1969–1970: Beginnings In 1969, Maurice White, a former
session drummer for
Chess Records 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. 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 to various record labels and the band eventually signed to
Warner Bros. Records.
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 Top Soul Albums chart and was certified Gold in France by the
SNEP. Larry Ridley of
DownBeat, 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, 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. BS&T with soul maybe".
''Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song'' EWF then performed on the
soundtrack 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. 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 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 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 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. 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 introduced EWF to
Clive Davis, then-President of
Columbia Records. 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 Top British Soul Albums chart. Paul Sexton of
Record Mirror, 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 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 artist
Nas 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 was certified Platinum in the US by the
RIAA.
Vince Aletti of
Rolling Stone 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" 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. Ken Emerson of
Rolling Stone called
Open Our Eyes "a pleasant miscellany of Africana, Latin rhythms, well-mannered funk, smooth jazz, Sly Stone,
Stevie Wonder and
the Fifth Dimension".
The Village Voices
Robert Christgau 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 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 and
Little Feat.
Another Time In September 1974, a compilation double album titled
Another Time, 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 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,
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. ''
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 Top Soul Albums charts. Stephen Curwood of The Boston Globe'' called the LP "a sound you shouldn't miss." Daryl Easlea of the
BBC 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 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 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. The LP rose to No. 2 on both the
Billboard Top Pop Albums and Top Soul Albums charts.
Music Week 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 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.
''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 and
Brazil. The album rose to No. 1 on the
Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 3 on the
Billboard 200 chart.
John Rockwell of
The New York Times 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 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. "
Serpentine Fire" rose to No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 13 on the
Billboard Hot 100. "
Fantasy" 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. 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' "
Got to Get You into My Life". This tune was the biggest hit single from the movie's
soundtrack, 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 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. 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 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 and
Stevie Wonder 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 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" 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.
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 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 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, 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. 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. "After the Love Has Gone" won a Grammy for the
Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. 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. 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 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 was certified US Platinum.
Ken Tucker of
Rolling Stone described
Raise! as a reflection of "street-gritty black pop".
J.D. Considine of
The Baltimore Sun noted that the album puts "Earth, Wind & Fire back on the
rock and roll road". "
Let's Groove" reached No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot R&B Songs 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. "Wanna Be With You" won a Grammy for
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In 1981, the
Phenix Horns also began collaborations with
Phil Collins 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 chart and No. 12 on the
Billboard 200 chart.
Powerlight was certified US
Gold. Hugh Wyatt of the
New York Daily News found "Earth, Wind & Fire gives new meaning to the word
classy, and I like it".
Tony Prince of the
Daily Mirror 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. 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 of
Blondie,
Lou Reed and
Cheap Trick also featured on the soundtrack.
LA Weekly noted the "standout track" is "Earth, Wind & Fire's funky club jam Dance, Dance, Dance".
Electric Universe During November 1983, EWF issued their thirteenth studio album, titled
Electric Universe. 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 chart. Matty Karas of
Rolling Stone 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 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 chart and No. 36 on the
Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Music critic
Robert Christgau of
The Village Voice placed the song at number 20 on his dean's list of 1983. Another single, "
Touch" got to No. 23 on the
Billboard Hot R&B Songs 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's 1984 album
Emotion. He produced Ramsey Lewis on his 1985 album
Fantasy. The album reached No. 13 on the
Cashbox Jazz 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 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'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
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.
Touch the World rose to No. 3 on the
Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 33 on the
Billboard 200 chart.
Touch the World was also certified US Gold. Roe Hoeburger of
Rolling Stone 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 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 chart. EWF went on to be nominated for an
NAACP Image Award in the category of
Best Vocal Group.
Heritage During February 1990, EWF issued their fifteenth studio album, entitled
Heritage. The album rose to No. 19 on the
Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 18 on the UK
Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart.
J.D. Considine of
The Baltimore Sun 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 also described Heritage as a "fresh and funky outing". As well Lynden Barber of
The Sydney Morning Herald 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 chart. "
For the Love of You", featuring
MC Hammer, rose to No. 19 on the
Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart. The band appeared on the compilation album
Music Speaks Louder Than Words released in 1990 on
Epic Records. Artists such as
Phoebe Snow,
Roberta Flack,
Cyndi Lauper,
Patti LaBelle,
Animotion,
Atlantic Starr, and
Anne Murray appeared on the album. With songs composed by both American as well as
Soviet musicians and songwriters. Some of the album's royalties also went to the
AFS Intercultural Programs, a globally based
student exchange organization.
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 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 issued on
Warner Bros. Records. Artists such as
Ronnie Laws and
Prince appeared on the LP. The album also rose to No. 8 on the Billboard
Top R&B Albums chart and No. 39 on the
Billboard 200 chart. Millennium was certified Gold in Japan by the
RIAJ. Andy Gill of
The Independent 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 noted that Millennium "returns the band to its funk/r&b roots".
The Buffalo News 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 in the category of
Best R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo. "
Sunday Morning" got to No. 10 on the US
Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart, No. 20 on the US
Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart, No. 35 on the US
Billboard 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. In November 1993, EWF performed at the
American Music Awards 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.
1996–present: Neo period During 1996, Maurice launched a new label titled
Kalimba Records based in
Santa Monica,
California. 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. The album went on to be noted as one with a digitised
neo 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 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. EWF gave an encore performance at the 1997 and 1998
Montreux Jazz Festivals. During Spring 1999, EWF appeared on the
soundtrack 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. 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. Artists such as
Steven Tyler of
Aerosmith,
Boyz II Men,
Smokey Robinson,
Isaac Hayes,
Michael Jackson,
Eric Clapton and
Tom Morello of
Rage Against the Machine 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 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 state dinner hosted by President
Bill Clinton on the
South Lawn of the
White House, 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 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 of that year, the band members donated $25,000 to the
American Red Cross 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 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. The award was presented by ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman,
Stevie Wonder, 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, 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 chart and No. 5 on the
Billboard Top Independent Albums chart. David Peschek of
The Guardian 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 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 and
Gerald Albright appeared on the album. 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, along with
Parliament Funkadelic,
OutKast, and
Robert Randolph and the Family Band, at the
46th annual Grammy Awards held at the
Staples Center, 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'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,
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,
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 saw the band teaming with
The Black Eyed Peas to sing "
Where Is the Love?" and "Shining Star". During both 2004 and 2005, Earth, Wind & Fire and
Chicago 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 band performed as the opening act with
The Black Eyed Peas.
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 chart and No. 32 on the
Billboard 200 chart. Ben Thompson of
The Daily Telegraph found the "E,W&F blend of taut horns, expansive bass-playing and psychedelic harmonies keeps on shining through." Jim Farber of the
New York Daily News said "Their latest work features production and/or guest appearances from current hit makers like
Will I. Am from
the Black Eyed Peas,
Big Boi from
OutKast,
Kelly Rowland from
Destiny's Child, plus
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,
Raphael Saadiq and others. All these guests haven't overwhelmed Maurice White's great band. They've just freshened it up. Singer Philip Bailey sounds as buttery as ever, and the band's tart horn arrangements and melodies extend the buoyancy and pleasure of their hits."
Illumination received a
Grammy nomination for
Best R&B Album and a
Soul Train Music Award nomination in the category of Best R&B-Soul Album. EWF received an
NAACP Image Award 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'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 singer
Raphael Saadiq 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. On February 11, 2007, EWF performed "
Runaway Love" alongside
Mary J. Blige and
Ludacris at the
49th Grammy Awards held at Los Angeles's Staples Center.
Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire, an album featuring cover versions of EWF's material, was released in March 2007 on Stax Records. Executively produced by Maurice, the LP featured artists such as
Chaka Khan,
Kirk Franklin,
Lalah Hathaway,
Mint Condition,
Dwele,
Meshell Ndegeocello, and
Angie Stone. The album rose to no. 28 on the
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Kirk Franklin's cover of
September 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 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, Norway, on December 11, 2007, EWF performed "Fantasy" and "September". The concert was broadcast to over 100 countries. Artists such as
Melissa Etheridge,
Alicia Keys,
Annie Lennox, and
Kylie Minogue also performed at the concert. During February 2008, EWF performed on the opening night of one of the oldest and largest musical festivals in Latin America,
Chile's
Viña del Mar 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'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 on February 22, 2009, for the Governors' Dinner; they were the first musical artists to perform there after
Barack Obama took office. During April 2009 former EWF keyboardist
Robert Brookins died from a heart attack, at the age of 46. On April 26, 2009, EWF appeared at the 39th
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The band aligned with Chicago once again for a joint tour. In September 2009 EWF were bestowed with the Daniel L. Stephenson award for lifetime achievement in music at the Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival. During February 2010 the band participated in the recording of the "
We Are the World 25 for Haiti" single. Within that year Maurice, Verdine, and Bailey together with former EWF members McKay and Dunn were inducted into the
Songwriter's Hall of Fame. In November 2011, the band received the Legend Award at the
Soul Train Awards at Atlanta, Georgia's
Fox Theatre. 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. 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. 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 chart. Now, Then & Forever was also certified Gold in the UK by the
BPI. Emerys Baird of
Blues & Soul called the album a "glorious return to form. EW&F have produced an incredibly well balanced body of work, a set full of contrast and colour, sublime stuff." Elias Leight of
Popmatters also wrote "Now, Then & Forever has all the old colors and grooves, an impeccable rhythm section, prominent guitars, and indomitable horns that trace and re-trace motifs, dancing rings around everything." A song from the album called "Guiding Lights" was released as a single and rose to No. 16 on the
Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart and No. 30 on the
Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart. Another single, "My Promise", reached No. 28 on the
Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart and No. 30 on the
Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs chart. Singles Never and
Why?, 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,
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. Randy Lewis of the
Los Angeles Times 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 at the annual
Grammy Awards ceremony on February 15, 2016. At the ceremony
Stevie Wonder 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. On June 6, 2017, EWF performed in downtown
Nashville, Tennessee at the
CMT concert series program,
CMT Crossroads, with artists such as
Dan + Shay,
Martina McBride,
Rascall Flatts,
Antebellum,
Darius Rucker and
Sara Evans. A performance of "September" with Antebellum on the show was nominated for a
CMT Music Award in the category of Performance of the Year. During Summer 2017 the band went on a North American tour entitled, 2054-The Tour, with
Chic. EWF went on to perform on the forum float at the 2018
Rose Parade held in
Pasadena, California. On May 2, 2018, the band started a
Las Vegas Residency at the
Venetian Theatre,
Las Vegas, Nevada. On September 10, 2019, The Los Angeles City Council declared that September 21 would be dedicated Earth, Wind & Fire Day. On November 22 of that year the band received the Portrait of a Nation Prize at the
Smithsonian's American Portrait Gala. EWF were one of the inductees at the 42nd
Kennedy Center Honors that took place on December 7, 2019. The band later guested on
Meghan Trainor's October 2020
Christmas studio album A Very Trainor Christmas. A song off the album called
Holidays rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Holiday Digital Song Sales chart and No. 35 on the Billboard Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. During September 2021, EWF reached the top 10 of Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay chart for the first time in 28 years with their new single "You Want My Love", featuring
Lucky Daye. On April 24, 2022, former saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk died at the age of 71. The band later embarked on a joint summer tour with
Carlos Santana and made a guest appearance on the
Isley Brothers' September 2022 album
Make Me Say It Again, Girl. On January 1, 2023, it was announced that former drummer Fred White had died at the age of 67. In March 2023, Earth, Wind & Fire IP, LLC filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement and trademark dilution against Substantial Music Group and Stellar Communications which had launched an Earth, Wind & Fire Legacy Reunion group. In March 2024, a federal judge in Miami ruled in favor of the trademarked Earth, Wind & Fire group against the tribute group, which contains former side musicians and has no original members. Earth, Wind & Fire later announced a joint tour, due to occur in summer 2023, with
Lionel Richie. The band later appeared on
Victoria Monét's 2023 album
Jaguar II. 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. On August 3, 2025, Earth, Wind & Fire appeared as guests of
Sabrina Carpenter during her headline set at
Lollapalooza, where they sang "Let's Groove" and "September". ==Legacy==