Earth Wind And Fire Early years

In 1969, Maurice White, a former session drummer for Chess Records and member of the Ramsey Lewis Trio, joined two friends in Chicago, Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead, as a songwriting team composing songs and commercials in the Chicago area. The three friends got a recording contract with Capitol, and called themselves the "Salty Peppers," and had a marginal hit in the Midwestern area called "La La Time."

The Salty Peppers' second single, "Uh Huh Yeah," didn't fare as well, and Maurice left Ramsey Lewis Trio and decided that it was time for a change of location from Chicago to Los Angeles. White added to the band singer Sherry Scott and percussionist Yackov Ben Israel both from Chicago, and then asked his younger brother Verdine how he would feel about heading out to the west coast. June 6, 1970, Verdine left Chicago later joining the band as their new bassist. Maurice began shopping demo tapes of the band that also featured the talents of Donny Hathaway around to different record labels and was then signed to Warner Bros. Records.

Maurice, based on the fact that his astrological sign of Sagittarius had a primary elemental quality of Fire and seasonal qualities of Earth and Air (hence the omission of Water, the fourth classical element), changed the band's name, to Earth, Wind & Fire. With him on the drums and mbira, Maurice held auditions in L.A. adding Michael Beale on guitar, Chester Washington on reeds, and Leslie Drayton on trumpet and as the group's musical arranger. Trombonist Alex Thomas and Wade Flemons playing the electric piano and vocals, completed the lineup and so a ten member Earth, Wind & Fire was born.



Earth Wind and Fire Tickets at Sold Out Ticket Market
Ticket Market for Earth Wind and Fire Tickets