Verdine White is the
bassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
for
Earth, Wind & FireEarth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
and the younger brother of fellow band member
Maurice WhiteMaurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
. White is known for his high energy and dancing while playing his bass guitar during Earth, Wind & Fire
concertA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s.
Early life
Verdine was born in Chicago,
IllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on July 25, 1951. His father, Verdine Sr., was a doctor who also played the
saxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. He grew up listening to recordings of
Miles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
,
John ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
, and other
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musicians. He was also influenced by his two drummer brothers, Fred and
Maurice WhiteMaurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
and by the "Motown sound and the Beatles. When he was 15, he saw a
Double bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
in his
high schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
orchestra class and then decided that he wanted to play bass.
He soon got a red
electric bassElectric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
and taking the advice of Maurice and his father took private lessons from Radi Velah of the
Chicago Symphony OrchestraThe Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
, learning the Bille double bass method and on weekends he learned the electric bass with
Chess RecordsChess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
session bassist and trombonist Louis Satterfield, who would later become a member of Earth, Wind & Fire’s famed
horn sectionIn music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
,
The Phenix Hornsare Earth, Wind & Fire, Phil Collins and Genesis's brass main section. The four members were Don Myrick on saxophones, Louis "Lui Lui" Satterfield on trombone, Rahmlee Michael Davis on trumpet and Michael Harris on trumpet.-The Pharaohs:...
. Verdine says he learned everything about the bass guitar from Louis Satterfield, and some of his early bass influences were
James JamersonJames Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
,
Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, and
Gary KarrGary Karr b. November 20, 1941 in Los Angeles, California, is an American classical double bass virtuoso and teacher.- Biography :Although he comes from seven generations of bassists, he was not encouraged by them to go into music...
.
Moving toward a newly bought
Fender TelecasterThe Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
bass instead of the upright bass, Verdine began working the Chicago club scene with local bands. Meanwhile, brother Maurice, who was a former session drummer at
Chess RecordsChess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
and a member of pianist Ramsey Lewis’s trio, had formed the Salty Peppers, scoring a local hit that caught the ears of
Capitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. In early 1970 Maurice moved to Los Angeles, hoping to record the group, which he had re-named Earth, Wind & Fire and called up Verdine asking whether he would like to join, which he did, arriving in Los Angeles on June 6, 1970.
Earth, Wind & Fire
As a member of Earth, Wind & Fire, White has won six
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, and has been Grammy nominated seventeen times. As a EWF member he has also been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, the
Vocal Group Hall of FameThe Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
and the band has also earned more than 50 gold and platinum albums and have sold over 90 million albums worldwide earning them a place on the
list of best-selling music artists.
In November 2008 Verdine was presented with Bass Player magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award by
Nathan EastNathan Harrell East is a jazz, R&B and rock bass player and vocalist. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California, San Diego...
link. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Philanthropy
In 2007 Verdine was inducted into the Boys and Girls Club's Alumni Hall of Fame. White is also the co-founder of the Verdine White Foundation which aims to provide musical education to underprivileged and gifted students.
Personal life
He lives in
Cary GrantArchibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
’s old Los Angeles neighborhood, in a house built in 1919 with his wife of 26 years Shelly Clark of the R&B group
Honey ConeHoney Cone was an American R&B and soul all girl vocal group, who are best remembered for their Billboard #1 hit single, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by Holland–Dozier–Holland after they had departed from Motown Records.-Career:Honey Cone comprised...
.
Solo discography
- 1974 Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...
: Sun Goddess - (bass, vocals)
- 1975 Ramsey Lewis: Electric Collection - (bass, vocals)
- 1976 Gene Harris
Gene Harris was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz....
: In a Special WayIn a Special Way is an album by American jazz pianist Gene Harris recorded in 1976 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album 4 stars stating "Harris crafted a record that revels in contemporary soul trends from the mid-'70s --...
- (bass)
- 1976 The Emotions
The Emotions are an American all female soul and R&B singing group. The group was formed in its current hometown of Chicago, Illinois originally consisting of the three Hutchinson sisters, all the children of Joseph and Lillian Hutchinson....
: Flowers-Side one:#"I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" #"Me for You" #"You've Got the Right to Know"...
- (bass)
- 1976 Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
: This Is NiecyThis Is Niecy is the debut album by Gary, Indiana singer Deniece Williams. Released in 1976 on Columbia Records. Produced by Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White along with Charles Stepney.-Reception:...
- (bass)
- 1977 The Emotions: Rejoice
Rejoice is an album by The Emotions released on Columbia Records and produced by Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire. The album contains the highly successful number one Pop, R&B and Disco hit, "Best of My Love" and Rejoice has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA. Rejoice was also the...
- (bass)
- 1977: Gene Harris: Tone Tantrum
Tone Tantrum is an album by American jazz pianist Gene Harris recorded in 1977 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Jason Ankeny awarded the album 3½ stars stating "Gene Harris never veered closer to mainstream jazz-funk than Tone Tantrum -- a slick, propulsive...
- (bass)
- 1977 Deniece Williams : Song Bird
Song Bird is a 1977 album by Deniece Williams. The album went to number 23 and number 66 on the Black and Pop album Charts respectively. The single Baby, Baby My Love's All For You reached number 13 and number 32 on the Black and UK singles....
- (bass)
- 1978 The Emotions: Sunbeam
Sunbeam is an album by The Emotions. Sunbeam has been certified Gold by the RIAA.-Side one:#"Smile" #"Love Is Right On"...
- (bass)
- 1983 Level 42
Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
: Standing in the LightStanding in the Light is the fourth studio album released by the British jazz-funk band Level 42. The album, released in 1983, generated the group's first top 10 in the UK album charts, peaking in #9...
- (producer)
- 1997 Urban Knights
The Urban Knights is an all-star smooth jazz band which features one of the jazz greats, pianist Ramsey Lewis. Their first self-titled debut album in 1995 included prominent musicians Grover Washington, Jr., Omar Hakim, Victor Bailey and the Emotions to name a few...
: Urban Knights IIUrban Knights II is a jazz album by Urban Knights which was released on GRP records in 1997. The album reached number 5 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart.-Track listing :#Scirroco 4:03...
- (bass, producer)
- 2002 Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
: This Is Me... ThenThis Is Me... Then is the third studio album by American recording artist Jennifer Lopez, released on November 19, 2002 by Epic Records. The album debuted at number six on the U.S. Billboard 200 selling 314,000 copies during its first week, then propelled to number two two months later remaining...
- (bass)
External links