“But I think we’ll figure that out later. Given that the band, who also performed to fanfare of all ages at last year’s KAABOO Del Mar, has nothing left to prove and is quickly approaching its 50th year, could it be possible that the band will deliver a 22nd album before it’s all said and done? They followed it a year later with Holiday, Earth, Wind & Fire’s first-ever Christmas album, which peaked on Billboard’s seasonal chart at No. It was only one spot shy of cracking the top 10 on Billboard’s 200 and made it all the way to No. Their latest full-length studio album, Now, Then & Forever (the band’s 20th overall), was released in 2013. Verdine has been a part of the band since 1970 and current members Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson have anchored the collective since 1972.Īnd while their legacy was cemented a long time ago, they still haven’t given up on the creative side of things. White’s older brother Maurice founded Earth, Wind & Fire in 1969 and served as its bandleader, principal songwriter, and co-lead singer until shortly before his death from Parkinson’s disease in 2016. You just put your head down and do the work. “It’s definitely a blessing,” he said recently during a break in rehearsals for the band’s second Vegas residency in as many years. Yet good luck trying to get founding bassist Verdine White to reflect back on all that his group has achieved.
