Maurice White and Philip Bailey; photo by Rob Verhorst / Getty Images
Maurice White, who died yesterday, will always be synonymous with Earth, Wind & Fire. But the group’s founder, co-frontman, and multi-instrumentalist wasn’t always a leader. Throughout his decades-long career, the versatile White played in various studio and live groups, working as a journeyman musician in the '60s and early '70s—a time when an R&B musician with jazz chops, such as himself, didn’t have the luxury of sitting still too long. From his historic early session work with Chess Records to his Grammy-winning stint with the Ramsey Lewis Trio, to his incredible and underappreciated tenure with the Pharaohs and his production for Deniece Williams and the Emotions, White would have left a legendary legacy even if he’d never formed Earth, Wind & Fire. That he almost helmed one of the most successful and groundbreaking bands of all time is just icing on the cake. Here are some highlights from the his career outside of EW&F.
Betty Everett: "You’re No Good" (1963)
White didn’t waste a minute jumping into the big time. At the age of 22, the trained but unseasoned drummer from Chicago took his first session gig. It was for a singer named Betty Everett, and the song, "You’re No Good," became a snaky, smoky minor hit (it was originally cut earlier that year by Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne’s sister, but had failed to click). As White later remembered, "There were real professionals on the date… I was scared!" In 1975, Linda Ronstadt’s faithful cover hit number one on the charts, reigniting interest in Everett’s smoldering blueprint, with White’s humble contribution tucked way down in the mix. Coincidentally, that’s the same year Earth, Wind & Fire topped the Billboard 200 for the first time with their album That’s the Way of the World.
Fontella Bass: "Rescue Me" (1965)
Like his contemporary Jimmy Page, White led one of the most popular bands of the '70s and, ultimately, of all time. And like Page, he started out in the trenches, taking on low-pay and often uncredited session and touring work for name artists (including Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James, the Dells, and the Impressions). Among his biggest hits as a backing player for Chess Records is Fontella Bass’ "Rescue Me." An R&B chart-topper in 1965, the pleading, driving anthem features White on drums—locked in beautifully with bassist Louis Satterfield, also later of Earth, Wind & Fire.
Billy Stewart: "Summertime" (1966)
White’s lengthiest association with a single artist—at least until Ramsey Lewis drafted him shortly after—was with Billy Stewart. The singer’s unique scatting style, an anachronism in 1960s soul, found smooth, jazzy sympathy with an old standard: Gershwin’s “Summertime,” which Stewart rode to top-ten success in 1966, thanks in part to his faithful drummer White and his fluid, popping way with rhythm—which even at this early stage seemed to disregard boundaries between jazz, R&B, and pop.
Ramsey Lewis: "Wade in the Water" (1966)
Jazz pianist and hitmaker Ramsey Lewis recruited White for his famous trio in 1966; they spent three years together, during which White got his first taste of wider acclaim when Lewis’ 1966 single "Hold It Right There" won a Grammy. But another Lewis single from that year, the hypnotic "Wade in the Water," became a bigger hit, cementing White’s spot in Lewis’ band—at least for a while. As Lewis remembers in The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time, it was while still a member of his trio that White vowed, "I’m going to form my own group […] that’s gonna do magic. We’re gonna play R&B, pop, jazz, and dance." That visionary new group would eventually become Earth, Wind & Fire.
The Salty Peppers: "La, La, La (Part 1)" (1969)
True to his word, White left Ramsey Lewis’ band in 1969 to chase his dream. It began inauspiciously with a combo called the Salty Peppers. Recording just a handful of tracks with Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead, the group garnered modest attention for an independent single titled "La, La, La (Part 1)." Later released by Capitol as "La La Time," the song borrows from Lewis’ instrumental playbook while adding a few infectious chants and funky vamps of its own. Soon the Salty Peppers would morph into Earth, Wind & Fire—an outfit with a somewhat grander name and vision.
Minnie Riperton: "Les Fleurs" (1971)
Minnie Riperton had known and worked with White for years—she sang backup on Fontella Bass’ "Rescue Me"—before she left the hit-making Rotary Connection and went solo with her 1970 album Come to My Garden. She invited White, then still unknown, along for the ride. White plays drums on the album, which gracefully introduces itself with the funk-folky "Les Fleurs," an airy, delicate confection that builds into orchestral bliss—with White moving from breezy shuffle to crashing crescendo, a dramatic dynamic he’d take with him.
Deniece Williams: "Watching Over" (1976)
After Earth, Wind & Fire had become an established mainstream force with That’s the Way of the World, White set out to spread the wealth. Never having lost his interest in collaborating and behind-the-scenes session work, he signed on to co-produce This Is Niecy, the debut album by up-and-coming star Deniece Williams. The disc hit big, thanks in part to "Watching Over"—a deep, wildly infectious disco cut that’s the only track on the album also co-written by White. Not only does it perfectly capture Williams’ youthful charisma and punch, it lets slip a little of Earth, Wind & Fire’s cosmic-gospel love vibe.
The Emotions: "Best of My Love" (1977)
Disco made its biggest splash in 1977, and White was at the epicenter. He co-produced the Emotions’ album, Rejoice, which came out that year—but more than that, he co-wrote the record’s lead single, "Best of My Love." Ideally straddling the line between the warmth of funk and the sophistication of disco, it’s a pivotal song in R&B history; accordingly, it went platinum and became a definitive anthem of the era. The Emotions subsequently returned the favor, adding their lush harmonies to Earth, Wind & Fire on their 1979 hit "Boogie Wonderland."
Weather Report: "And Then" (1978)
"Maurice’s whole vision was to kinda sneak a little jazz on people and make it commercial." So revealed Philip Bailey, White’s co-lead vocalist in Earth, Wind & Fire—not that it was any big secret. White’s immersion in jazz never left his work, as evidenced by "And Then," a song on Weather Report’s 1978 album Mr. Gone. Panned at the time for its unabashed commercialism, the record in hindsight is delight, with "And Then" being a high point. Backed by the band’s all-star lineup of Wayne Shorter, Josef Zawinul, Steve Gadd, and Jaco Pastorius, White—along with protégé Deniece Williams—lays down a vocal that’s all honey and hope, as rich as it is accessible.
Maurice White: "I Need You" (1985)
Throughout his long, storied career working with numerous groups and artists of all statures, White only took time out to release one solo album: 1985’s Maurice White. It’s not a far stretch from the smooth, slick pop he spent most of the '80s crafting for others, but there’s something poignant about White, always surrounded by so many other voices and visions, finally stripping down naked for the mic. "I Need You" is a sultry yet subtle standout on the album, a song that didn’t cry out histrionically for attention because, frankly, White had nothing to prove. It’s just a pristine, heartfelt '80s love jam, pure and simple.
Nojazz: "Kool" (2005)
After many years of slick, world-class pop collaborations with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and Cher, White circled back to the funky side later in life. In 2005, as Parkinson’s was forcing him to retreat from the stage, he contributed vocals to "Kool," a bouncy, brassy track by the French hip-hop group Nojazz. Not that "Kool" isn’t a world-class pop collaboration in its own right: It’s the first and only time White teamed up on record with his friend, contemporary, and fellow traveler, Stevie Wonder.