RIP Fred White! Drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire, dies at 67
- Fred White was best known as a drummer of the most famous American bands, Earth, Wind & Fire
- Earth, Wind & Fire became one of the best-selling bands of all time in the 1970s and 1980s, selling over 90 million records worldwide
- White recently passed away at the age of 67. The cause of his death hasn’t been disclosed so far
The music world is mourning over the loss of drummer Fred White
Earth, Wind &Fire drummer Fred White is no longer among us.
His death was confirmed by his brother, Verdine White, who was also a member of the band. He was the bassist of the band. Verdine took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news that his younger brother has died at the age of 67.
He wrote in the Instagram post,
“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 continued by paying tribute to his late teammates Maurice, Monte, and Ronald. The statement continued,
“Child protege, member of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with gold records at the young age of 16 years old! He was brother number four in the family line-up.”
“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 then concludes her statement by expressing gratitude to those who have shown their love, blessing, and support during this difficult time. He ended by stating,
“He will live in our hearts forever, rest in power beloved Freddie!! Soar high baby bro, we love you to the shining and back!”
However, the cause of his death hasn’t been disclosed so far.
Condolences and tributes pour in on the passing of beloved Fred White
Fans, friends, and admirers of Fred White began pouring in tributes as soon as Verdine shared the post. In tribute to him, Earth, Wind & Fire‘s official Instagram page posted a video of White playing drums solo with the caption,
“In memoriam: Fred White, 1955-2022. Seen here soloing during our performance of Runnin’, during our Tour of the World in 1979, at Rockpalast in Essen, Germany. Rest in love.”
American singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz remembers the drummer as a “true king”. His comment reads,
“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.”
Kravitz also commented on Verdine White’s Instagram post,
“Sending my love and deepest condolences to you and the family.”
Further, Sheila E, comedian Loni Love, and others were also among those who paid tribute.
What was Fred White best known for?
Fred White began drumming professionally as a teenager about the age of 13. He joined a band that played in clubs at the age of 14. When he was 15 years old, he began playing with the blues musician Donny Hathaway.
He later started performing as a drummer in his brothers, Maurice and Verdine’s band Earth, Wind & Fire. White played on songs including September, Boogie Wonderland, and Shining Star while he was a band member from 1974 to 1984.
He was the drummer for eight of their albums.
In 2000, White was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside his fellow members of Earth, Wind & Fire. The American soul-funk band won six Grammys and four American Music Awards.
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