Maurice White

Musician Maurice White, who founded the Grammy Award winning band Earth, Wind & Fire, has died. He was 74.

White died in his sleep at his Los Angeles home after battling Parkinson’s disease for over 2 decades.

White founded Earth, Wind & Fire in Chicago in 1969. The talented musicians included his brothers Verdine White and Fred White, who joined the band in 1974.

White shared lead vocals with Phillip Bailey, whose soaring falsetto and unique vocal range stands out on “Reasons” and “Devotion”.

Aa the band’s charismatic bandleader, White produced most of their albums, earning the group six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards.

EW&F sold 90 million records worldwide.

White co-wrote the band’s biggest hits, including the #1 single “Shining Star”; “Reasons”, “Boogie Wonderland”, “Got To Get You Into My Life”, “That’s the Way of the World”, “September“, “After the Love Has Gone”, and many more.

White stopped touring with the band after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1994.

Celebrities and fellow musicians paid tribute to White on Twitter.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ter0p_iyIxk