The soul world has lost one of its drummers, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Fred White, at the age of 67. Fred’s brother and bandmate Verdine White shared the devastating news of his brothers passing through social media to inform fans that he was no longer with us.
“Our family is saddened today with the loss of an amazing and talented family member,” Verdine wrote on his Instagram. “Our beloved brother Frederick Eugene ‘Freddie’ White. He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte, and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels! He was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous! And we could always count on him to make a seemingly bad situation more light-hearted.”
Fred was the third of the White brothers to be part of the family legacy Earth, Wind & Fire. He played drums for the band between 1974 and 1984, the most successful period in the band’s history. White contributed to the band’s most successful tracks, like ‘Shining Star,’ which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.
Besides having a massive role in Earth, Wind & Fire’s success by playing on the band’s albums from ‘That’s the Way of the World’ in 1975 all the way to ‘Electric Universe’ in 1983, the drummer also played on other artists’ tracks and albums, including Little Feat, Donny Hathaway, the Emotions, and Deniece Williams.
The late musician contributed so much to the soul and R&B world by being a part of such an iconic band with his brother Verdine and half-brother Maurice who also passed away. His legacy will continue through generations as the band has new lives with every new member. Rest in peace, Fred White.
