This week a true musical legend and genius passed, Maurice
White, the founder and leader of Earth, Wind and Fire after years of battling Parkinson’s
disease. EWF became my favorite band, musicians, song writers, etc. when I was
about 7 or 8 years old. They supplanted the previous reign of Al Green
and the
Jackson 5, only later to be joined by the likes of Prince, and Miles Davis.
I got my first 2 EWF albums when I was about 9, That’s the Way of The World, and Spirit during
an outing with my mom to the record store.
I wore those albums out for many years, until switching to cassette and later
CD and now my iTunes. I collected as many of their albums as I could, studied
every dust jacket, and new the words to every song.
I quickly attached to White for because of his writing,
leadership and the inspirational and spiritual message that lived in every
note.
They also made an amazing connection with the music of the
African diaspora, not many of us new what a kalimba was before them, but we are
now will well aware of its awesome sounds, and African roots.
I cried, wished I was making love, and made love countless
times to Reasons, and other well crafted, and sung ballads.
That’s the Way of World, Spirit, Head to the Sky, and See
the Light still fill me with amazing spirit and hope for a brighter world and
future.
I danced to Let’s Groove, Boogie Wonderland, Getaway, and
Shining Star. I even remember creating a dance performance with my brother and
neighbors whom I indoctrinated into the greatest of EWF.
I soaked in the lessons of how to love from All About Love,
Love’s Holiday, You, Imagination, Can’t Hide Love, After the Love is Gone, and
countless other songs.
White always emphasized inspiring versus entertaining, and
yes EWF could create an amazing stage show, unfortunately I never saw them
live, but I believe White and EWF’s greatest gift was inspiring the heart and
souls of many across this planet. I was lucky enough as a kid to hear many
stories from adults that did see them live and could attest first hand.
There reach into soul, R&B, jazz, funk, gospel, rock was
amazing; while bridging African, Brazilian and Latin rhythms. A global ambassador
before the world had started to see itself as one.
I remember fondly my “arguments” with a childhood friend
about who was greater EWF or The Who, we would later concede both were great,
but I know my insistent chants of the greatness of White and EWF would have
never led him to discover the music, and the great bass guitar play of White’s
brother Verdine.
I play the music now for my children, always reminding them
of the greatness and the message. My friends and family the last few years have
had to listen to replays of See the Light over and over again, as my spiritual
awakening allowed me to see that song and many others in a new space and light.
They started their performances with a spiritual prayer, an understanding
of their spiritual connection and their connection to Africa. Very few musical
artists in this time or any took the risk to truly embrace spirituality into
their music while breaking barriers, it cost them fans when confusion of what
they were “worshipping” was put in questions, but in the end they were only spreading
love.
White spent his last years suffering from a horrific
disease. It is hard to see someone who inspired so many with his huge spirit
suffer for so long. I had tears in my eyes as I watched him struggle during EWF's
Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction and other later performances. In the end,
it is those with those powerful and indelible spirts that have the gentleness
to face suffering with light.
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