The Tragic Death Of Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer Fred White
On January 1, Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire announced that his brother and fellow bandmate had died. "Dearest Family Friends and Fans.....Our family is saddened today With the loss of an amazing and talented family member, Our beloved brother Frederick Eugene 'Freddie' White. He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels!" he announced on Instagram. Verdine continued, adding that Fred was a "child protegé" who had gold records by the time he was 16 years old.
"But more than that at home and beyond he was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous! And we could always count on him to make a seemingly bad situation more light hearted!" Verdine added. He concluded by thanking fans for their support and told Fred, "Soar high baby bro, we love you to the shining [stars] and back!"
Fellow musicians were saddened by the news of Fred's death. "Sending my love and deepest condolences to you and the family. I was blessed to have been in his presence and blessed to have been influenced by him. A true king. Rest in power," Lenny Kravitz wrote. The band Chicago shared, "So very sad. Truly sorry to hear this." With such a beloved member of Earth, Wind & Fire gone, many will miss the contributions Fred made to the popular band.
Earth, Wind & Fire had much success over the years
Fred White started playing the drums when he was only 9 years old, according to Spin. He began his career as Donny Hathaway's drummer and then joined Earth, Wind & Fire when he was 19 years old. First formed in 1970, the band achieved success with their hit song "Shining Star" in 1975, which won them their first Grammy, according to their website.
The band would go on to win five more Grammys over the years, with 17 nominations under their belt. In 2016, Earth, Wind & Fire won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Four years later, the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, per Drum! They performed "Shining Star" and "That's the Way of the World" during the gala, with Fred White at the drums.
Earth, Wind & Fire may best be known for their smash hits "September," "Shining Star," and "Boogie Wonderland." The band's song resonated with many generations and undoubtedly, Fred's funky rhythmic playing helped propel them to the top. He left the band in the 1980s and joined them again in 2000 when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, per the New York Post. Fred's cause of death has not been revealed as of this writing. He was 67 years old.