emory, Freddie Ravel, Ronnie Laws, Sheldon Reynolds and Andrew Woolfolk. The band is known for its kalimba sound, dynamic

horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the term ...

, energetic and elaborate stage shows, and the contrast between Bailey's

falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...

and Maurice's

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

vocals. The band has won six

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s out of 17 nominations and four

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

s out of 12 nominations. They have been inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, and Hollywood's Rockwalk, and earned a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

. The band has also received an

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, a Soul Train Legend Award, a

NARAS National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

Signature Governor's Award, a

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

, the 2012 Congressional Horizon Award, and the

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...

in 2019. ''

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. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' has called them "innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet galvanizing" and declared that the band "changed the sound of black pop".

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

has described EWF as "one of the greatest bands".

History

1969–1970: Beginnings

In 1969, Maurice White, a former session drummer for

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...

and former member of the

Ramsey Lewis Trio Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five gold records and three Grammy Awards in his career. His album '' Th ...

, joined two friends in Chicago, Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead, as a songwriting team. They wrote songs and commercials in the Chicago area. The three friends got a recording contract with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

. Calling themselves The Salty Peppers, they had a marginal hit single in the Midwest titled "La La Time". The Salty Peppers' second single, "Uh Huh Yeah", did not fare as well. Maurice moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. He added singer Sherry Scott and percussionist Yackov Ben Israel, both from Chicago, to the band. He asked his younger brother Verdine to join and on June 6, 1970, Verdine moved from Chicago to LA to become the band's bassist. Maurice began shopping demo tapes featuring

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto" ...

to various record labels and the band eventually signed to Warner Bros. Records.

1970–1974: Formation and early years

Maurice White's

astrological sign In Western astrology, astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors that make up ecliptic, Earth's 360-degree orbit around the Sun. The signs enumerate from the first day of spring, known as the First Point of Aries, which is the Equinox (c ...

, Sagittarius, has a primary

elemental An elemental is a mythic supernatural being that is described in occult and alchemy, alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsu ...

quality of

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

and seasonal qualities of

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

and

air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...

, according to classical triplicities. Sagittarius in the northern hemisphere occurs in the autumn, whose element is earth, and in the southern hemisphere, it is spring, whose element is air. Hence the omission of

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

, the fourth

classical element The classical elements typically refer to Earth (classical element), earth, Water (classical element), water, Air (classical element), air, Fire (classical element), fire, and (later) Aether (classical element), aether which were proposed to ...

. Based on this, he changed the band's name, to Earth, Wind & Fire. White held further auditions in L.A, adding Michael Beal on guitar, Chester Washington on reeds, and Leslie Drayton on trumpet. White was a percussionist and lead vocalist. Drayton served as the group's arranger. Trombonist Alex Thomas completed the then ten-man lineup. Warner Bros. designated Joe Wissert to be the band's producer.

Earth, Wind & Fire

The band's self-titled debut album was released in March 1971 on Warner Bros. The album got to No. 24 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Top Soul Albums chart and was certified Gold in France by the

SNEP SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...

. Larry Ridley of

DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

, in a 5/5 stars review declared, "(Maurice White) has assembled here a strong musical organization. They are a tight, well- knit instrumental and vocal group...The vocal voicings are somewhat reminiscent of the Fifth Dimension, but this is not to imply imitation, for Earth, Wind and Fire are just that...Any further critical analysis is unwarranted and my only other comment at this point is go out and buy this record and keep your eyes and ears open to Earth, Wind and Fire." Bob Talbert of the ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...

'', with praise wrote, "I'm not sure what to call this group. Afro-gospel-jazz-blues-rock? Must there be a label?...could be a forerunner of musical styles-sort of a Black Blood, Sweat and Tears or

. BS&T with soul maybe".

''Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song''

EWF then solely performed on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

Melvin Van Peebles Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He worked as an active filmmaker into the early 2020s. His feature film debut, ''The Story of a Three-Day Pa ...

1971 feature film ''

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song ''Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song'' is a 1971 American independent blaxploitation action thriller film written, co-produced, scored, edited, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles. His son Mario Van Peebles also appears in a small ro ...

''. The soundtrack, entirely composed by Van Peebles, was released in June 1971 on

Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in September 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. ...

. Ian McCann of udiscovermusic.com found "Today, though, you couldn't find a record, soundtrack, or otherwise, as freewheelin' and funky as this." Jamie Atkins of

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine focussing on rare and collectable records, and the bands who recorded them. It was founded in September 1979 and distributes worldwide. It is promoted as "the world’s leading authority o ...

also proclaimed the soundtrack is "Well worth checking out...(where their) hippified psych soul...crossed over into relentless, harder-edged funk." The album reached No. 13 on the ''Billboard''

Top R&B Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

chart.

''The Need of Love''

In November 1971, EWF's second album, titled '' The Need of Love'', was issued. The LP got to No. 35 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart. Bruce Lindsay of Jazz Journal said "as evidence of a tight, stylish, band in the early stages of its career this is a worthwhile album". Al Rudis of

The Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily Non-profit journalism, nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation am ...

wrote "Their second album, The Need of Love again displays some unusual music that might be called avant garde were it not so melodic and entrancing. The nine-member group mixes excellent jazzy instrumentals with harmony singing and chanting, some big band sounds and some free-form parts as well as solid soul beats. It all works beautifully, and while the elements of Earth, Wind and Fire aren't new, this mixture of them is a unique sound". A single from the album called " I Think About Lovin' You" reached No. 44 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. The band became popular on college campuses, although some members started to become restless and the band eventually split. With only Verdine left, Maurice decided to re-form the group. During 1972, Maurice added vocalist Helena Davis, Ronnie Laws on the

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

and saxophone, rhythm guitarist Roland Bautista, keyboardist Larry Dunn, vocalist

and percussionist Ralph Johnson. Davis was soon replaced by Jessica Cleaves, a former member of the R&B group The Friends of Distinction. The band successfully auditioned for managers Bob Cavallo and Joe Ruffalo. Cavallo's management of

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who founded the rock band the Lovin' Spoonful in 1964 with Zal Yanovsky. During his time in the Lovin Spoonful, Sebastian wrote and sang some of the ban ...

led to a series of gigs as his opening act. A performance at New York's

Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The 14 original Art De ...

introduced EWF to

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...

, then-President of

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. Davis was impressed and bought their contract from Warner Bros. Wissert went along with the band.

''Last Days and Time''

Their debut album on CBS/Columbia Records, '' Last Days and Time'', was issued in October 1972. The album got to No. 15 on the US ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 9 on the UK

Blues & Soul ''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as ''NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a r ...

Top British Soul Albums chart. Paul Sexton of

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

, in a 1979 review proclaimed, "Musical historians and EWF fans alike will welcome (''Last Days and Time'')". Ovid Goode Jr. of ''

The Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California, after the unrelated ''Los Angeles Times'', and the flagship newspaper of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado- ...

'' declared "''Last Days and Time'', sprouts forth with a fresh sound that sets it apart from many of the ho-hum aggregations around today. The album consists of eight moving tunes".

Hip Hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

artist

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

was also inspired by the album's cover art while British singer Gabrielle also named Last Days and Time as one of her favorites. A single called "Mom" got to No. 39 on the Cashbox Top R&B Singles chart. Soon thereafter, Roland Bautista and Ronnie Laws left. Denver native Philip Bailey recommended former East High School classmate, saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk, as a replacement for Laws. Woolfolk had been busy in New York studying sax with sax maestro

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

and was due to start a career in banking at the time. To fill the void created by Bautista's departure, rhythm guitarists Al McKay and Johnny Graham were added. Graham previously played with

New Birth To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

, while McKay was a former member of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue and The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band.

''Head to the Sky''

EWF's fourth studio album, '' Head to the Sky'', was released in May 1973. The album rose to No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 27 on the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

chart. ''Head to the Sky'' was certified Platinum in the US by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. Vince Aletti of

declared "Been having a lot of music dreams lately but this one's not too surprising since I've been playing the Earth, Wind & Fire album pretty constantly for the past week, certainly beyond all expectations". Aletti also noted EWF "sound like a cosmic choir and generate a Sly Stone effect" on the album. Tony Palermo of the

Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'', formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'', was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for over a century, from 1884 to 1992. At the height of its popul ...

wrote "Folks like to compare this bunch with

War War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

, but the first difference that hits you with E,W&F's brand of jazz-rhythm and blues is the smoothness of Jessica Cleaves' vocal work. Then, the extra slug of R&B in their style". A single off the LP titled "

Evil Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...

" got to No. 19 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs and No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs charts respectively. Another single called " Keep Your Head to the Sky" rose to No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. Jessica Cleaves left after the album release.

''Open Our Eyes''

The band's follow-up album was co-produced by Maurice and Wissert. This LP was recorded at

James William Guercio James William Guercio (born July 18, 1945) is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and director. He is best known for his work as the producer of Chicago's first eleven studio albums. He also produced the early recordings of The Buckin ...

's Caribou Ranch Studio and '' Open Our Eyes'' was released in March 1974. Ken Emerson of ''

'' called ''Open Our Eyes'' "a pleasant miscellany of Africana, Latin rhythms, well-mannered funk, smooth jazz, Sly Stone,

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

and the Fifth Dimension". ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

''s

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

described the album as a complete "tour de force". The album rose to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 15 on the

chart. ''Open Our Eyes'' was certified US Platinum. A single from the LP called " Mighty Mighty" reached No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. " Kalimba Story" rose to No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. " Devotion" got to No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. After ''Open Our Eyes'' was issued, Maurice's younger brother, Fred White, joined the band. He had previously played in Chicago clubs as a drummer with

and

Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George, bassist Roy Estrada (both formerly of the Mothers of Invention), keyboardist Bill Payne, and drummer Richie Hayward in ...

. On April 6, 1974, EWF performed at the California Jam, a West Coast rock festival that attracted an audience of 200,000. The concert was televised in the US on May 10, 1974, by ABC.

''Another Time''

In September 1974, a compilation double album titled ''

Another Time Another Time may refer to: * Another Time (book), ''Another Time'' (book), a 1940 book of poems by W. H. Auden * Another Time (Jeff Williams album), ''Another Time'' (Jeff Williams album), 2011 * Another Time (Earth, Wind & Fire album), ''Another T ...

,'' comprising songs from EWF's first two studio albums, was released by Warner Bros. The album got to No. 29 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart. The band collaborated with

Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five RIAA certification, gold records and three Grammy Awards ...

on his album '' Sun Goddess,'' which was produced by Maurice and issued in October 1974 by Columbia. The album got to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. The LP's

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...

rose to No. 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. ''Sun Goddess'' was certified US Gold.

1975–1980: Ornate sound

''That's the Way of the World''

During 1975, EWF was approached by

Sig Shore Sig Shore (May 13, 1919 – August 17, 2006) was an American film director and producer. His 1972 film '' Super Fly'' is considered one of the first blaxploitation films. Biography Shore was born in East Harlem, New York and grew up in The B ...

, producer of '' Super Fly'', to record the soundtrack of a new film called ''

That's the Way of the World ''That's the Way of the World'' is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 3, 1975, by Columbia Records. This was also the soundtrack for a That's the Way of the World (film), 1975 motion picture of the same ...

''. With a screenplay from Robert Lipsyte, the film was produced and directed by Shore. The movie starred

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor and film producer, known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running associatio ...

Ed Nelson Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Michael Rossi in the television series ''Peyton Place (TV series), Peyton Place''. Nelson appeared in episodes of many TV p ...

, EWF as "The Group" and Maurice as Early, "The Group"'s leader. Keitel played the role of a record producer who's wowed by a performance of "The Group". When the band saw the film they were unimpressed and convinced it would be an eventual

box office bomb A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...

. EWF therefore released the soundtrack before the film's premiere. Produced by both White and Charles Stepney, the album was recorded at the Caribou Ranch Studio. Stepney previously worked with artists such as

the Dells The Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first r ...

Terry Callier Terrence Orlando "Terry" Callier (May 24, 1945 – October 27, 2012) was an American soul music, soul, Folk music, folk and jazz guitarist and singer-songwriter. Life and career Callier was born in the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and was ...

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1974 single " Lovin' You", her five-octave vocal range, and her use of the whistle register. Born in 1947, Riperton grew ...

and the Rotary Connection. His writing and production style also included a more ornate, orchestral flourish, which influenced EWF's sound then onwards. ''

'' was eventually released in March 1975 by Columbia. The album rose to No. 1 on both the ''Billboard'' 200 and ''

'' Top Soul Albums charts. Stephen Curwood of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' called the LP "a sound you shouldn't miss." Daryl Easlea of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

described ''That's the Way of the World'' as a "soul masterpiece". The album was certified US triple platinum. From the LP came the single " Shining Star", which rose to No. 1 on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts. This made EWF the first black act to top both the ''Billboard'' album and singles charts. The song won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The album's second single was title track "

". It reached No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart. With the album's success the band could now craft their own

, entitled the Phenix Horns. They were composed of saxophonist

Don Myrick Donald Myrick (April 6, 1940 – July 30, 1993) was an American saxophonist. A member of the Phenix Horns, he was best known for his work with Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins. He played alto, tenor, and soprano sax as a member of Earth, W ...

, trombonist

Louis Satterfield Louis Edward Satterfield (April 3, 1937 – September 27, 2004) was an American bassist and trombonist. Satterfield was a member of both The Pharaohs and the Phenix Horns. He also collaborated with prominent artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Mu ...

, and trumpeters Rahmlee Davis and Michael Harris. Both Myrick and Satterfield previously worked with Maurice during his days as a drummer at Chess Records.

''Gratitude''

After their first European tour, EWF returned to the studio in June 1975. The band eventually came away with an album of mostly live concert material together with some new recorded tunes. As a double album ''

Gratitude Gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness is a feeling of appreciation (or similar positive response) by a recipient of another's kindness. This kindness can be gifts, help, favors, or another form of generosity to another person. The word come ...

'' was released in November 1975. Gratitude rose to No. 1 on both the ''Billboard'' 200 and Top Soul Albums charts respectively. Kit Aiken of Uncut called Gratitude "a kicking live album".

Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...

of the

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

found "an Ellingtonian fusion of styles on this live masterpiece." The album was certified US triple platinum. With the LP came " Sing a Song", which rose to numbers 1 and 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs and

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

charts, respectively. " Can't Hide Love" got to No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. "Can't Hide Love" was

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

nominated for Best Arrangement For Voices. The album's title track was also nominated for a Grammy in the category of

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as th ...

. During 1975, White established a production company called Kalimba Productions. He signed artists such as his former bandleader Ramsey Lewis, singer

Deniece Williams June Deniece Williams (née Chandler; born June 3, 1950) is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great Soul music, soul voices" by the BBC. She is best known for the songs "Free (Deniece Williams song), Free", "Silly (song ...

, a former member of

's "Wonderlove" backup singers, and

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...

the Emotions The Emotions are an American soul/ R&B vocal group from Chicago. The group started out in gospel music but transitioned into R&B and disco music. The Emotions were named by VH1 as one of the 18 most influential girl groups of all time. Hist ...

. Maurice also loaned out the Phenix Horns and other band members to various musical projects. Artists aligned with Kalimba Productions also regularly toured with EWF. Alongside Maurice, Stepney began co-producing EWF's next album and Williams's debut LP, '' This Is Niecy''. What's more, Ramsey Lewis's '' Salongo'', and the Emotions' ''

Flowers Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

'', their premiere album on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. Suddenly Stepney died of a heart attack on May 17, 1976, in Chicago at the age of 45.

''Spirit''

After Stepney's passing, White went on to complete production of the band's new album. Eventually entitled '' Spirit'' as a tribute to Stepney, this LP was released in October 1976. The LP rose to No. 2 on both the ''Billboard'' Top Pop Albums and Top Soul Albums charts.

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...

proclaimed "With a more spiritual, ethereal feel than the six albums they had already cut to that point, it really marks a turning point in their career and is crammed with excellent tunes." John Abbey of

called Spirit "a mighty, mighty album...(displaying) the power of the nine-piece Earth Wind & Fire conglomeration." ''Spirit'' was certified US double platinum. " Getaway" reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. The song also rose to No. 12 on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Dance Club Play charts. " Saturday Nite" reached numbers 4 and 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 charts, respectively. "Saturday Nite" rose to No. 12 on both the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs and UK Pop Singles charts, respectively. The track "Earth, Wind and Fire" was Grammy nominated for

Best Instrumental Composition The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. I ...

. At the time EWF concerts became renowned for lots of pyrotechnics, magic, lasers, levitating guitarists and a flying pyramid. Magician Doug Henning worked on many of EWF's tours with then assistant and eventual successor,

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...

George Faison George W. Faison (born December 21, 1945) is an American dancer, choreographer, teacher, and theater producer, and winner of a 1975 Tony, a Drama Desk Award, and a 1991 nominee for the Emmy Award for choreography. He was a featured dancer with ...

also began choreographing their stage shows.

''All 'n All''

In November 1977, EWF released '' All 'n All'', their eighth studio album. This record was inspired by Maurice's month-long trip throughout

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

and

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. The album rose to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.

John Rockwell John Sargent Rockwell (born September 16, 1940) is an American music critic, dance critic and arts administrator. According to ''Grove Music Online'', "Rockwell brings two signal attributes to his critical work: a genuine admiration for all ki ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' declared "''All 'n All'' shows Maurice White and his cohorts pushing their music ever more in a febrile jazz‐rock direction." Monroe Anderson of the ''

'' found "a rare blend of poetry, passion, and artistic progression...''All 'N All'' is a nice indication that EW&F is trying to expose its fans to other forms of American music and take them across international and cultural borders." ''All 'n All'' won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus. The album was certified US triple platinum. " Serpentine Fire" rose to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

" reached No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart. "Fantasy" was Grammy-nominated for Best R&B Song. "Runnin" won a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental. Thereafter the band performed a medley on a musical special hosted by

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut ...

which aired in April 1978 on CBS. EWF later appeared in the July 1978 feature film ''

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (often referred to simply as ''Sgt. Pepper'') is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept ...

,'' an eventual commercial failure. During the film EWF rendered a cover of

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

' " Got to Get You into My Life". This tune was the biggest hit single from the movie's

, reaching No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' R&B songs chart and No. 9 on the US ''Billboard'' Pop singles chart. "Got to Get You into My Life" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus and won a Grammy in the category of

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) The Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1963. The award is presented to the arranger of the music, not to the performer, except if the performer is also the arranger. Th ...

. The film's soundtrack was also certified US platinum.

''The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1''

In 1978, White established a subsidiary label of CBS titled ARC Records (ARC). Alongside sound engineer George Massenburg, he thereafter launched a new recording studio called The Complex, in West Los Angeles. In November 1978, EWF released a compilation album entitled '' The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 on'' ARC/Columbia. This album rose to No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. ''

The New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in tabloid format, and rea ...

'' claimed "Since its beginning, Earth Wind and Fire have been one of the slickest soul aggregations around, and this record is a well-paced showcase. Sometimes it's hard to believe that the combination of influences, ranging from

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the development ...

and

to the decidedly Chicagoesque horn arrangements, doesn't overcome the group, but its high spirits continually take it over the top." Crispin Cioe of ''

High Fidelity High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...

'' wrote "For pop/r&b mavens, this one's a must." The album was certified quintuple platinum in the US by the RIAA. A new song called "

September September is the ninth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 30 days. September in the Northern Hemisphere and March in the Southern Hemisphere are seasonally equivalent. In the Northern hemisphere, the b ...

" was released as a single, peaking to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "September" also reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. In January 1979, the band performed "September" and "That's the Way of the World" at the

Music for UNICEF Concert The Music for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of Song was a benefit concert of popular music held in the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on January 9, 1979. It was intended to raise money for UNICEF world hunger programs and to mark the ...

. The concert was broadcast worldwide from the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

. Other artists who performed at the event were

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

Andy Gibb Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer and songwriter. He was the younger brother of Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, musicians who had formed the Bee Gees during the late 1950s. Andy G ...

, the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British and Australian singer and actress. With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John was one of the List of best-selling music artists#100 million to 119 million record ...

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

and

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...

. The concert was

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

-nominated in the category of Outstanding Individual Achievement - Special Class.

''I Am''

During June 1979, EWF issued their ninth studio album, '' I Am''. The LP rose to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. ''I Am'' was certified US double platinum. White and Baiiley Earth Wind and Fire

Eric Sieger of ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...

'' called ''I Am'' "faultlessly produced...The album features a horn and string section, synthesizers, congas, and kalimbas and the material ranges from straight boogie to soulful ballads." James Johnson of the

Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...

hailed the album saying, "On I Am..the band's flashy staccato rhythms, their smooth melodies and precise production adds up to another majestic album". " Boogie Wonderland", featuring

, got to No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song was also Grammy nominated in the categories of Best Disco Recording and Best R&B Instrumental Performance. " After the Love Has Gone" reached No. 2 on both the ''Billboard''

and Hot Soul Songs charts. The song made No. 3 on both the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs and UK Pop Singles charts. The ballad was Grammy-nominated in the category of

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...

. "After the Love Has Gone" won a Grammy for the Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

''Faces''

During October 1980, EWF released a double album entitled '' Faces''. Faces was rooted in the emerging

post-disco Post-disco is a term and genre to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1986, imprecisely beginning with the backlash against disco music in the United States, leading to civil unrest and a riot in Chicago known as the Dis ...

style and partly recorded on the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

island of

Montserrat Montserrat ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, wit ...

. The album rose to No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 10 on both the ''Billboard'' 200 and UK Albums charts. ''Faces'' was certified US gold. In a 2007 interview, when asked which EWF album was his favorite, Maurice White replied: "Probably ''Faces'' because we were really in tune...and it gave us the opportunity to explore new areas." Soon after its release, longtime rhythm guitarist Al McKay left the band. Dennis Hunt of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' declared ''Faces'' is the R&B album of the year...''Faces'' is expertly written, produced and performed and is considerably better than any of this year's hardcore R&B albums. Just about every song on ''Faces'', which is nearly all upbeat, is high quality. Its danceability rating is as high as any you'll find on an album in this

era. Chuck Pratt of the ''

Chicago Sun Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'' exclaimed "this fine funk soul group puts its best face forward on this ambitious and generous double pocket set of intricately produced, high gloss funk." A song off the LP titled " Let Me Talk" reached No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' R&B Singles chart and No. 29 on the UK Singles Chart. Another single called "

You In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

" got to No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Singles chart and No. 30 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs chart. " And Love Goes On" also rose to No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' R&B Singles chart.

1981–1996: Electric sound

''Raise!''

White decided that, given the changing musical landscape, the band needed to incorporate into their work more of the electronic sound which was popular at the time. As a result, EWF's eleventh album, '' Raise!'', was influenced by this new electronic sound and released in the

Autumn Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemisphe ...

of 1981. With this album rhythm guitarist Roland Bautista returned to EWF. Bautista went on to give the band's sound a bit of a hard rock feel with his playing. ''Raise!'' rose to No. 1 on the ''Billboard''

chart and No. 5 on the

chart. Raise was certified US Platinum.

Ken Tucker Kenneth Tucker is an American arts, music and television critic, magazine editor, and nonfiction book author. Early life and education Tucker was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. He earned a ...

described ''Raise!'' as a reflection of "street-gritty black pop". J.D. Considine of ''

'' noted that the album puts "Earth, Wind & Fire back on the

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

road". "

Let's Groove "Let's Groove" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as the first single from their eleventh studio album, ''Raise!'' (1981). It is written by Maurice White and Wayne Vaughn, and produced by White. The song was a commercial suc ...

" reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard''

Hot R&B Songs Hot R&B Songs is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular R&B songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations, digital download sales and streaming data. It was establi ...

chart and No. 3 on the ''Billboard''

chart. This song was nominated for a

in the category of

. " I've Had Enough", got to No. 29 on the UK Pop Singles chart. " Wanna Be With You" also rose to No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Singles chart. "Wanna Be With You" won a Grammy for

. On October 30, 1981, EWF appeared at ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...

'' 30th Anniversary Special, where they performed "Let's Groove". In 1981, the Phenix Horns also began collaborations with

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

and Genesis.

''Powerlight''

During February 1983, EWF issued a studio album titled '' Powerlight''. The album rose to No. 4 on the ''Billboard''

chart and No. 12 on the

chart. ''Powerlight'' was certified US

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

. Hugh Wyatt of the ''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' found "Earth, Wind & Fire gives new meaning to the word ''classy'', and I like it". Tony Prince of the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...

'' also called Powerlight the album of the week exclaiming "The worst you can say about Earth, Wind & Fire are their high standards of arrangements are predictable. They just can't get any better!". " Fall in Love with Me" rose to No. 17 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart. "Fall in Love with Me" was

-nominated for

. " Side by Side" got to No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Songs chart. EWF went on to appear on the soundtrack of the April 1983 animated feature film ''

Rock & Rule ''Rock & Rule'' (known as ''Ring of Power'' outside North America) is a 1983 Canadian animated musical science fantasy film featuring the voices of Don Francks, Greg Salata, and Susan Roman. It was produced by Michael Hirsh and Patrick Loub ...

'' with the song "Dance, Dance, Dance". Artists such as

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble, July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie (band), Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1 ...

of Blondie,

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...

and

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...

also featured on the soundtrack. ''

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...

'' noted the "standout track" is "Earth, Wind & Fire's funky club jam Dance, Dance, Dance". ''Rock & Rule'' was the first feature film of Nelvana Studios. Spin called Rock & Rule "the greatest oddball scifi musical ever committed to animation cels". Keith Breese of Contact Music described the movie as "a masterpiece of outré animation and wildly ambitious vision and remains a triumph in animated feature film". Rock & Rule has also gone on to become a

cult classic A cult following is a group of Fan (person), fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some List of art media, medium. The latter is often cal ...

''Electric Universe''

During November 1983, EWF issued their thirteenth studio album, titled ''

Electric Universe Electric Universe is a psychedelic trance project from Germany formed by Boris Blenn and Michael Dressler in 1991. Their first EP release, ''Solar Energy'', was an instant hit with the underground trance scene and is often credited with putting th ...

''. With this album a uniquely distinct new wave and synth pop sound came into being. The album got to No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 40 on the

chart. Matty Karas of ''

'' opined "Electric Universe marks Earth, Wind & Fire's leap into the 80s. Horns are out, keyboards and synthesizers are in, and the group's romantic jazz-oriented funk has been dropped in favor of more sensuous, and at times, rock oriented dance material". Pam Lambert of ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' exclaimed "After more than a decade together, Earth, Wind and Fire continue to chart new ground". She added, "In Maurice's otherwordly universe of synthesized sound, individual instruments like guitars and keyboards are drowned into the overall sonic mix. But, by way of compensation, this does focus attention on the group's trademark, their multitextured vocals." Don McLeese of the

also gave Electric Universe an honourable mention in his list of the top ten albums of 1983. "

Magnetic Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that occur through a magnetic field, which allows objects to attract or repel each other. Because both electric currents and magnetic moments of elementary particles give rise to a magnetic field, m ...

" rose to No. 10 on the ''Billboard''

chart and No. 36 on the ''Billboard''

Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...

chart. Music critic

placed the song at number 20 on his dean's list of 1983. Another single, "

Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...

" got to No. 23 on the ''Billboard''

chart.

Hiatus

Maurice thereafter decided the band needed a break, so he put EWF on hiatus in 1984. During the hiatus, Maurice produced

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

's 1984 album ''

Emotion Emotions are physical and mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavior, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is ...

''. He produced Ramsey Lewis on his 1985 album ''

''. The album reached No. 13 on the '' Cashbox''

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

Albums chart. White released a self-titled solo album in 1985 on Columbia. The album rose to number 12 on the ''Billboard''

chart. A cover of Ben E. King's " Stand by Me" got to No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Singles chart and No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs chart. Another single, " I Need You", rose to No. 20 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs chart and No. 30 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Singles chart. White co-produced Pieces of a Dream's 1986 LP '' Joyride''. The album reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Traditional Jazz Albums chart and No. 18 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart. He then produced

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time. He has written and ...

on his 1986 album '' Headed for the Future''. White later made a guest appearance on guitarist

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born in 1952, in Los Angeles, California. At the age of eight he started playing guitar and four years l ...

's 1986 Grammy-nominated album '' Earth Run'' and produced Ramsey Lewis on his 1987 album '' Keys to the City''. Philip Bailey issued his second solo album, ''Chinese Wall'', in 1984 on Columbia. What's more in 1984 his debut gospel album, the

nominated '' The Wonders of His Love'' was released''.'' Bailey then made a guest appearance on

Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded with Jim Messina (musician), Jim Mess ...

' 1985 album '' Vox Humana''. In 1986 Bailey released his third studio album entitled ''Inside Out'' along with his second Gospel LP, the Grammy winning '' Triumph''. Bailey later appeared on

's 1986 album '' In Square Circle'' and Ray Parker Jr.'s 1987 LP ''After Dark''. Ralph Johnson produced

The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

on their 1984 album '' Truly for You''. Verdine White also promoted go-go bands such as Trouble Funk and E.U. during this timespan A compilation album dubbed '' The Collection'' was released in 1986. The Collection peaked at No. 5 on the UK Pop album charts and was certified Gold by the

British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...

''Touch the World''

During 1987, Maurice went about reconvening the band. Coming back into the fold were Verdine, Johnson, Bailey and Woolfolk. Whilst new members guitarist/vocalist Sheldon Reynolds, keyboardist Vance Taylor and drummer Sonny Emory completed the lineup. A new horn section dubbed Earth, Wind & Fire Horns was established, comprising Gary Bias on the saxophone, Raymond Lee Brown on the trumpet, and Reggie Young on flugelhorn and trombone. With this came the studio album '' Touch the World'' which was issued in November 1987. ''Touch the World'' rose to No. 3 on the ''Billboard''

chart and No. 33 on the

chart. ''Touch the World'' was also certified US Gold. Roe Hoeburger of ''

'' found "Bailey's falsetto sounds as pure and piercing as ever, but he often needs White's sly, low counterpunch to bring him back from the stratosphere." Pamela Bloom of ''

'' proclaimed "Touch the World is nothing if not contemporary (but)..the message, as always, is stop, step back, and turn up your light". ''Touch the World'' was also nominated for a Soul Train Award in the category of Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year - Group, Band or Duo. Skylark penned " System of Survival" for the album. It became a hit single, going to number one on both the ''Billboard'' R&B and Dance charts. "System of Survival" was nominated for a Soul Train Award in the category of Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo. " Thinking of You" got to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

''The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 2''

During November 1988, EWF issued a compilation album titled '' The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 2''. The album was certified US Gold. A new single, from the album, called " Turn on (The Beat Box)" reached No. 26 on the ''Billboard''

chart. EWF went on to be nominated for an

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

in the category of Best Vocal Group.

''Heritage''

During February 1990, EWF issued their fifteenth studio album, entitled ''

Heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...

''. The album rose to No. 19 on the ''Billboard''

chart and No. 18 on the UK

Top British Soul Albums chart. J.D. Considine of ''

'' declared "Earth, Wind & Fire has not only kept its sound current, but on Heritage actually seems invigorated by the process of change". Paul Robicheau of

also described Heritage as a "fresh and funky outing". As well Lynden Barber of ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

'' placed ''Heritage'' at No. 7 on his list of the top ten albums of 1990. The

, featuring The Boys, got to No. 5 on the ''Billboard''

chart. " For the Love of You", featuring

MC Hammer Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, e ...

, rose to No. 19 on the ''Billboard''

chart. The band appeared on the compilation album '' Music Speaks Louder Than Words'' released in 1990 on

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

. Artists such as

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "Poetry Man" and "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals on Paul Simo ...

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

, Animotion, Atlantic Starr, and

Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy ...

appeared on the album. With songs composed by both American as well as

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

musicians and songwriters. Some of the album's royalties also went to the AFS Intercultural Programs, a globally based

student exchange ''Student Exchange'' is a 1987 American television film, made-for-television comedy film directed by Mollie Miller and produced by Walt Disney Television. It originally aired November 29, 1987 as a presentation of ''Walt Disney anthology telev ...

organisation.

''The Eternal Dance''

During 1992, EWF issued a compilation album called '' The Eternal Dance''. The LP was the band's first ever boxset. ''

'' placed ''The Eternal Dance'' on their lists of the top ten recordings of both 1992 and 1993. On July 30, 1993, former Phenix Horns saxophonist

was fatally shot by an officer of the Santa Monica Police Department.

''Millennium''

During September 1993, came the release of the band's 16th studio album, ''

Millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

'' issued on Warner Bros. Records. Artists such as Ronnie Laws and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

appeared on the LP. The album also rose to No. 8 on the Billboard

chart and No. 39 on the

chart. Millennium was certified Gold in Japan by the

RIAJ The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include prom ...

. Andy Gill of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' stated "if it's an old-style R&B sensibility you're after, the new Earth, Wind & Fire album may be just the ticket." Renee Graham of

noted that Millennium "returns the band to its funk/r&b roots".

The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. On January 29, 2020, th ...

placed Millennium on its list of the best R&B/Hip-Hop albums of 1993. Millennium was also nominated for a

Soul Train Music Award The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of ''Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...

in the category of Best R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo. " Sunday Morning" got to No. 10 on the US

Adult R&B Songs chart, No. 20 on the US

chart, No. 35 on the US

Adult Contemporary Songs chart, and No. 33 on the

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...

Top Canadian Singles chart. It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. "Spend the Night" rose to No. 36 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart. On October 13 of that year, former lead vocalist Wade Flemons died from cancer in

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...

Earth Wind and Fire Walk of Fame 4-20-06

In November 1993, EWF performed at the

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

20th anniversary special. During 1994, EWF was inducted into the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame. On September 14 of the following year, the band received another tribute in the form of a star on the

. With Maurice, Sonny Emory, Sheldon Reynolds, Bailey, Johnson, Woolfolk and Verdine attending the said inauguration ceremony.

1996–present: Neo period

During 1996, Maurice launched a new label titled Kalimba Records based in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. With the launch of this said label also came into being a recording studio known as Magnet Vision.

''In the Name of Love''

EWF's follow-up studio album, '' In the Name of Love'', was released in 1997 on

Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

. The album went on to be noted as one with a digitised

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from Soul music, soul ...

sound and style. Phyl Garland of

Stereo Review ''Sound & Vision'' was an American magazine, purchased by AVTech Media Ltd. (UK) in March 2018, covering home theater, audio, video and multimedia consumer products. Before 2000, it had been published for most of its history as ''Stereo Review' ...

wrote "with this set of skillfully shaped songs, White has positioned Earth, Wind & Fire to move into the next century". Dan Glaister of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' described ''In the Name of Love'' as "a scorching album". The LP reached No. 19 on the UK R&B Albums chart. From the album, a track titled " When Love Goes Wrong" got to No. 33 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart. Another song called " Change Your Mind" was issued as a single in 2006 by Kalimba. "Change Your Mind" rose to No. 26 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart. During the previous year, Maurice stopped regularly touring, but still appeared on stage occasionally. He explained that he wanted rest from the rigors of the road. Bailey took the role of on stage leader. Maurice maintained executive control. The band appeared on

Wu Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, Ol' Dir ...

offshoot

Sunz of Man Sunz of Man is a New York–based List of Wu-Tang Clan affiliates, Wu-Tang Clan-affiliated group that currently consists of Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest, Hell Razah, and 60 Second Assassin (emcee), 60-Second Assassin. The group's first incarna ...

's 1998 debut album '' The Last Shall Be First''. EWF gave an encore performance at the 1997 and 1998

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...

s. During Spring 1999, EWF appeared on the

of the animated sitcom '' The PJs''.

''The Ultimate Collection''

The band issued a compilation album titled The Ultimate Collection on Columbia. The album reached No. 34 upon the UK Pop Albums Chart. A remix by UK dance duo Phats and Small called " September '99" got to No. 1 on the

Canadian Dance Songs Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

chart and No. 25 on the UK Pop Singles chart. In 1999, the group performed on the

A&E Network A&E (an initialism of its original name, the Arts & Entertainment Network) is an American cable and satellite television network and the flagship property of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Walt Disney Company ...

show '' Live by Request''. Website Startalk.org was set up in 1999 in Maurice's honor. Maurice later spoke of a mild affliction with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

. Artists such as

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...

Boyz II Men Boyz II Men ( ) is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. Formed in 1985, they have been a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris, tenor Wanya Morris, Wanyá Mo ...

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

and

Tom Morello Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is known for his tenure with the rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello was a membe ...

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991. It consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim ...

posted messages on the site for White. Maurice, however, had the disease under control, so much so that he occasionally made appearances at EWF performances, and continued to write, record, produce and develop new recordings. On March 6, 2000, EWF was inducted into the

by hip hop artist

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after ...

to a standing ovation during the 15th annual ceremony held at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Maurice, Bailey, Verdine, and Johnson, as well as former EWF members Al McKay, Larry Dunn, Woolfolk, Fred White and Johnny Graham attended the ceremony. At the gala they performed "Shining Star" and "That's the Way of the World". EWF was a specially-invited music guest at the June 20, 2000

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

state dinner hosted by President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

on the

South Lawn The South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., is directly south of the house and is bordered on the east by East Executive Drive and the Treasury Building, on the west by West Executive Drive and the Old Executive Office Building, and ...

of the

, in honor of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, and Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem. So impressed was the king by the band's performance that he made a personal request for EWF to perform in Morocco for his 37th birthday celebration on August 21, 2000. EWF collaborated with

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...

on his second studio album, '' The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book'', which was issued in August 2000. In 2001, a biographical documentary of the band titled '' Shining Stars: The Official Story Of Earth, Wind & Fire'' was released, directed by Kathryn Arnold. Following the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

of that year, the band members donated $25,000 to the

American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

at a September 13 show at Virginia's Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater, the band's first concert following those events. February 24, 2002, saw EWF performing at the closing ceremonies of the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

held in Salt Lake City, Utah. On June 17, 2002, EWF was bestowed with the

Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

. The award was presented by ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman,

, and Jimmy Jam. On June 25, 2002, EWF was bestowed with a BET Lifetime Achievement Award.

''The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire''

Within July 2002 a compilation album titled The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire was issued by Columbia. Howard Dukes of SoulTracks called the album "a collection that will definitely get the party started". Barry Walters of Blender, opined "the 34 tracks on The Essential encompass these funky spiritualists' many sides, from preachy ("All About Love") to sensual ("Can't Hide Love") to ecstatic ("Boogie Wonderland")." The album was certified US Gold. A remix sampler of both "Can't Hide Love" and "Let's Groove" was released as a single from the LP. The remix sampler got to No. 4 on the

UK Dance Singles Chart The Dance Singles Chart and the Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the dance music genre (e.g. house, trance, drum and bass, garage, synth-pop) in record stores ...

. A live album of the band's 1980 performance in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil, titled '' Live In Rio'', was later released in November 2002.

''The Promise''

During May 2003, EWF issued '' The Promise''. The album peaked at No. 19 on the ''Billboard''

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

chart and No. 5 on the ''Billboard''

Top Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' mag ...

chart. David Peschek of

described ''The Promise'' as "17 tracks of immaculately smooth, meticulously detailed mid-tempo pop-soul and thoroughly intoxicating in its lushness." Steve Jones of ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' wrote "with horn-kissed ballads and infectious jazz funk grooves, the band seems to have regained its spark". Guest artists such as

Angie Stone Angela Laverne Stone (née Brown; December 18, 1961 – March 1, 2025) was an American singer-songwriter, rapper, actress, and record producer. With a career spanning over four decades, she has been credited with revolutionizing the sound of Ol ...

The Emotions The Emotions are an American soul/ R&B vocal group from Chicago. The group started out in gospel music but transitioned into R&B and disco music. The Emotions were named by VH1 as one of the 18 most influential girl groups of all time. Hist ...

and Gerald Albright appeared on the album. " All in the Way", featuring The Emotions, got to No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart, No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs chart and No. 31 on the UK R&B Singles chart. Another single, " Hold Me" reached No. 28 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart. "Hold Me" earned a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. On July 7, 2003, the band was inducted into Hollywood's Rockwalk. In September 2003, EWF were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. On February 8, 2004, Earth, Wind Fire performed in a tribute to

, along with Parliament Funkadelic,

OutKast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...

, and

Robert Randolph and the Family Band Robert Randolph and the Family Band is an American Gospel music, gospel band led by pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph (Robert Jermaine Randolph, born August 8, 1977, Irvington, New Jersey). National Public Radio, NPR has described the band a ...

, at the

46th annual Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003. It recognized acc ...

held at the

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...

, Los Angeles, California. At first EWF sang "Shining Star", with Outkast's request collaborated on " The Way You Move" and Robert Randolph and the Family Band then performed their new single " I Need More Love". All of those said groups thereafter joined Parliament Funkadelic to warble " Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)". On the May 2004 tribute album '' Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix'', EWF covered

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

's " Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". The band was later bestowed with the

Signature Governors Award on June 8, 2004, at Los Angeles' Beverly Hills Hotel. On September 27, 2004, former Phenix Horns trombonist

died at the age of 67. On December 11, 2004, EWF was honored at the first annual Grammy Jam held at Los Angeles's Wiltern Theater. Artists such as Stevie Wonder,

Yolanda Adams Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albu ...

India Arie India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence with her debut album, '' Acoustic Soul (2001),'' which was a commercial and critical success. She has since released the albums '' Voyage to ...

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

, Sheila E., Kirk Whalum,

George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...

, Usher, Boney James and Jill Scott paid performing tributes to the band. With celebs like Victoria Rowell,

Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress, model and media personality. She rose to prominence after being selected as the February 1990 ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Month. She went on to make regular appearan ...

, Cherrelle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,

Tim Allen Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–1999) for which he won a Golden Gl ...

, Prince, Regina King, Dawn Robinson of En Vogue,

Nick Cannon Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American comedian, television presenter, actor, and rapper. In television, he began his career as a teenager on Nickelodeon's '' All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', '' ...

, Suzanne De Passe, and Traci Bingham also attending this inaugural Grammy Jam. EWF performed on '' Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' on December 31, 2004. The February 6, 2005,

Super Bowl XXXIX Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NF ...

pregame show in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

saw the band teaming with

The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...

to sing "

Where Is the Love? "Where Is the Love?" is a song by American hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on May 12, 2003, as the lead single from their third album, ''Elephunk'' (2003). The song was written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Justin Timberla ...

" and "Shining Star". During both 2004 and 2005, Earth, Wind & Fire and

embarked upon consecutive joint national summer tours. A filmed concert held at Los Angeles' Greek Theater in June 2004 was issued on DVD in June of the following year. As well this concert entitled '' Chicago & Earth, Wind & Fire – Live at the Greek Theatre'' was eventually certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA. Chicago and EWF later collaborated for a new recording of Chicago's ballad " If You Leave Me Now", that was included on Chicago's 2005 compilation album ''

Love Songs A love song is a song about love, falling in love, broken heart, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sa ...

''. At the 57th Primetime Emmy Awards held on September 18, 2005, at Los Angeles'

Shrine Auditorium The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, an ...

, the band performed as the opening act with

''Illumination''

During September 2005, '' Illumination'', EWF's 19th studio album, was issued on

Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and is, as of 2013, a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management solely for reissues. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest ...

. On this album EWF collaborated with artists such as will.i.am,

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

, Outkast's

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Brian McKnight Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. (born Brian Kelly McKnight; June 5, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, record producer, radio personality, and multi-instrumentalist. An Contemporary R&B, R&B performer, he is recognized for his strong ...

. ''Illumination'' reached No. 8 on the ''Billboard''

chart and No. 32 on the

chart. Ben Thompson of The Daily Telegraph found the "E,W&F blend of taut horns, expansive bass-playing and psychedelic harmonies keeps on shining through." Jim Farber of the

said "Their latest work features production and/or guest appearances from current hit makers like Will I. Am from the Black Eyed Peas,

from

from Destiny's Child, plus Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq and others. All these guests haven't overwhelmed Maurice White's great band. They've just freshened it up. Singer Philip Bailey sounds as buttery as ever, and the band's tart horn arrangements and melodies extend the buoyancy and pleasure of their hits." ''Illumination'' received a

nomination for Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, Best R&B Album and a ''

'' nomination in the category of Best R&B-Soul Album. EWF received an

nomination for Outstanding Duo or Group. A song from the album, called "Pure Gold (song), Pure Gold", reached No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs chart. EWF also covered Outkast's " The Way You Move" featuring saxophonist Kenny G. The single got to No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs chart. Another single titled "Show Me The Way (Earth, Wind & Fire song), Show Me The Way", featuring

singer Raphael Saadiq got to No. 16 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart. Show Me The Way was also

nominated in the category of

. In 2006, Maurice worked with Maurice Hines, brother of famed entertainer Gregory Hines, to release the Broadway play ''Hot Feet''. This was a jukebox musical with the theme of the music of Earth, Wind & Fire. Maurice co-wrote with Allee Willis several new songs for the play. On February 11, 2007, EWF performed "Runaway Love (Ludacris song), Runaway Love" alongside Mary J. Blige and Ludacris at the 49th Grammy Awards held at Los Angeles's Staples Center. ''Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire'', an album featuring cover versions of EWF's material, was released in March 2007 on Stax Records. Executively produced by Maurice, the LP featured artists such as Chaka Khan, Kirk Franklin, Lalah Hathaway, Mint Condition, Dwele, Meshell Ndegeocello, and

. The album rose to no. 28 on the ''Billboard''

chart. Kirk Franklin's cover of

reached No. 17 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart and No. 26 on the ''Billboard'' Billboard charts#Gospel Songs, Hot Gospel Songs chart. Dwele's rendition of "That's the Way of the World" and Meshell Ndegeocello's cover of "Fantasy" were each nominated for Grammies in the category of Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance, Best Urban/Alternative Performance. On April 25, 2007, EWF performed as the opening act at a special edition of ''American Idol'' entitled "American Idol gives back, Idol Gives Back". At the gala the band performed a medley of "Boogie Wonderland", "Shining Star" and "September". At the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2007, EWF performed "Fantasy" and "September". The concert was broadcast to over 100 countries. Artists such as Melissa Etheridge, Alicia Keys, Annie Lennox, and Kylie Minogue also performed at the concert. During February 2008, EWF performed on the opening night of one of the oldest and largest musical festivals in Latin America, Chile's Viña del Mar International Song Festival, Viña del Mar Festival. The audience at the gala was so impressed by EWF's performance that the band was bestowed with the ''Gaviota de Plata'' (The Silver Seagull), the festival's highest performance award. EWF's song "In the Stone" has been used for several years as the introductory theme for festival broadcasts. On March 10, 2008, the band was inducted into the Olympiapark (Munich), Munich Olympic Walk Of Stars. During May 2008 EWF performed at the Apollo Theater's fourth annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Maurice and Verdine, Johnson, and Bailey each received an honorary degree from the Arts and Media College at Columbia College Chicago's 2008 commencement exercises. During the ceremony Verdine and Johnson both gave acceptance speeches before the four gave an impromptu performance of "Shining Star". EWF performed at the opening ceremony of the 2008 US Open (tennis), 2008 US Open, which was hosted by Forest Whitaker and served to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the founding of tennis' Open Era with a parade of more than 25 former US Open singles champions. EWF performed at the

on February 22, 2009, for the Governors' Dinner; they were the first musical artists to perform there after Barack Obama took office. During April 2009 former EWF keyboardist Robert Brookins died from a heart attack, at the age of 46. On April 26, 2009, EWF appeared at the 39th New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The band aligned with Chicago once again for a joint tour. In September 2009 EWF were bestowed with the Daniel L. Stephenson award for lifetime achievement in music at the Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival. During February 2010 the band participated in the recording of the "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" single. Within that year Maurice, Verdine, and Bailey together with former EWF members McKay and Dunn were inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. In November 2011, the band received the Legend Award at the Soul Train Awards at Atlanta, Georgia's Fox Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia), Fox Theatre. In 2012, EWF were bestowed with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Annual Trumpet Awards, held at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. On February 29, 2012, former EWF rhythm guitarist Roland Bautista died, at the age of 60. EWF, along with former Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton and Charlie Wilson (singer), Charlie Wilson, guested on the LL Cool J track "Something About You". The song appeared on his 2013 album ''Authentic (LL Cool J album), Authentic''.

''Now, Then & Forever''

''Now, Then & Forever'', the group's first album in eight years, was released on September 10, 2013, by Legacy Recordings/Sony Music. Artists such as Siedah Garrett, former bandmate Larry Dunn and Terrence Blanchard made guest appearances upon the LP. The album was also the first without musical input from founder

, although he contributed to its liner notes. The album reached No. 25 on the UK Pop Album Charts, No. 11 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 6 on the US

chart. Now, Then & Forever was also certified Gold in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry, BPI. Emerys Baird of ''

'' called the album a "glorious return to form. EW&F have produced an incredibly well balanced body of work, a set full of contrast and colour, sublime stuff." Elias Leight of ''Popmatters'' also wrote "Now, Then & Forever has all the old colors and grooves, an impeccable rhythm section, prominent guitars, and indomitable horns that trace and re-trace motifs, dancing rings around everything." A song from the album called "Guiding Lights" was released as a single and rose to No. 16 on the ''Billboard'' Smooth Jazz Songs chart and No. 30 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart. Another single, "My Promise", reached No. 28 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart and No. 30 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs chart. Singles Never and Why? (Earth, Wind & Fire song), Why?, from ''The Promise'', were later issued in 2014. "Never" rose to No. 17 on the ''Billboard'' Smooth Jazz Songs chart. "Why?" got to No. 19 on the ''Billboard'' Smooth Jazz Songs chart.

''Holiday''

On January 13, 2014, former percussionist Beloyd Taylor, who co-wrote the band's 1976 hit "Getaway", died. During February 2014 EWF performed alongside Pharrell Williams, Pharrell, Janelle Monae at the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. On May 2, former lead vocalist Jessica Cleaves died at age 65. On September 13, 2014, EWF performed at Proms in the Park at Hyde Park with the BBC Concert Orchestra. On October 21, 2014, EWF released their first ever holiday album, titled ''Holiday (Earth, Wind & Fire album), Holiday''. Randy Lewis of the

gave the album a 3 out of five stars rating and wrote "The venerable R&B band does what it does best here: lays on the hard and heavy funk with fat horn accents and thick rhythmic riffs to propel a batch of time-tested holiday favorites." Brett Milano of OffBeat (music magazine), OffBeat also proclaimed "If you need to funkify your holiday mix..this will do fine." Holiday rose to No. 26 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and No. 8 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart. On December 8, 2014, EWF performed at the Kennedy Center Honors, honoring Al Green. On December 14, 2014, the band performed at the Christmas in Washington event. Maurice White died on February 4, 2016. He was survived by his wife, his two sons, daughter and his brothers Verdine and Fred. Along with EWF, Maurice was posthumously bestowed with a

at the annual Grammy Awards ceremony on February 15, 2016. At the ceremony

and Pentatonix performed a rendition of "

" in tribute to White. On December 4 of that year, the band were also honoured with a Ebony Magazine, Ebony Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ebony Power 100 Gala held in the Beverly Hilton in

. On June 6, 2017, EWF performed in downtown Nashville, Tennessee at the Country Music Television, CMT concert series program, CMT Crossroads, with artists such as Dan + Shay, Martina McBride, Rascall Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Antebellum, Darius Rucker and Sara Evans. A performance of "September" with Antebellum on the show was nominated for a CMT Music Award in the category of Performance of the Year. During Summer 2017 the band went on a North American tour entitled, 2054-The Tour, with Chic (band), Chic. EWF went on to perform on the forum float at the 2018 Rose Parade held in Pasadena, California. On May 2, 2018, the band started a Concert residency, Las Vegas Residency at the Venetian Theatre, Las Vegas, Nevada. On September 10, 2019, The Los Angeles City Council declared that September 21 would be dedicated Earth, Wind & Fire Day. On November 22 of that year the band received the Portrait of a Nation Prize at the Smithsonian's American Portrait Gala. EWF were one of the inductees at the 42nd

that took place on December 7, 2019. EWF became the first Black group to be inducted into Kennedy Honors. The band later guested on Meghan Trainor's October 2020 Christmas music, Christmas studio album ''A Very Trainor Christmas''. A song off the album called Holidays (Meghan Trainor song), Holidays rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Holiday Digital Song Sales chart and No. 35 on the Billboard Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. During September 2021, EWF reached the top 10 of Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay chart for the first time in 28 years with their new single "You Want My Love", featuring Lucky Daye. On April 24, 2022, former saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk died at the age of 71. The band later embarked on a joint summer tour with Carlos Santana and made a guest appearance on the Isley Brothers' September 2022 album ''Make Me Say It Again, Girl''. On January 1, 2023, it was announced that former drummer Fred White had died at the age of 67. In March 2023, Earth, Wind & Fire IP, LLC filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement and trademark dilution against Substantial Music Group and Stellar Communications which had launched an Earth, Wind & Fire Legacy Reunion group. In March 2024, a federal judge in Miami ruled in favor of the trademarked Earth, Wind & Fire group against the tribute group, which contains former side musicians and has no original members. Earth, Wind & Fire later announced a joint tour, due to occur in summer 2023, with Lionel Richie. The band later appeared on Victoria Monét's 2023 album Jaguar II (album), Jaguar II. A song off the album called, "Hollywood" featuring EW&F and Monet's daughter Hazel, earned a Grammy Awards, Grammy nomination in the category of Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Legacy

Influence

EWF has influenced artists such as Alicia Keys, Usher, Janet Jackson, will.i.am, Janelle Monáe, Mary J. Blige,

, Jon Secada, and

. They have also been influential to musical acts like

, Patrice Rushen, Pharrell Williams, The All-American Rejects, Nelly Teena Marie, Musiq Soulchild, Solange Knowles, Babyface (musician), Babyface, Taylor Dayne, Will Gregory of Goldfrapp, Outkast, and Gloria Estefan. Other artists such as Jamiroquai, Melissa Etheridge, Pitbull (rapper), Pitbull, Lenny Kravitz, Vanessa Williams, Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, Justice (band), Justice Omarion, Rob Bourdon of Linkin Park, Jill Scott, and Justin Timberlake have also proclaimed being influenced by EWF. The band has also influenced musical acts such as Bonnie Raitt, Mark Ronson, Erykah Badu, Jamie Foxx, Common (rapper), Common, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Lalah Hathaway, Amy Winehouse, and Meghan Trainor.

Acclaim via contemporaries

Miles Davis described EWF as his "all time favorite band", saying, "they have everything (horns, electric guitar, singers and more) in one band". Quincy Jones proclaimed himself to be the "biggest fan of Earth, Wind & Fire since day one." Dionne Warwick named Earth, Wind & Fire her favorite group of all time.

Theatrical depictions

In the movie ''Baadasssss!'', actor Khalil Kain portrayed a young Maurice White leading the earliest incarnation of Earth, Wind & Fire. Released at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, 2004 Sundance Film Festival, the film was based on Melvin Van Peebles' struggle to film and distribute the motion picture ''

'' and was directed by his son Mario Van Peebles. Baadasssss! earned an NAACP Image Awards, NAACP Image Award nomination in the category of NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture, Outstanding Independent Motion Picture ''Hot Feet'', a jukebox musical based on the Earth, Wind & Fire song catalog, opened on Broadway theatre, Broadway in April 2006. It closed in July of that year, losing its entire $8 million investment.

Members

* Verdine White – bass, backing vocals (1970–1984; 1987–present) *

Sr. – lead vocals, conga, percussion, kalimba (1972–1984; 1987–present) * Ralph Johnson – percussion, backing vocals (1972–1984; 1987–present); drums (1972–1984) * B. David Whitworth – percussion, vocals (1996–present) * Myron McKinley – keyboards, musical director (2001–present) * John Paris – drums, vocals (2001–present) * Philip Bailey Jr. – vocals, percussion (2008–present) * Morris O'Connor – lead guitar, vocals (2008–present) * Serg Dimitrijevic – rhythm guitar, vocals (2012–present)

Awards and nominations

Discography

Studio albums * ''Earth, Wind & Fire (album), Earth, Wind & Fire'' (1971) * '' The Need of Love'' (1971) * '' Last Days and Time'' (1972) * '' Head to the Sky'' (1973) * '' Open Our Eyes'' (1974) * ''

'' (1975) * ''

'' (1975) * '' Spirit'' (1976) * '' All 'n All'' (1977) * '' I Am'' (1979) * '' Faces'' (1980) * '' Raise!'' (1981) * '' Powerlight'' (1983) * ''

'' (1983) * '' Touch the World'' (1987) * ''

'' (1990) * ''

'' (1993) * '' In the Name of Love'' (1997) * '' The Promise'' (2003) * '' Illumination'' (2005) * ''Now, Then & Forever'' (2013) * ''Holiday (Earth, Wind & Fire album), Holiday'' (2014)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Earth, Wind and Fire Earth, Wind & Fire, 1970 establishments in Illinois American funk musical groups American soul musical groups American disco groups Columbia Records artists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Musical groups established in 1970 Musical groups from Chicago Progressive soul music groups Warner Records artists Kennedy Center honorees Mixed-gender bands