They were arguably the biggest black rock band in the world, scoring nearly a dozen gold and platinum albums, and charting Top 10 singles like "Shining Star," "Sing a Song" and "After the Love Is Gone. White was always at the center, whether singing lead vocals with the gospel-trained Philip Bailey, or working in the studio alongside legendary producer Charles Stepney who tragically passed away in He oversaw the intricately designed gatefold covers that depicted Egyptian pyramids and Biblical symbols, and inserted references to his beliefs in his lyrics. Whether the audience understood everything he sang about or not, no one could deny the power of EWF. Here's some of the group's best. Newswire Powered by. Close the menu. Rolling Stone.
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The band was founded in Chicago by Maurice White in , having grown out of a previous band known as the Salty Peppers. The band has won six Grammys from their 17 nominations [10] and four American Music Awards out of 12 nominations. With sales of over 90 million records, they are one of the world's best-selling bands of all time. In , Maurice White , a former session drummer for Chess Records and former 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 eventually got a recording contract with Capitol Records.
The principal members were Maurice White b. December 19, , Memphis, Tennessee, U. May 8, , Denver, Colorado , Verdine White b. July 25, , Chicago, Illinois , Fred White b. August 3, , Kentucky , Ralph Johnson b. June 19, , Denver, Colorado , and Andrew Woolfolk b.
We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Lead singer Philip Bailey gave EWF an extra dimension with his talent for crooning sentimental ballads in addition to funk workouts; behind him, the band could harmonize like a smooth Motown group, work a simmering groove like the J. Plus, their stage shows were often just as elaborate and dynamic as George Clinton 's P-Funk empire. Tying it all together was the accomplished songwriting of Maurice White , whose intricate, unpredictable arrangements and firm grasp of hooks and structure made EWF one of the tightest bands in funk when they wanted to be. He had previously honed his chops as a session drummer for Chess Records , where he played on songs by the likes of Fontella Bass , Billy Stewart , and Etta James , among others. In , he'd replaced Redd Holt in the popular jazz group the Ramsey Lewis Trio , where he was introduced to the kalimba, an African thumb piano he would use extensively in future projects. In , he left Lewis ' group to form a songwriting partnership with keyboardist Don Whitehead and singer Wade Flemons. This quickly evolved into a band dubbed the Salty Peppers , which signed with Capitol and scored a regional hit with "La La Time.
