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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, 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, 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, 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 Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, a Soul Train Legend Award, a NARAS 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 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, 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
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 ...
. 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 ...
of Melvin Van Peebles 1971 feature film '' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song''. 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 Philip Bailey 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 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 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, 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
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 ...
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 wrote "Folks like to compare this bunch with War, 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's Caribou Ranch Studio and '' Open Our Eyes'' was released in March 1974. Ken Emerson of ''
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 ...
'' 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
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. ''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
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" ...
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 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, producer of '' Super Fly'', to record the soundtrack of a new film called '' That's the Way of the World''. 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, 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. 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, Minnie Riperton and the Rotary Connection. His writing and production style also included a more ornate, orchestral flourish, which influenced EWF's sound then onwards. '' That's the Way of the World'' was eventually released in March 1975 by Columbia. The album rose to No. 1 on both the ''Billboard'' 200 and ''
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 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 " That's the Way of the World". 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 horn section, entitled the Phenix Horns. They were composed of saxophonist Don Myrick, trombonist Louis Satterfield, 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 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 charts, respectively. " Can't Hide Love" got to No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. "Can't Hide Love" was Grammy 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. During 1975, White established a production company called Kalimba Productions. He signed artists such as his former bandleader Ramsey Lewis, singer Deniece Williams, a former member of
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 ...
's "Wonderlove" backup singers, and girl group
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
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 ...
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. 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 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 ''
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 "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,'' 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
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 ...
, 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
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 ...
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 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, 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 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. 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
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 ...
, 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'' Hot 100 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
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 ...
era. Chuck Pratt of the '' Chicago Sun Times'' 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" 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''
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 and No. 5 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. Raise was certified US Platinum. Ken Tucker of
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 ...
described ''Raise!'' as a reflection of "street-gritty black pop". J.D. Considine 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 ...
'' 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" 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'' Hot 100 chart. This song was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. " 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 Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. 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''
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 and No. 12 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. ''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 Grammy-nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. " 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'' 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
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. Matty Karas of ''
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 ...
'' 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 Chicago Sun Times also gave Electric Universe an honourable mention in his list of the top ten albums of 1983. " Magnetic" rose to No. 10 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. 36 on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart. Music critic
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 ...
of
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, ...
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''
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.


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 ''
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, ...
''. 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''
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. 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 on his 1986 album '' Headed for the Future''. White later made a guest appearance on guitarist Lee Ritenour'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 Grammy nominated '' The Wonders of His Love'' was released''.'' Bailey then made a guest appearance on Kenny Loggins' 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
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 ...
's 1986 album '' In Square Circle'' and Ray Parker Jr.'s 1987 LP ''After Dark''. Ralph Johnson produced The Temptations 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''
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 and No. 33 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. ''Touch the World'' was also certified US Gold. Roe Hoeburger of ''
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 ...
'' 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 ''
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) ...
'' 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''
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. 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''
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 and No. 18 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. J.D. Considine 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 ...
'' 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
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 ...
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 title track, featuring The Boys, got to No. 5 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. " 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''
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. 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,
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 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 organisation.


''The Eternal Dance''

During 1992, EWF issued a compilation album called '' The Eternal Dance''. The LP was the band's first ever boxset. ''
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 ...
'' 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 Don Myrick 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
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 and No. 39 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. 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
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 ...
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
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 ...
Adult R&B Songs chart, No. 20 on the US
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 ...
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, No. 35 on the US
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 ...
Adult Contemporary Songs chart, and No. 33 on the RPM 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 ...
. 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
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 ...
. 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 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 offshoot Sunz of Man's 1998 debut album '' The Last Shall Be First''. EWF gave an encore performance at the 1997 and 1998 Montreux Jazz Festivals. During Spring 1999, EWF appeared 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 ...
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 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 ...
of
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,
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 of
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
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 ...
by hip hop artist Lil' Kim 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 of the
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 ...
, 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 ASCAP 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,
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 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. 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
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 ''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,
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
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 ...
, 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, 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 NARAS Signature Governors Award on June 8, 2004, at Los Angeles' Beverly Hills Hotel. On September 27, 2004, former Phenix Horns trombonist Louis Satterfield 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, India Arie, George Benson, 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, Cherrelle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Tim Allen, 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 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?" and "Shining Star". During both 2004 and 2005, Earth, Wind & Fire and
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 ...
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''. 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
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 ...
.


''Illumination''

During September 2005, '' Illumination'', EWF's 19th studio album, was issued on Sanctuary Records. On this album EWF collaborated with artists such as will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Outkast's Big Boi, Floetry and Brian McKnight. ''Illumination'' reached No. 8 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. 32 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. Ben Thompson of
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
found the "E,W&F blend of taut horns, expansive bass-playing and psychedelic harmonies keeps on shining through." Jim Farber 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 ...
said "Their latest work features production and/or guest appearances from current hit makers like Will I. Am from
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 ...
, Big Boi from
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 ...
, Kelly Rowland from
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
, plus Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,
Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to prominence as a vocalist and bassist for the R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he formed with h ...
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 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album and 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 ...
'' nomination in the category of Best R&B-Soul Album. EWF received 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 ...
nomination for Outstanding Duo or Group. A song from the album, called " Pure Gold", reached No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Songs chart. EWF also covered
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 ...
'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", featuring
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 ...
singer
Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to prominence as a vocalist and bassist for the R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he formed with h ...
got to No. 16 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart. Show Me The Way was also Grammy nominated in the category of Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. 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" alongside Mary J. Blige and
Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, spoken as "ludicrous" in American English), is an American rapper and songwriter. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age ...
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 Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American Gospel music, gospel musician. One of the List of best-selling gospel music artists, best-selling gospel music artists, his accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. ''Variety (magazine), Var ...
, Lalah Hathaway, Mint Condition, Dwele, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Angie Stone. The album rose to no. 28 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.
Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American Gospel music, gospel musician. One of the List of best-selling gospel music artists, best-selling gospel music artists, his accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. ''Variety (magazine), Var ...
's cover of
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 ...
reached No. 17 on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart and No. 26 on the ''Billboard'' 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 Best Urban/Alternative Performance. On April 25, 2007, EWF performed as the opening act at a special edition of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' entitled " 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 Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, 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 Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
, Annie Lennox, and
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
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 Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
's 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 Munich Olympic Walk Of Stars. During May 2008 EWF performed at the
Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...
'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, 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
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 ...
on February 22, 2009, for the Governors' Dinner; they were the first musical artists to perform there after
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
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. 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, guested on the LL Cool J track "Something About You". The song appeared on his 2013 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 Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
. 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 Maurice White, although he contributed to its
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. The album reached No. 25 on the UK Pop Album Charts, No. 11 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 6 on the US
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. Now, Then & Forever was also certified Gold in the UK by the BPI. Emerys Baird of ''
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 ...
'' 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 ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' 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?, 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 Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
, 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 A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
''. Randy Lewis 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 ...
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 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
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 ...
at the annual
Grammy Awards 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 ...
ceremony on February 15, 2016. At the ceremony
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 Pentatonix performed a rendition of " That's the Way of the World" in tribute to White. On December 4 of that year, the band were also honoured with a Ebony Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ebony Power 100 Gala held in the Beverly Hilton 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 ...
. On June 6, 2017, EWF performed in downtown
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
at the CMT concert series program, CMT Crossroads, with artists such as Dan + Shay, Martina McBride, Rascall Flatts, Antebellum,
Darius Rucker Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carol ...
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. EWF went on to perform on the forum float at the 2018 Rose Parade held in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
. On May 2, 2018, the band started a Las Vegas Residency at the Venetian Theatre,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. 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
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 ...
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 Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
's October 2020 Christmas studio album '' A Very Trainor Christmas''. A song off the album called
Holidays A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
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 Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...
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 Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recor ...
. The band later appeared on Victoria Monét's 2023 album Jaguar II. A song off the album called, "Hollywood" featuring EW&F and Monet's daughter Hazel, earned a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Traditional R&B Performance.


Legacy


Influence

EWF has influenced artists such as
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
, Usher,
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
, will.i.am, Janelle Monáe, Mary J. Blige,
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 ...
, Kelly Rowland, India Arie, Jon Secada, and
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 ...
. They have also been influential to musical acts like Angie Stone,
Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...
,
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
, The All-American Rejects,
Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
Teena Marie Mary Christine Brockert (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010), known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American Soul music, soul and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before ...
,
Musiq Soulchild Taalib Hassan Johnson (born September 16, 1977), better known by his stage name Musiq Soulchild (or simply Musiq; pronounced "music") is an American singer-songwriter. His music blends Rhythm and blues, R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and Gospel music, ...
, Solange Knowles, Babyface, Taylor Dayne, Will Gregory of Goldfrapp,
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 Gloria Estefan. Other artists such as Jamiroquai, Melissa Etheridge, Pitbull, Lenny Kravitz, Vanessa Williams,
Joe Jonas Joseph Adam Jonas (born August 15, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin Jonas, Kevin and Nick Jonas, Nick. The group released their ...
of the Jonas Brothers,
Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
Omarion Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, dancer and actor. He rose to prominence as lead vocalist of the boy band B2K, which was formed in 1998 and managed by record e ...
, Rob Bourdon of
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
, Jill Scott, and
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
have also proclaimed being influenced by EWF. The band has also influenced musical acts such as Bonnie Raitt, Mark Ronson,
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
, Jamie Foxx,
Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...
,
Patrick Stump Patrick Martin Stumph (born April 27, 1984), known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Rock music, rock band Fall Out Boy ...
of
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
, Lalah Hathaway,
Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...
, and
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
.


Acclaim via contemporaries

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
described EWF as his "all time favorite band", saying, "they have everything (horns, electric guitar, singers and more) in one band".
Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...
proclaimed himself to be the "biggest fan of Earth, Wind & Fire since day one."
Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...
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 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
, the film was based on Melvin Van Peebles' struggle to film and distribute the motion picture '' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song'' and was directed by his son
Mario Van Peebles Mario Van Peebles (born January 15, 1957) is a Mexican-born American director and actor. He is best known for appearing in ''Heartbreak Ridge'' in 1986, and known for directing and starring in ''New Jack City'' in 1991, and ''USS Indianapolis: ...
. Baadasssss! earned 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 ...
nomination in the category of Outstanding Independent Motion Picture '' Hot Feet'', a jukebox musical based on the Earth, Wind & Fire song catalog, opened on 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) * Philip Bailey 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 Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...
'' (1971) * '' The Need of Love'' (1971) * '' Last Days and Time'' (1972) * '' Head to the Sky'' (1973) * '' Open Our Eyes'' (1974) * '' That's the Way of the World'' (1975) * ''
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 ...
'' (1975) * '' Spirit'' (1976) * '' All 'n All'' (1977) * '' I Am'' (1979) * '' Faces'' (1980) * '' Raise!'' (1981) * '' Powerlight'' (1983) * ''
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 ...
'' (1983) * '' Touch the World'' (1987) * ''
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 ...
'' (1990) * ''
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 ...
'' (1993) * '' In the Name of Love'' (1997) * '' The Promise'' (2003) * '' Illumination'' (2005) * '' Now, Then & Forever'' (2013) * ''
Holiday A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
'' (2014)


See also

*
List of best-selling music artists The following list of best-selling music artists includes musical artists from the 20th century to the present with claims of 75 million or more record sales worldwide. The sales figures are calculated based on the formula detailed below. The ...
* List of number-one hits (United States) * List of artists who reached number one in the United States *
List of number-one dance hits (United States) ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine has published Billboard charts, charts ranking the top-performing dance music songs in the United States since 1974. Originally a top-ten list of tracks that garnered the largest audience response in N ...
*
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on ''Billboard magazine's'' Dance Club Songs chart. ''Billboard'' began ranking dance music on the week ending October 26, 1974, and this is the standard music popularity chart in ...


References


Further reading

* * Mulhern, Tom. ''Bass Heroes: Styles, Stories & Secrets of 30 Great Bass Players: From the Pages of Guitar Player Magazine''. Backbeat Books, 1993. * Payne, Jim. Weinger, Harry. ''The Great Drummers of R&B, Funk & Soul''. Mel Bay Publications, 2007. *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Earth, Wind and 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