Musician Fred White, who was the drummer for the sound pioneering and chart-topping group Earth, Wind & Fire has died at age 67.
White joined the band at age 19 in 1974 alongside the group’s founders- his siblings Maurice and Verdine White.
In a statement, Verdine White shared praise for his late younger brother’s musical talents and contribution to music, stating “he joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels! Child protégé, member of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with gold records at the young age of 16 years old! He was brother number 4 in the family lineup. But more than that at home and beyond he was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous!”
(His older brother Maurice passed on in 2016 at the age of 74.)
The band sold over 50 million records globally and were responsible for creating a unique and iconic sound that combined disco, soul, jazz, pop, R&B, funk, disco, big band, Latin, and Afro pop genres. Although Fred left the group in the 1980’s, he returned for a reunion performance as the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
The official Earth, Wind & Fire Instagram account shared a video of White performing a drum solo during the group’s world tour in 1979.
No cause of death was immediately provided.
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