Maurice White joins two friends in Chicago, IL (Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead) and co-founds The Salty Peppers. They release two singles on Capitol Records, "La La Time" b/w "La La Time (Part II)" or "La La La (Part I)" b/w "La La La (Part II)" and "Uh Huh Yeah" b/w "Your Love Is Life."
Maurice, whose astrological sign, Sagittarius, has a primary elemental quality of Fire and seasonal qualities of Earth and Air (hence the omission of Water, the fourth classical element), moves to California and changes the band's name, to "Earth, Wind & Fire". Earth, Wind & Fire then releases their self-titled debut album. The album includes the tracks "Help Somebody," "Love Is Life" and "C'mon Children."
In Janaury 15, 1971 Earth, Wind & Fire's self-titled debut album is released to critical acclaim and enters the Billboard album chart, peaking at #172. Unlike the work of most early funk bands, the songwriting was as strong and focused as the musicianship. The record boasts a set of unerringly positive compositions, reflecting the influence of the civil rights movement with nearly every song urging love, community, and knowledge as alternatives to the increasing hopelessness plaguing American society.
Earth, Wind & Fire performs the soundtrack to Melvin Van Peebles' groundbreaking black independent film, 'Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Last Days And Time. The album includes the tracks “Mom,” a cover of Pete Seeger’s "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" and “Power,” an eight-minute proto-disco eruption that begins with a lone kalimba and climaxes with screaming guitars and pulsating percussion.
After 2 LPs, White decides to restructure Earth, Wind & Fire. Singer Philip Bailey joins a reconfigured Earth, Wind & Fire, with only brothers Maurice and Verdine White remaining from the original lineup. A performance at New York's Rockefeller Center introduces EWF to Clive Davis, who is, at the moment, the President of Columbia Records. Davis is very impressed with the band's performance and brings their contract from Warner Bros. The newly formed group signs with CBS/Columbia Records.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Head To The Sky. Head to the Sky gives the group their first two legitimate hit singles, "Evil", which is co-written by Maurice and Philip, and "Keep Your Head to the Sky", both of which reach the top 30, the top 60 and the R&B pop charts respectively.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Open Our Eyes. In May 1974, the single "Mighty Mighty" becomes Earth, Wind & Fire's first single to crack the Pop Top Forty, peaking at No.29. Thanks to singles like the “Kalimba Story” the gritty “Mighty Mighty,” and the unforgettable “Devotion,” Open Our Eyes became EWF’s first gold album and went to the top of the R&B charts.
Earth, Wind & Fire performs at 'California Jam' (Cal Jam) held in Ontario, CA. Cal Jam, a West Coast rock festival created as an answer to Woodstock drew an astounding 200,000 concertgoers.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases That's The Way Of The World. Called "one of the strongest albums of the 70's" and "EWF's crowning achievement" by Allmusic’s Alex Henderson and described by Billboard Magazine as "a very tightly produced and performed package", That's the Way of the World included the hit singles "shining Star” and "That’s the Way of the Way of the World" and because of the album, EWF becomes the first black act to top both the Billboard album and singles charts. The band also stars in the film of the same name as the album.
On May 24, 1975 Shining Star," from Earth, Wind & Fire's That's The Way Of The World, reaches #1 on Billboard's singles chart.
On September 20, 1975 Earth, Wind & Fire hit #12 on the Billboard charts with "That's The Way Of The World.
On January 1, 1976 Earth, Wind & Fire releases Gratitude, a double album composed mostly of live concert material from their 1974 and 1975 tours. Rounding out the album are studio tracks like the inspirational “Sing a Song” and the classic “Can’t Hide Love.” Gratitude tops the pop and R&B charts for three weeks. Earth, Wind & Fire's concerts, full of magic and pyrotechnics, help make them most popular R&B band of the mid-Seventies.
On February 28, 1976 Earth, Wind & Fire earns the first of many Grammys, winning for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for "Shining Star."
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Spirit. The album includes the tracks "Getaway," “On Your Face” and "Saturday Nite." "Getaway" is one of the small number of hits written by someone from outside the group. Verdine White heard "Getaway" for the first time from Chuck Davis who was producing Bobbi Humphrey. Maurice thought the song would be a good fit for EWF, so the band took it into the studio and recorded the song. The dense yet supple arrangements of the tracks in spirit are filled with insistent horns, thrumming bass lines and rippling currents of percussion.
The band's concerts during this time were loaded with pyrotechnics, magic, laser lights, flying pyramids, levitating guitarists and elaborate production tricks, that included the entire group ascending in a pyramid and a disappearing act, which saw EWF literally vanishing from sight. Magician Doug Henning directed many of their tours throughout the 1970s with his young assistant, David Copperfield. Their concerts were choreographed by George Faison.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases All 'N All, hitting #13. All 'N All features the hit singles "Serpentine Fire" and "Fantasy", and achieves triple platinum status. Other tracks on the album include "Fantasy," "Love's Holiday" and "Be Ever Wonderful."
Earth, Wind & Fire releases The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. I on November 23, 1978. The album soon hits #6 and goes quintuple platinum. The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. is a succinct ten-track collection of the group’s best and biggest singles up to this point. There is one brand new song, “September,” which soon becomes a hit in its own right and reaches #8 on the charts. Plus, the non-LP Beatles cover “Got to Get You Into My Life,” which was recorded for the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band film, makes its first appearance on an EWF album here.
Earth, Wind & Fire wins three Grammys: Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for 'All 'N All,' Best R&B Instrumental Performance for "Runnin'," and Best Arrangement For Accompanying Vocalist(s) for "Got To Get You Into My Life" (Maurice White). This song, as well as the band, were featured in the movie, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. "Got to Get You into My Life" was the biggest hit from the movie's soundtrack, reaching numbers one and nine on the R&B and Pop singles charts, respectively.
In February, Maurice White launches the American Recording Corporation (ARC), a CBS-distributed label whose artist roster included The Emotions and Deniece Williams. The band also opens a recording studio called "The Complex" in West Los Angeles.
Earth, Wind & Fire performs at 'The Music For UNICEF Concert (A Gift Of Song)' in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations building in New York. The concert is televised internationally and raised money for the UN International Children’s fund. The band also donated their royalties from one of their songs to UNICEF.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases I Am, hitting #2 with "After The Love Has Gone." I Am was the group's ninth album, their seventh for Columbia and their second to be released on the ARC label. Songs from the album included "In the Stone", "Can't Let Go" and the much-anticipated ballad, "After the Love Has Gone” by David Foster, which went to the number 2 spot on the Billboard Pop and R&B charts.
The band toured overseas, headlined shows in Europe and Japan. Though the band had previously overlooked disco, the summer of 1979 saw EWF topping the dance music charts with their most disco inspired single “Boogie Wonderland,” which was produced by Maurice and Al McKay, and featured The Emotions. Even with the song's success, Verdine White claims that band is not a disco band, saying "I guess you could say we were at the party but didn’t get on the dance floor".
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Faces. The double-album includes the tracks "Let Me Talk," "Pride" and "And Love Goes On." Faces, the group's tenth album, was released October 1980 and went gold. In a 2007 interview, when asked which EWF album is his favorite, Maurice White replied "Probably Faces because we were really in tune, playing together and it gave us the opportunity to explore new areas". Earth, Wind & Fire also wins two Grammys: Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for "After The Love Has Gone" and Best R&B Instrumental Performance for "Boogie Wonderland."
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Raise!, hitting #3. The platinum Raise!, EWF's eleventh album is released in the fall of 1981 and features their million selling hit single "Let’s Groove", and the Grammy Award winning "Wanna Be With You".
The first music video to air on BET's first entertainment series, 'Video Soul' is Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove."
Earth, Wind & Fire wins a Grammy, Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group for "Wanna Be With You."
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Powerlight. The early 80’s was a unique window in the history of R&B. Artists distilled the rhythms of disco, making them harder and funkier, thereby birthing a new strain of music alternately known as electric boogie or modern soul. Powerlight incorporates these styles into such hit singles as "Fall in Love With Me" a number 17 pop hit, and "Side By Side." "Powerlight" went gold soon after its release.
EWF contributed "Dance, Dance, Dance" to the animated film Rock & Rule.
Electric Universe, Earth, Wind & Fire's 15th album, is released. The album includes the tracks "Magnetic" and "Touch." Soon after Maurice White decides to disband the group.
Reunited after four years, Earth, Wind & Fire unveils Touch the World. The Gold album went onto #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #33 on The Billboard 200. Featured on the album was a song penned by an unknown songwriter by the name of Skylark called "System of Survival". Released as a single the song became a hit reaching #1 on the Billboard R&B charts and Dance charts, and another single called "Thinking of You" peaked at #1 and #3 on the R&B and Dance charts.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. II. This album is the second collection and covers the band’s disco and late 70’s cuts more than the early tracks. The 2000 CD reissue has two bonus tracks: the 1973 hit “Keep Your Head to the Sky” and “I’ll Write a Song for You,” from the 1977 album All ‘n All.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Heritage. The album includes the tracks "Heritage," "Wanna Be The Man" and "For The Love Of You." Heritage features a collaboration with Sly Stone of Sly & the Family Stone.
The Eternal Dance, a 55-track, three-CD box set spanning Earth Wind & Fire's entire career, is released. The comprehensive box set includes all their hits to date as well as previously unreleased material.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Millennium. The album includes the tracks "Sunday Morning" and "Spend The Night." The single "Sunday Morning" gains a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The album also features the Prince written track Super Hero.
Earth, Wind & Fire receives the NAACP Hall Of Fame Image Award.
Earth, Wind & Fire receives their Star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame. Star is located at 7080 Hollywood Blvd. All of the original members of the group attended the ceremony. Maurice White attributed EWF's success to the support of their fans. During this time, Maurice White retired from touring with the band for health reasons, concentrating more on producing and developing new Earth, Wind & Fire recordings and working with other artists. Philip Bailey was then given the role of onstage leader of the band.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Avatar in Japan. The album includes the tracks "Revolution (Just Evolution)," "Cruising" and "Take You To Heaven."
Earth, Wind & Fire releases In The Name Of Love. The album includes the tracks "In The Name Of Love" and "When Love Goes Wrong."
EWF performed at the 1997 Montreux Jazz Festival and gave an encore performance the following year. Their performance was released on the DVD Earth, Wind & Fire: Live At Montreux 1997.
Earth, Wind & Fire is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at the 15th Annual Induction Dinner on March 6, 2000, by rapper Lil' Kim to a standing ovation. The band's original members Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, Al McKay, Larry Dunn, Andrew Woofolk, Fred White and Johnny Graham played together for the first time in 20 years at the ceremony performing Shining Star and That's The Way Of The World.
Earth, Wind & Fire were the special musical guests at a White House State Dinner in Washington, D.C. hosted by President Clinton, honoring His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, and Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem. So impressed was he by the band's performance that the king personally requested that Earth, Wind & Fire perform in Morocco for his 37th birthday celebration, which took place August 21, 2000.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Shining Stars: The Official Story Of Earth, Wind & Fire on DVD. The Earth, Wind & Fire biography is directed by Kathryn Arnold and told by the people who created it, lived it and made it happen.
Following the September 11 attacks, the band members donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross at a September 13 show at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater in Virginia, which was the band's first concert since the events took place.
Highlight: Earth, Wind & Fire performs at the Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies held in Salt Lake City, UT.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases That's The Way Of The World: Alive in '75. Capturing a series of highlights from EWF's breakthrough 1975 tour – all selected by Maurice White.
Earth, Wind & Fire releases Live In Rio. Recorded during their 1980 performance in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Highlight: Once again, Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago team up for an exciting 3-hour extravaganza during the 2005 touring season. Earth, Wind & Fire collaborated with Chicago for a new recording of Chicago's ballad "If You Leave Me Now" that was included on Chicago's 2005 compilation album Love Songs.
Highlight: For the first time ever, Earth, Wind & Fire performs in Russia.
On June 17, 2002 EWF receives the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The award was presented by Jimmy Jam, ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman and Stevie Wonder.
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