Earth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire, American pop, soul, and jazz-fusion band that became one of the best-selling and most influential groups of the 1970s.
Group was the brainchild of Maurice White, a drummer raised in Memphis, Tennessee, who moved to Chicago and became a veteran session player at Chess Records and a member of the Ramsey Lewis Trio. He drew upon a wide variety of influences, including his Memphis church-singing roots, his broad recording duties at Chess, and his stint at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, to create a truly original fusion of styles with his innovative group.
Earth, Wind & Fire spawned a number of imitations during the 1970s, as groups adopted mystical three-part names, imitated their elaborate dress and choreography, or attempted to reproduce the poetry, lush orchestration, and mysticism of Earth, Wind & Fire’s albums and concerts. Despite the brief hiatus during the 1980s, White’s group remained an international stage attraction well into the 21st century. In 2000 Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the band received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.