earth wind and fire

Earth, Wind & Fire became the first African-American performers to headline throughout the world without an opening act, to receive Madison Square Garden's Gold Ticket Award for selling more than 100,000 tickets and to receive the Columbia Records Crystal Globe Award for selling more than five million albums in foreign markets. They have gained the BET's Lifetime Achievement Award and ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award. They were the first African-American artists to have a single ("Shining Star") and its accompanying album (That's The Way Of The World) at number one status on the pop charts at the same time. So far they have garnered nineteen grammy nominations in their career and have won seven of them.

History

Early years

Bandleader Maurice White began his recording career as a session drummer, working for Chess Records. After spending time as a member of the Ramsey Lewis Trio, he formed a band called The Salty Peppers and signed to Capitol Records, releasing a regionally successful single called "La La Time".

White moved his band to Los Angeles, California, and changed its name to "Earth, Wind & Fire". This was based on the fact that White's astrological sign was Sagittarius, whose primary elemental quality is Fire, but whose seasonal qualities are Earth, and Air [1] (hence the omission of water). Their self-titled debut album, Earth, Wind & Fire, was released in 1970 to great critical acclaim, as was The Need of Love (1971). However, neither album was commercially successful. However, before the first two albums, EWF recorded the soundtrack to filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles' film "Sweet Sweetback's BaaadAsss Song". In 1972, White dissolved the line-up (minus himself and brother Verdine White), and added Jessica Cleaves (vocals), Ronnie Laws (flute, saxophone), Larry Dunn (keyboard), Ralph Johnson (percussion) and Philip Bailey (vocals, formerly of Friends & Love). The new line-up was signed to CBS Records by Clive Davis and released Last Days and Time without much success. At this time, Laws and Bautista left the band, and Andrew Woolfolk, Al McKay, and Johnny Graham were added to the lineup. The Head to the Sky album (1973) was a moderate success, but 1974's Open Our Eyes was a major hit. Cleaves, a former member of the Friends of Distinction, left after the "Head to the Sky" album. Up until this time, EWF had at least one female vocalist in the group.

Breakthrough success

Earth, Wind & Fire's true breakthrough, however, came in the form of the soundtrack to That's the Way of the World in 1975. Though the film was not a success, the song "Shining Star" became a huge mainstream hit and launched the band's career. By then, White's youngest brother, drummer Fred White had joined the band and Johnson turned to vocals. It was the first time that the band could afford a full horn section.

Also in 1975, Earth, Wind & Fire released Gratitude, a live album which featured performances of singles from previous albums such as "Sun Goddess" with jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, "Shining Star", and the quiet storm classic "Reasons". New studio hits such as "Sing A Song" and "Can't Hide Love" were also included.

Earth Wind & Fire released Spirit in 1976; and had hits with singles such as "Getaway" and "Imagination". During the recording of this album, producer and songwriter Charles Stepney died of a heart attack. In 1977, the group released another classic album, All 'N All, featuring songs such as "I'll Write A Song For You", "Serpentine Fire","Be Ever Wonderful" ,"Love's Holiday" and the pop hit "Fantasy."

In 1979, the band performed "September" at the Music for UNICEF Concert, broadcast worldwide from the United Nations General Assembly. They donated their royalties from the song to UNICEF. Later that year, they released the critically acclaimed I Am with the mainstream ballad "After The Love Is Gone". After the releases of the double-album Faces (1980) and Raise! (1981) which featured the popular single "Let's Groove", and Powerlight which included the single "Fall In Love With Me," the band's success started to wane. White disbanded Earth, Wind & Fire in 1983 after Electric Universe was released to poor sales and reviews. Maurice White attributes the album's lack of success to its release so quickly after Powerlight.

Later years

In 1983, Earth, Wind & Fire contributed the song "Dance, Dance, Dance" to the soundtrack of the animated film Rock & Rule.

A 1987 Earth, Wind & Fire reunion (featuring new member, guitarist Sheldon Reynolds) with the album Touch the World was a mild success, but the band was never able to return to the kind of success they had achieved in the 1970s. The band continued to periodically release new albums, including 1990's Heritage and 1993's Millennium. The song "Sunday Morning" from Millennium was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Beginning in the 1990s, many radio formats began stressing the classic sounds of the 1970s, and Earth, Wind & Fire's dynamic arrangements and soaring vocals became a familiar sound again on American airwaves. An example that really illustrated this effect was the song "Fantasy", which became more popular in the 1990s and 2000s than it had been originally, when it was only a minor hit.

On July 30, 1993, saxophonist Don Myrick was fatally shot by the Los Angeles Police Department in a case of mistaken identity. Five years later, Maurice White announced that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

Maurice White released two new Earth, Wind & Fire albums on his own label, Kalimba Records, in 2002: Live In Rio, a live album from a 1980 tour, and The Promise, the band's first all-new studio album in six years. The Promise received good reviews upon its release, and was first issued in the United States and Japan; it was issued in Europe in early 2004. it garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only, for the song, Hold Me from the album The Promise.

Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. In addition, Earth, Wind & Fire were inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk on Monday, July 7, 2003.

On September 27, 2005, trombonist Louis Satterfield died.

In 2004-2005 Earth, Wind & Fire toured jointly with the band Chicago; a DVD recorded during that tour, Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire - Live at the Greek Theatre, was certified platinum just two months after its 2005 release.

In the summer of 2004, Earth, Wind & Fire signed an exclusive record deal with Sanctuary Urban Records Group, owned by Mathew Knowles, father and manager of Beyoncé. The album Illumination, the band's 23rd, was released September 20, 2005. The album's first single is "Show Me the Way", featuring Raphael Saadiq. The album was nominated for a grammy for best R&B album in 2005.

On September 18, 2005, they performed their hit "September" (along with the Black Eyed Peas) as part of an opening act showing memorable television moments from the 2004-2005 season for the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS.

For the 2005 holiday season as part of Target Corporation's advertising, they wrote a song titled after Target's slogan, "Gather Round".

Discography

Studio albums

• Earth, Wind & Fire (1970, Warner) (#24 R&B) (#172 Pop)
• The Need Of Love (1971, Warner) (#35 R&B) (#89 Pop)
• Last Days And Time (1972, Columbia) (#15 R&B) (#87 Pop)
• Head To The Sky (1973, Columbia) (#2 R&B) (#27 Pop)
• Open Our Eyes (1974, Columbia) (#1 R&B) (#15 Pop)
• That's The Way Of The World (1975, Columbia) (#1 R&B) (#1 Pop)
• Spirit (1976, Columbia) (#2 R&B) (#2 Pop)
• All 'N All (1977, Columbia) (#1 R&B) (#3 Pop)
• I Am (1979, ARC) (#1 R&B) (#3 Pop)
• Faces (1980, ARC) (#2 R&B) (#10 Pop)
• Raise! (1981, ARC) (#1 R&B) (#5 Pop)
• Powerlight (1983, Columbia) (#4 R&B) (#12 Pop)
• Electric Universe (1983, Columbia) (#8 R&B) (#40 Pop)
• Touch The World (1987, Columbia) (#3 R&B) (#33 Pop)
• Heritage (1990, Columbia) (#19 R&B) (#70 Pop)
• Millennium (1993, Reprise) (#8 R&B) (#39 Pop)
• In The Name Of Love (1997, Pyramid/Rhino) (#50 R&B)
• The Promise (2003, Kalimba Records) (#19 R&B) (#89 Pop)
• Illumination (2005, Sanctuary Records)
• That's The Way Of The World (2005, Mobile Fidelity) (SACD) (reissue)

Compilations and live albums

• Another Time (1974, Warner) (#29 R&B) (#97 Pop)
• Gratitude (1975, Columbia) (#1 R&B) (#1 Pop)
• The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (1978, ARC) (#3 R&B) (#6 Pop)
• The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 2 (1988, Columbia) #(74 R&B) (#190 Pop)
• The Eternal Dance (1992, Columbia)
• Elements Of Love (1996, Columbia)
• Definitive Collection (1995, Columbia)
• Greatest Hits Live (1996, Rhino) (#75 R&B)
• Super Hits (1998, Columbia Legacy)
• Greatest Hits (1998, Columbia Legacy)
• The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire (2002, Columbia Legacy) (#91 R&B)
• The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire (2002, Sony / Columbia) (European Edition)
• That's the Way of the World: Alive in 75 (2002, Columbia Legacy)
• EWF Live In Rio (2003, Kalimba)
• Love Songs (2004, Columbia Legacy)

Singles

See also

• Best selling music artists
• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

External links

• Earth Wind & Fire official website
• Official Earth wind and Fire Fan Site
• Philip Bailey's official website
• Verdine White official website
• Ralph Johnson official website
• Official EWF Myspace page
• ASCAP
• Grammy info
• Earth, Wind & Fire::The Mighty Elements Of Music FanSite
• Hot Feel, the Broadway musical
• 'Earth, Wind and Fire' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
• EWF Fanlist
• - Video Performances of EWF on rehearsals.com
• Earth Wind and Fire biography and updates at Soul Tracks

Band membership

Maurice White | Verdine White | Philip Bailey | Ralph Johnson | B. David Whitworth | Bobby Gonzales | John Paris | Myron McKinley | Greg "G-Mo" Moore | Vadim Zilberstein | Krystal Bailey | Bobby Burns. Jr. | Reggie Young | Gary Bias | Ronnie Laws | Jessica Cleaves | Roland Bautista | Andrew Woolfolk | Larry Dunn | Johnny Graham | Al McKay | Fred White | Louis Satterfield | Michael Harris | Rhamlee Michael Davis | Don Myrick | Sheldon Reynolds (guitarist) | Ray Brown (trumpeter) | Sonny Emory | Morris Pleasure | Freddie Ravel | Michael McKnight | Robert Brookins | David Romero | Gorden Campbell | Daniel De Los Reyes | Dick Smith (guitarist) | Vance Taylor | Wade Flemons | Mike Belcher | Dan Hovey | Beloyd Taylor