American drummer Fred White of the funk band Earth, Wind & Fire has died at the age of 67, his brother and a former member of the band announced on Monday.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, North in 1955, White began playing drums at a 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.
“Our family is saddened today at the loss of an incredible and talented family member,” wrote another of his brothers, Verdine White, in an Instagram post, recalling that he “had golden records since he was 16! »
Earth, Wind & Fire quickly rose to fame in the 1970s, was 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 became the first African American ensemble to perform to a full audience at New York’s prestigious Madison Square Garden.
A video was posted on the band’s official Instagram page of White performing a drum solo at a concert in Germany in 1979, along with the message “rest in love”.
He then went on to collaborate with other artists, including soul singer Deniece Williams.
White was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, America’s pantheon of rock and pop music, as a member of the band Earth, Wind & Fire in 2000.
The group was notable for their songs, but also for their energetic shows, punctuated by a heavy presence of brass instruments and a kalimba, an African percussion instrument made of metal slats.
Without ever leaving the stage entirely, the group experienced renewed prominence after the election of President Barack Obama, who invited them to perform as one of the first artists after moving into the White House in 2009.