- Born
- Died
- Nicknames
- Reese
- Rooney
- Moe
- Height5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
- Maurice was born in Memphis on December 19, 1941, but moved to Chicago as a teenager. His father, Verdine, was a doctor. For many years, they lived in the South Shore section on the South Side. He attended Crane Junior College and the Chicago Conservatory of Music. It was while he was at the conservatory that he got the call to fill in for a drummer a Betty Everett session. The song was "You're No Good" and it marked White's debut as a session drummer. He played on many sessions for Chicago based artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, The Impressions, The Dells, Little Milton, Howlin' Wolf and Billy Stewart. Soon after, he was touring with The Dells as their drummer. Then Isaac "Red" Holt left the Ramsey Lewis Trio and Maurice replaced him. He spent three years (1966-69) with Ramsey before deciding to form his own group. Hiring a local band that included his younger brother Verdine, Maurice founded the Salty Peppers and later changed the name to Earth, Wind & Fire (in IMDb as Earth Wind & Fire) after the elements of the earth. As well as creating hits with the group, he wrote and produced such artists as the Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, Deniece Williams, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Holliday, Pockets and Neil Diamond. Maurice White no longer tours full time with Earth, Wind & Fire. He started feeling the effects of Parkinson's Disease in the late 1980s, and it gradually began to escalate. He still records with the group and performs occasionally.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Mike Tuggle <dvdmike@yahoo.com>
- SpouseMarilyn(1970 - February 3, 2016) (his death, 3 children)
- ChildrenHamia WhiteKahbran WhiteEden White
- ParentsEdna WhiteVerdine Adams
- RelativesVerdine White(Sibling)Fred White(Sibling)Geraldine White(Sibling)Monte White(Sibling)
- Memphis high school classmate and bandmate of Booker T. Jones.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 (as a member of Earth Wind & Fire).
- Earth, Wind, & Fire were awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
- Was friends with David Porter, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, David Foster, Neil Diamond, and Jesse Jackson.
- Brother of Verdine White, and Fred White.
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