Listen Live
Basketball Mayhem
101.1 The Wiz Featured Video
CLOSE

Maurice White, the cofounder, chief songwriter and producer of one of the greatest musicals group ever, Earth, Wind & Fire, passed away on Wednesday in his Los Angeles residence.

Maurice’s death was confirmed by his brother and fellow bandmate Verdine White to the Associated Press on Thursday.

He was 74.

In Verdine’s statement to AP, he said, “My brother, hero and best friend Maurice White passed away peacefully last night in his sleep. While the world has lost another great musician and legend, our family asks that our privacy is respected as we start what will be a very difficult and life changing transition in our lives. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.”

Prior to his passing, the famous musician battled long and hard against Parkinson’s disease, which he began to show symptoms of in the ’80s. As a result, he was forced to stop touring with the iconic funk band in 1994.

Born in 1941, Maurice helped create Earth, Wind & Fire in the ’60s. Since the creation of the historic band, Maurice and the rest of the members have amassed an impressive collection of awards including seven Grammys and 21 nominations. The band is responsible for the timeless singles such as “Boogie Wonderland,” “Shining Star” and “Can’t Hide Love,” to name a few.

Maurice is also a part of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.

An outpouring of messages flooded social media to pay. respect to the fallen star on Thursday.

Many fans were devastated upon hearing the unfortunate news:

Artists and celebrities chimed in with a few remarks about the idol:

Earth, Wind & Fire will be receiving the lifetime achievement award at the 2016 Grammy Awards.

RIP to a legend.

SOURCE: Associated Press

 

Musicians, Fans React To The Death Of Earth Wind & Fire’s Legendary Maurice White  was originally published on globalgrind.com

Leave a Reply