ARTISTEarth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire is a group formed in Chicago in 1969. Its early members included Maurice White, Verdine White, Wade Flemons, Don Whitehead, Sherry Scott, Michael Beal, Leslie Drayton, Yackov Ben Israel, Alexander Thomas and Chester Washington. Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson and Larry Dunn joined in 1972, among others; Al McKay and Andrew Woolfolk joined in 1973.

The group released the albums Earth, Wind & Fire and The Need of Love in 1971. That year it also appeared on the soundtrack album Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, alongside Melvin Van Peebles and Brer Soul. Further releases included Last Days and Time (1972), Head to the Sky (1973) and Open Our Eyes (1974). Later albums include In the Name of Love (1997), The Promise (2003), Illumination (2005) and Now, Then & Forever (2013).