Maurice White

Maurice White 是美国音乐人，最著名的是作为乐队 Earth, Wind & Fire 的创始人、领导者、主要词曲作者和首席制作人，并与 Philip Bailey 共同担任主唱。他的愿景将爵士、放克、灵魂乐、福音和非洲节奏融合成一种声音，在全球售出超过 9000 万张专辑，并创作了《September》和《Shining Star》等永恒的热门歌曲。

White 在 22 次提名中获得 7 项格莱美奖，包括凭借《Shining Star》获得的最佳 R&B 组合或团体演唱奖。他入选了摇滚名人堂和词曲作者名人堂。他对卡林巴琴（一种非洲拇指钢琴）的使用成为乐队音乐的标志性元素。如今，他的作品通过流媒体、电影原声带以及由他弟弟 Verdine 领衔的 Earth, Wind & Fire 现场表演的持久人气，继续影响新一代听众。[编辑]

Maurice White 在南孟菲斯长大，与祖母住在 Foote Homes 项目中。他的父亲是一名医生，祖父在新奥尔良弹钢琴。六岁时，他开始在教堂的福音唱诗班唱歌，十几岁时，他在 Booker T. Washington 高中与儿时好友 Booker T. Jones 组建了一支乐队。

青少年时期，White 搬到芝加哥与母亲 Edna 和继父 Verdine Adams 同住，继父是一名医生，偶尔会吹萨克斯风。他在芝加哥音乐学院学习，并开始在当地的夜总会打鼓。1962 年，他加入了 Crane Junior College 的学生三重奏 The Jazzmen。在音乐学院期间，他被叫去为 Betty Everett 的歌曲《You're No Good》担任鼓手，这开启了他作为录音室音乐人的职业生涯。

White 成为 Chess Records 的固定录音室鼓手，为 Etta James、Muddy Waters、Howlin' Wolf、Willie Dixon 和 the Impressions 等艺人录制唱片。1967 年，他取代 Isaac "Red" Holt 加入 Ramsey Lewis Trio，与乐队合作三年，并凭借曲目《Hold It Right There》获得格莱美奖。正是在这段时间，Lewis 向他介绍了卡林巴琴，这种乐器后来定义了 Earth, Wind & Fire 的声音。[编辑]

1969 年，White 离开 Ramsey Lewis Trio，与 Wade Flemons 和 Don Whitehead 组建了 the Salty Peppers。该乐队与 Capitol Records 签约，并以《La La Time》获得地区性热门。两年后，White 搬到洛杉矶，根据他星盘中的三个元素将乐队更名为 Earth, Wind & Fire，并与 Warner Brothers 签约。

突破发生在 1975 年，专辑《That's The Way of The World》销量数百万，并产生了热门歌曲《Shining Star》。在接下来的十年里，乐队发行了一系列经典专辑，包括《Spirit》、《All 'n All》和《I Am》，其中包含《September》、《Let's Groove》和《Boogie Wonderland》等歌曲。1983 年乐队暂停活动时，White 发行了同名个人专辑，并为 Neil Diamond、Barbra Streisand 和 Jennifer Holliday 担任制作人。1987 年，他重组 Earth, Wind & Fire 发行了《Touch The World》，其中产生了 R&B 冠军单曲《System of Survival》。

White 在 1995 年被诊断出帕金森病后停止巡演，但他继续制作和创作。2000 年，他随 Earth, Wind & Fire 入选摇滚名人堂。2016 年，他出版了自传《My Life With Earth, Wind & Fire》，不久后去世。[编辑]

White 被广泛认为是 Earth, Wind & Fire 背后的远见者和创意策划者。他精神化、以非洲为中心的音乐方式将宇宙主题与爱与和谐的普世信息融合在一起。在舞台上，他偏爱 1970 年代放克风格的色彩鲜艳、华丽夸张的服装，而他对卡林巴琴的使用则成为他声音的标志。

媒体始终将他描述为 "远见者" 和 "策划者"。他的音乐跨越了几代人，Earth, Wind & Fire 的歌曲仍然是婚礼、派对和体育赛事中的必备曲目。尤其是《September》以其标志性的 "Ba-dee-ya" 副歌成为文化试金石。歌迷们非常忠诚，乐队作品不断被新听众发现。[编辑]

Maurice White remains a towering figure in the landscape of American music, his legacy sustained not by active campaigning but by the enduring resonance of Earth, Wind & Fire's catalog. While there is no formal moniker like "Beyhive" or "Swifties" specifically dedicated to him as an individual, his fanbase actively engages with his memory through the celebration of his birth on December 19th and the discovery of new archival materials. Recent cultural moments have deepened this connection, particularly the release of the HBO documentary *Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World* in June 2026, which brought his creative genius and business struggles to a new generation. Fans also marked the scheduled premiere of a long-lost orchestral work in May 2026, treating these posthumous releases as significant events that reveal fresh layers of his artistry. The mythology surrounding White focuses less on chaotic stage antics and more on his spiritual philosophy and the creation of timeless anthems like "September," stories fans still retell about his inspiration drawn from dancing in the rain. His influence is described as celestial, a term popularized by the documentary to describe his lasting impact on global culture. Despite this massive engagement, iFANN has evaluated Maurice White and determined that he does not currently hold a placement in the Global Top 1,000 or any Top-100 scope list. Consequently, there is no numeric rank to assign to his current standing in the published rankings.[编辑]

Among friends and family, Maurice White went by the nickname "Reese." A childhood friend of Booker T. Jones and David Porter in Memphis, he made his first professional performance alongside Jones. He introduced the kalimba to mainstream American pop music after learning the instrument from Ramsey Lewis, making it a sonic signature for Earth, Wind & Fire. Before founding the group, his first band, the Salty Peppers, wrote songs for Chicago commercials before securing a recording contract. White also played on sessions for Howlin' Wolf and Little Milton at Chess Records. He publicly revealed his Parkinson's diagnosis during the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2000, and his stepfather was Verdine Adams, a doctor and occasional saxophonist. Legends often recount how White wrote "September" to capture eternal joy after witnessing a couple dancing in the rain, a story that cements the song's status as an anthem of happiness. Another chapter of his modern legend involves the 2026 premiere of a long-lost orchestral composition, discovered and performed 23 years after its creation, proving his ambition extended far beyond pop music.[编辑]

White 是一位医生的儿子，在一个音乐家庭中长大；他的祖父在新奥尔良弹钢琴。他有一个同母异父的弟弟 Verdine White，后来成为 Earth, Wind & Fire 的贝斯手，至今仍随乐队巡演。另一个弟弟 Fred White 于 1974 年加入乐队担任鼓手。

White 与 Marilyn 结婚，育有三个孩子：女儿 Hemeya 和儿子 Kahbran 与 Eden。这段婚姻以离婚告终。他在加利福尼亚州拥有两处房产，一处位于 Carmel Valley，另一处是洛杉矶的一套公寓。他是篮球和网球的爱好者。[编辑]

White 的童年好友 Booker T. Jones 是他的第一位乐队伙伴。他的同父异母弟弟 Verdine White 在 Earth, Wind & Fire 中担任贝斯手，弟弟 Fred White 于 1974 年加入担任鼓手。Ramsey Lewis 是他的导师，向他介绍了卡林巴琴。White 曾为 Deniece Williams、The Emotions、Neil Diamond 和 Barbra Streisand 担任制作人和创作人。[编辑]

White 娶了一位名叫 Marilyn 的女子，但他们的结婚和离婚具体日期没有广泛记载。这段婚姻育有三个孩子：Hemeya、Kahbran 和 Eden。离婚后，White 对自己的个人生活保持低调，并未公开再婚。2016 年去世时，他并未处于恋爱关系中。[编辑]

Maurice White died on Wednesday, February 4, 2016, at his home in Los Angeles, California. He was 74 years old when he passed away due to complications related to Parkinson's disease, a condition that had previously sidelined him from active touring while he continued to produce and write music for the band until the end. Tributes poured in immediately from peers like Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie, as well as former President Barack Obama, who highlighted his impact on music and culture. Earth, Wind & Fire issued a statement honoring his legacy, and the group observed moments of silence during subsequent performances, including the Grammy Awards where they performed in his honor. Following the announcement, sales figures for the band's catalog surged globally, with their music re-entering charts worldwide.

A private funeral service was held shortly after his death, though specific details regarding the location, date, and attendees remained undisclosed to respect the family's wish for privacy. His burial site is not publicly confirmed but is understood to be in the United States. Posthumous efforts to preserve his work include the production of a documentary titled Earth, Wind & Fire: The Weight of the World , which explores the band's history through interviews with industry leaders and family members. In March 2026, a long-lost orchestral piece titled "Passages," originally commissioned in 2002, premiered by the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra in Long Beach. The estate continues to manage licensing and royalties for the extensive catalog.[编辑]

Per iFANN's editorial analysis, Maurice White's net worth at the time of his death in 2016 was estimated at $12 Million. This wealth accumulated primarily through songwriting and publishing royalties from the extensive Earth, Wind & Fire catalog, fees earned from record production, and real estate holdings located in California. His estate continues to generate revenue from streaming royalties, licensing fees for film and television appearances, posthumous reissues, and merchandise sales. His autobiography, My Life With Earth, Wind & Fire, remains in print and available to readers. The estate is managed by his family, likely including his brother Verdine White.[编辑]

White 在 22 项提名中赢得了七项格莱美奖。他的个人竞赛获奖包括凭借《Shining Star》获得的最佳 R&B 二人组或团体演唱奖，以及与 Ramsey Lewis Trio 共同获得的格莱美奖。他的大多数格莱美奖是作为 Earth, Wind & Fire 的制作人和成员获得的。[编辑]