Robert Verhorst
ANNOUNCEMENTS•
Drummer Fred White of the funk and disco band Earth, Wind & Fire has died at the age of 67. This was reported by his brother Verdine, bassist of the group Instagram. Nothing was revealed about the cause of death.
White was born in 1955 in Chicago and made headlines at an early age. At the age of fifteen he came into contact with troubled soul legend Donny Hathaway, with whom he toured as a drummer before graduating from high school.
Other artists he collaborated with at an early age included gospel singer Albertina Walker and songwriter Willie Hutch. He also played drums for some time with Earth, Wind & Fire forerunners, the Salty Peppers.
September
In 1974 he joined brother Verdine and half-brother Maurice in the hit machine Earth, Wind & Fire, known for songs such as September, Boogie Wonderland in Saturday evening. The group was particularly popular in the 70s and 80s.
The drummer left Earth, Wind & Fire in the early 1980s, but returned in 2000 when the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He has performed for years with artists such as Diana Ross and Bonnie Raitt.
Verdine White calls her little brother Freddie “member of the EWF Original 9”, one of the nine original members of Earth, Wind & Fire. “More than that, at home and wherever he was, he was a big brother who was always funny and wonderfully mischievous. We could always count on him to be playful in seemingly awkward situations.”
Earth, Wind & Fire with their famous hit ‘September’ in 1979, with Fred White on drums:
