Earth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire

The elemental forces of funk.

Founded

1969 in Chicago, Illinois

Full Name

Date of Birth

1969 in Chicago, Illinois

Still Alive

Date of Death

Influenced By
Later Influenced

Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe, Prince, Pharrell Williams, Erykah Badu, Outkast, Jamiroquai, The Roots

Promotional photo of Earth, Wind & Fire c. 1978
Promotional photo of Earth, Wind & Fire c. 1978

About The artist

"Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional vocalist Maurice White, EWF's all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African music, and, later on, disco."
By Steve Huey for Allmusic.com

Notable Members:

Al McKay, Andrew Woolfolk, Fred White, Johnny Graham, Larry Dunn, Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson, Verdine White

Did you know...

EWF founder Maurice White was a studio percussionist with the legendary Chicago label, Chess Records. At Chess, he played artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, Willie Dixon, Sonny Stitt and Ramsey Lewis. He joined the Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1967.

Other Artists from this genre

James Brown

James Brown

The Godfather.

The Meters

The Meters

New Orleans funk originators.

Bootsy Collins

Bootsy Collins

The first great funk bass player.

Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan

The Queen of Funk.

George Clinton

George Clinton

The Maestro of P-Funk.

Rick James

Rick James

The Freaky One.

Genres from this era

Funk

Funk

All about the groove.

Disco

Disco

It went from the underground club scene to the mainstream.

R&B

R&B

Polished sound and sophisticated production.

Prince

Prince

A genre unto himself.