A Memorandum to Fred White (aka Fred, Wind & Fire): An Intuition Post from his Old Brother, Verdine White
Fred White, a drummer for classic ’70s superband Earth, Wind & Fire, has died, according to an Instagram post from his older brother and former bandmate, Verdine White. He was 67.
Verdine White mourned the loss of his beloved brother Frederick Eugene ‘Freddie’ White in a post on Sunday. No cause of death has yet been released.
Verdine White said that his brother was an early member of Earth, Wind & Fire and had gold records at the age of 16.
“But more than that,” Verdine White continued, “at home and beyond he was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous!”
With the band, Fred White won six Grammys and was nominated a total of 13 times, scoring trophies for best R&B instrumental performance for their 1979 track “Boogie Wonderland” as well as the same award for 1977’s “Runnin’.”
“Earth, Wind & Fire took jazz, soul, gospel, pop and more and wrapped them in one psychedelic, mystical package,” the music institution’s introduction to band’s induction states. The group that was as innovative yet beloved by critics and the audience was EW&F.
The Hall of Fame also described how the band “solidified the growth of black album music in the Seventies,” recounting how Earth, Wind & Fire scored six consecutive double-platinum albums and became recording company Columbia Records’ bestselling R&B band of all time.
Fred White: From the New Song to the Next-Generation B-Flavor, from the Roots to the End of Time
Fred White was born in 1955 in Chicago into a family of musicians, including older brothers Verdine and Maurice White. His brother Verdine said that he showed talent at the drums early in his life and that he found success when he was a teenager.
His tight and energetic beats made up the backbone of hits like “Shining Star,” “Let’s Groove” and – of course – the enduring mega-hit “September,” which hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released and has nearly 1.2 billion streams on Spotify.