Earth, Wind & Fire has endured heartbreak over the past decade, but one of its founding family members is still carrying the band’s legacy forward.
Verdine White turns 75 on July 25. As the younger brother of founder Maurice White, who died in 2016, and drummer Fred White, who died in 2023, Verdine is now the last surviving White brother. More than five decades after joining the group, he also remains the only member from the band’s original lineup era still performing with Earth, Wind & Fire.
Verdine joined his older brother in Los Angeles in 1970, shortly before the group adopted the name Earth, Wind & Fire. His melodic, energetic bass playing quickly became one of the band’s defining trademarks as the group fused soul, funk, jazz, R&B, pop and rock into a sound unlike anything else on the radio.
The results speak for themselves. Earth, Wind & Fire has sold more than 90 million records worldwide and collected six Grammy Awards, while earning induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and receiving the Kennedy Center Honors.
Rolling Stone has praised the band’s “talent for writing joyously optimistic soul anthems” and how they “evolved from a visionary funk-rock band to a cosmopolitan ensemble that incorporated easy pop, jazz and disco,” and VH1 called them “one of the greatest bands of the 20th century.”
Few bands boast a catalog as beloved as Earth, Wind & Fire’s. Classics including “Shining Star,” “That’s the Way of the World,” “September,” “Fantasy,” “Let’s Groove,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “After the Love Has Gone” remain staples of radio, movies, television and celebrations around the world.
Even after the deaths of Maurice and Fred, Verdine has continued performing, helping keep the music and spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire alive for longtime fans while introducing it to new generations. In recent years, the band has continued touring, collaborating with contemporary artists and even made a memorable guest appearance during Sabrina Carpenter’s 2025 Lollapalooza set, proving the music still resonates across generations.
As he celebrates his milestone 75th birthday, Verdine White stands not only as one of music’s great bassists but as the enduring heartbeat of one of the most influential and successful bands in popular music history.
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