R&B-funk合唱團Earth, Wind & Fire的創團者、鼓手、作曲與製作人Maurice White，二月四日去世 (74歲)，他從1992年開始就為帕金森氏病所苦。
孟非斯出生的他，少年時期就移居芝加哥，早年在Chess唱片公司錄音室當鼓手，跟the Impressions、Etta James、Muddy
Waters 及 the Dells合作過，1966年他被Ramsey Lewis賞識，邀請他加入Ramsey的三重唱，參與過九張專輯的錄音，1969年Maurice開始了自己的歌唱之路，他組了一個the Salty Peppers合唱團，但沒多久他轉往洛杉磯發展而解散了那個合唱團，並成立了Earth, Wind & Fire。
Earth, Wind & Fire有Maurice White的兄弟Verdine和 Fred與主唱Philip Bailey的加入，他們先有一些R&B排行榜的暢銷曲，如 "Love Is Life"
(#43 R&B, #93 Pop - 1971)、 "Mighty Mighty"
(#4 R&B, #29Pop - 1974) 及"Devotion"
(#23 R&B, #33 Pop - 1974)，1975年他們終於以Shining Star (#1 Pop & R&B)雙料冠軍曲打開知名度，接著的"That's The Way Of The World" (#12 Pop, #5 R&B - 1975)、
"Sing A Song" (#5 Pop, #1 R&B - 1976)、
"Got To Get You Into My Life" (#9 Pop, #1 R&B - 1978)、"September
(#8 Pop, #1 R&B - 1979) 及
"Boogie Wonderland" (#6 Pop, #2 R&B R&B - 1979)使他們踏上歌唱事業巔峰。
1992年，Maurice White退出Earth, Wind & Fire的巡迴演唱，但他還擔任Emotions、 Deniece Williams、Barbra
Streisand 及Neil Diamond的監製。
Earth, Wind & Fire合唱團於2000年進入搖滾樂名人堂，2004年進入演唱團體名人堂，Maurice White個人則於2010進入作曲人名人堂。
Earth, Wind & Fire在歷年暢銷歌星、合唱團排行榜獲得第88名，他們名次最好的歌是1975年的冠軍曲Shining Star。
Shining Star
Songwriters
LORENZO DUNN, PHILIP BAILEY, MAURICE WHITE
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams will take you very far
But when you wish upon a dream
Life ain't always what it seems
What'd you see on a night so clear
In the sky so very dear
You're a shining star
No matter who you are
Shining bright to see
What you could truly be (what you could truly
be)
Shining star come in to view
Shine its watchful light on you
Give you strength to carry on
Make your body big and strong
Born a man child of the sun
Saw my work had just begun
Found I had to stand alone
Bless it now I've got my own
So, if you find yourself in need
Why don't you listen to these words of heed
Be a giant grain of sand
Words of wisdom, yes I can
You're a shining star
No matter who you are
Shining bright to see
What you could truly be
You're a shining star
No matter who you are
Shining bright to see
What you could truly be
You're a shining star
No matter who you are
Shining bright to see
What you could truly be
Shinning star for you to see
What your life can truly be
Shinning star for you to see
What your life can truly be
Shinning star for you to see
What your life can truly be
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