Biografi
Maurice was born in Memphis on December 19, 1941, and moved to Chicago during his teenage years. His father, Verdine, was a physician. They lived for many years in the South Shore area on the South Side of Chicago. Maurice attended Crane Junior College and the Chicago Conservatory of Music. While at the conservatory, he received a call to substitute as a drummer for a Betty Everett recording session. The song, "You're No Good," marked White's debut as a session drummer. He played on numerous sessions for Chicago-based artists including Etta James, Fontella Bass, The Impressions, The Dells, Little Milton, Howlin' Wolf, and Billy Stewart. Shortly after, he toured as the drummer for The Dells. When Isaac "Red" Holt left the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Maurice took his place, spending three years (1966-69) with Ramsey before deciding to start his own band. He assembled a local group featuring his younger brother Verdine and founded the Salty Peppers, later renaming it Earth, Wind & Fire after the elemental forces. Besides creating hits with the band, he wrote and produced for artists such 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, having begun experiencing symptoms of Parkinson's Disease in the late 1980s, which progressively worsened. However, he continues to record with the group and occasionally performs.
