Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Fred White dies at 67: Lenny Kravitz posts a tribute - Daily Mail

Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Fred White has died astatine the property of 67.

The bittersweet quality was shard by his 71-year-old member Verdine White - who was a laminitis and bassist connected Earth, Wind & Fire - connected Sunday connected societal media.

Fred's origin of decease was not disclosed. 

The set Earth, Wind & Fire, which thrived during the 1970s and 1980s and continued to circuit for decades afterwards, was liable for the deed songs September, Shining Star and After The Love Is Gone.

Earth, Wind & Fire has sold implicit 90million records and is considered 1 of the astir palmy bands of each time. The set was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame successful 2000.

‘Dearest Family Friends and Fans….. Our household is saddened contiguous with the nonaccomplishment of an astonishing and talented household member, our beloved member Frederick Eugene "Freddie" White,’ helium wrote.

'He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald successful eden and is present drumming with the angels! Child protégé, subordinate of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with golden records astatine the young property of 16 years old! He was member fig 4 successful the household lineup,' it was added.

White was called a 'wonderful bro' who was 'always entertaining and delightfully mischievous!'

Then the enactment said: 'And we could ever number connected him to marque a seemingly atrocious concern much airy hearted!’

The instrumentalist added: ‘He volition unrecorded successful our hearts forever, remainder successful powerfulness beloved Freddie!! We convey you each for your love, blessings and enactment astatine this time. Soar precocious babe bro, we emotion you to the shining [stars] and back!’

Fred was calved successful Chicago and started touring arsenic aboriginal arsenic property 15 for a set called The Salty Peppers. The Salty Peppers turned into Earth, Wind & Fire successful 1974.

The set had a fig of successes successful the 1970s and the 1980s with 1 of their apical songs being the up tempo creation deed Shining Star.

Lenny Kravitz shared a tribute connected Instagram: ‘Sending my emotion and deepest condolences to you and the family. I was blessed to person been successful his beingness and blessed to person been influenced by him. A existent king. Rest successful power.’

Earth, Wind & Fire is 1 of the astir dynamic bands to travel retired of the 1970s arsenic they had respective deed songs that included jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco and pop.

The set was founded successful Chicago successful 1969 by Maurice White and they went by the sanction the Salty Peppers; their archetypal deed was La La Time but it was not a illustration topper.

But erstwhile they moved to Los Angeles helium had amended luck arsenic helium added Sherry Scott and Yackov Ben Israel.

The self-titled medium that came retired successful 1971 made waves and The Need Of Love came adjacent with a jazzy feel.

In 1972, the founders shook up the set added vocalist Helena Davis, Ronnie Laws connected the flute and saxophone, bushed guitarist Roland Bautista, keyboardist Larry Dunn, vocalist Philip Bailey and percussionist Ralph Johnson to the group.  Davis was replaced by Jessica Cleaves.

Then aboriginal Andrew stepped successful to regenerate Laws.

The set had a caller dependable that made it travel together.

And it was EW&F's fourth workplace album, Head to the Sky, from 1973 that yet gained immoderate traction.

That's the Way of the World successful 1975 went to No. 1 connected some the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top Soul Albums charts acknowledgment to the singles Shining Star and That's the Way of the World. 

The set has morphed implicit the decades with much disco past a mire electrical sound. Their past medium was The Classic Christmas Album from 2015.    

In April, Earth, Wind & Fire saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk passed distant astatine the property of 71.

The creator died aft helium spent the past six years battling an illness, the band's pb falsetto vocalist Philip Bailey shared connected Instagram. 

The instrumentalist was 1 of the archetypal members of the set and helped them make immoderate of the biggest deed songs of the 1970s.

Bailey shared connected Instagram: 'I met him successful High School, and we rapidly became friends and set mates. Andrew Paul Woolfolk was his name. We mislaid him today.'

He past said: 'Funny. Competitive. Quick witted. And ever styling. Booski… I’ll spot you connected the different side, my friend.'

EW&F Drummer John Paris shared connected Instagram: 'Rest good member Andrew [prayer and bosom emojis].' 

Woolfolk besides worked connected the deed songs Reasons, Let's Groove, That's the Way of the World, Sing a Song, Fantasy, and After the Love Has Gone.

During his agelong career, Andrew besides collaborated with artists Deniece Williams, Phil Collins and Stanley Turrentine.

In the precocious Eighties Woolfolk took a interruption from Earth, Wind & Fire but past joined up with them again to execute and circuit aft the millennium.