MAURICE WHITE

3 min readFeb 5, 2016

As many records as Maurice White and that band of his have sold, as many packed concerts at stadiums around the world…it is possible that he still not has received his proper due. A small part of that is because Maurice was not given to interviews.

I lucked out twice. In late 1981 when he invited me out to his studio complex near L.A. The interview later appeared in Musician magazine. And again in 1982 when he and Verdine White came to my WLIB studio. I’ll be honest; I was floored. I mean, it took years to get the first interview (later, Phil Bailey came on my radio show). Earth, Wind & Fire was not just some musical group; they were a VANGUARD. A PINNACLE. A yardstick others were measured against. Those horns, the blend of Latin and funk rhythms, those harmonies, that kalimba…man. And their stage presentation. All from the mind of Maurice.

I could very easily go on, album by album (love that their first recorded effort was because my man Melvin Van Peebles used them for his Sweet Sweetback soundtrack). But, I really want you to read Maurice’s words. In one of those out of nowhere coincidences, I happened to read our interview a few days before he passed away. I have been going through my stuff to repost here, and elsewhere.

What struck me most were the subjects we hit. Even his staunchest fans may not immediately connect Maurice to his thoughts on Blackness and WHAT WE’RE UP AGAINST. He does here. As well as how his music evolved, and Hey brother have you gotten soft? (Looking back, I can’t believe I asked that. Crazy 31 year old motherfucker)

So, please read. Hopefully, enjoy. Play your favorite EWF track. And think of Maurice…