ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Earth, Wind & Fire

PROFILE: Earth, Wind & Fire is an American band that has spanned the musical genres of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, disco, Latin and African.

DID YOU KNOW?

The band was formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969
The band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards.
They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
They have sold over 90 million albums worldwide earning them a place on the list of the best-selling music artists where they are ranked as the seventh best selling American band of all time.
Rolling Stone Magazine has previously described Earth, Wind & Fire as “innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet galvanizing” and has also declared that the band “changed the sound of black pop.”
Earth, Wind & Fire were also ranked at number 60 on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll.
The band received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 14, 1995.
Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White, Phillip Bailey, Verdine White, Al McKay and Larry Dunn were inducted to the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame on June 17, 2010.

CURRENT MEMBERS:

Philip Bailey – vocals, conga, percussion, kalimba
Verdine White – bass, percussion, vocals
Ralph Johnson – drums, percussion, vocals
B. David Whitworth – percussion, vocals
Myron McKinley – keyboards, musical director
John Paris – drums, vocals
Philip Bailey, Jr. – vocals, percussion
Morris O’Connor – lead guitar, vocals
Serg Dimitrijevic – rhythm guitar, vocals

FORMER BAND MEMBERS:

Maurice White – vocals, kalimba, drums, percussion, band creator and leader (1970-2016; his death)
Michael Beale -guitar, harmonica
Leslie Drayton – trumpet
Wade Flemons – electric piano, vocals
Yackov Ben Israel – conga, percussion
Sherry Scott – vocals
Alexander Thomas – trombone
Chester Washington – tenor saxophone
Don Whitehead – acoustic/electric pianos, vocals
Helena Davis – vocals
Roland Bautista – lead/rhythm guitar, vocals
Jessica Cleaves – keyboards, synthesizers, minimoog, musical director
Madeline Evans – keyboards, vocals
Ronnie Laws – flute, soprano/tenor saxaphones
Johnny Graham – lead/rhythm guitar, trumpet percussion
Al McKay – lead/rhythm guitar, sitar, percussion, vocals
Andrew Woolfolk – flute, saxophone, percussion
Fred White – drums, percussion
Beloyd Taylor – percussion, vocals
Sonny Emory – drums, vocals
Sheldon Reynolds – lead/rhythm guitar, vocals
Dick Smith – lead/rhythm guitar, vocals
Vance Taylor – keyboards, musical director
Fred Ravel – keyboards, musical director
Morris Pleasure – keyboards, bass, musical director
David Romero – percussion
Mike McKnight – technician, keyboards
Robert Brookins, – keyboards, musical director
Gordon Campbell – drums
Bobby Gonzoles – lead/rhythm guitar, vocals
Daniel de los Reyes – percussion
Kimberly Brewer – vocals
John Johnson – lead/rhythm guitar, vocals
Krystal Bailey – vocals
Kim Johnson – vocals
Greg “G-Mo” Moore – rhythm guitar, vocals
Vadim Ziberstein – lead guitar, vocals