The American drummer Fred White, of the funk group Earth, Wind & Fire, has died at the age of 67, announced this Monday Verdine White, his own brother, a former member of the musical formation. Born in 1955 in Chicago (Illinois, north), White had started playing the drums at a very young age. During his career, he won six Grammy Awards with the legendary funk group formed in 1969 by his brother, Maurice White, who died in 2016.
“Notre famille est attristée aujourd’hui par la parte d’un membre de la famille incroyable et talentueux”, a écrit Verdine White dans una post sur Instagram, rappelant qu’il avait eu “des disces d’or dès l’âge de 16 years!”
mythical group
Earth, Wind & Fire quickly rose to fame in the 1970s, becoming one of the first to break racial taboos in pop, and was hugely successful in both the white and African-American communities. In 1979, the band was the first African-American band to perform to sold-out crowds at New York’s prestigious Madison Square Garden.
A video of White performing a drum solo at a concert in Germany in 1979 was posted on the band’s official Instagram page along with the message “Rest in Love”.
Inducted into the American Music Hall of Fame
Fred White went on to work with other artists, including soul singer Deniece Williams. As a member of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, the American pantheon of rock and popular music.
The group was noted for their songs but also for their high-energy shows, punctuated by a strong presence of brass instruments and a kalimba, an African percussion instrument made of metal slats.
Never having completely left the stage, the group experienced a resurgence of notoriety following the election of President Barack Obama, who invited them among the first artists to perform after entering the White House in 2009.
Source: BFM TV
