Fred White, a drummer in Chicago-founded band Earth, Wind & Fire, is dead at 67.
The news was announced by his brother and bandmate Verdine White in an Instagram post on Sunday. He didn’t say how or where his brother died.
“Our family is saddened today with the loss of an amazing and talented family member, Our beloved brother Frederick Eugene ‘Freddie’ White,” wrote White, a founding member, vocalist and bassist for the Grammy-winning ensemble band.
Born Frederick Eugene Adams in Chicago in 1955, Fred White joined Verdine and their brother Maurice in Earth, Wind & Fire in 1974 when he was 19.
Earth, Wind & Fire began in 1970 in Chicago under the leadership of Maurice White, who created a band that could combine elements of jazz, funk, R&B, soul, dance, pop and rock, and celebrated African musicianship and spiritualism.
Driven by their horn section the Phenix Horns and a reputation for energetic and bombastic live performances, the group’s popularity grew after they moved to Columbia Records, which was then under the leadership of Clive Davis.
“He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels!” Verdine White wrote. “Child protégé, member of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with gold records at the young age of 16 years old! He was brother number 4 in the family lineup.”
“But more than that at home and beyond he was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous! And we could always count on him to make a seemingly bad situation more light hearted!”
“He will live in our hearts forever, rest in power beloved Freddie!! We thank you all for your love, blessings and support at this time,” White wrote.
Earth, Wind & Fire’s Instagram account also posted a memoriam for Fred White, sharing a video of White performing a drum solo during the band’s 1979 tour.
“Sending my love and deepest condolences to you and the family,” singer Lenny Kravitz wrote under Verdine White’s post. “I was blessed to have been in his presence and blessed to have been influenced by him. A true king. Rest in power.”
White was an accomplished drummer before joining the band, playing for Donny Hathaway and performing on his live album in 1972.
After joining Earth, Wind & Fire, White was paired alongside drummer and percussionist Ralph Johnson, the band’s rhythm section was tight and upbeat and set the stage for songs like “Boogie Wonderland” and “September” to become instant favorites.
The band’s most successful period started with the 1975 album “That’s The Way of The World” and continued through the rest of the decade. Other hits included “Serpentine Fire,” “Shining Star” and a cover of the Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life.”
Fred White left the band in 1983, but returned when Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Some of the band’s biggest hits are still widely popular, often sampled and used in countless movies. The band played the 2005 Super Bowl halftime show and has six Grammys. “Got to Get You Into My Life” was on President Barack Obama’s first Spotify playlist.
Maurice White died at the age of 74 in 2016.
Contributing: Associated Press
