Fred White Dies: Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer During Band’s Heyday Was 67
deadline.comFred White, who played drummer for the Grammy-winning R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire during its 1970s and early-’80s heyday including such classic songs as “September” and “Shining Star,” has died.
He was 67. His brother and bandmate Verdine White announced on social media that White was found dead on New Year’s morning. “Our family is saddened today with the loss of an amazing and talented family member, our beloved brother Frederick Eugene ‘Freddy’ White,” he wrote (see the post below). “He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald in heaven and is now with the angels.” Fred White had been a drummer for Donny Hathaway and other acts when he joined Earth, Wind & Fire in 1974.
He was behind the kit when the band was among the biggest R&B acts in the country, playing on its gold or platinum albums from 1975’s That’s the Way of the World — which topped the Billboard 200 — to 1983’s Electric Universe.
The group scored eight consecutive Top 10 albums from 1975-81, including the live set Gratitude. Earth, Wind & Fire also had seven Top 10 pop singles during that era, ranging from “Shining Star,” which hit No.
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