Verdine White Earth Wind and Fire’s Facebook page announced the passing of their founder, on their Facebook page, Earth Wind and Fire. "My brother, hero and best friend Maurice White passed away peacefully last night in his …show more content…
It was during that time that he played for some of the greatest musical artists around, who consistently topped the charts in R&B, blues, and jazz. Mr. White was a drummer for major groups like Etta James, Buddy Guy, The Impressions, The Dells, Chester Burnett, Little Milton, Fontella Bass, Sonny Stitt, and Billy Stewart.
Mr. White was making a name for himself, so in1966 he joined the Ramsey Lewis Trio and they released hits including Wade in the Water and Maiden Voyage. Although Maurice started out with the drums, he also played a kalimba on the song Uhuru. This instrument is like a little thumb piano and it is believed to have originated in Africa. The group released nine albums while he was a member, but then Maurice decided it was time to form his own group. He left the Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1969 and founded his own group, Salty Peppers. The Salty Peppers, which included Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead, had the hit song, La La Time and shortly after that, the band left their homes in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles. However, the group did not survive long after that and the Salty Peppers went their separate