“font-family: Verdana; line-height: 13px;”>“When you think of 40 years, you can’t fathom it,” said singer Philip Bailey. “My oldest son is actually turning 40 in September, and I remember very distinctly that he was just born when I got into Earth, Wind and Fire.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Back then when he was bouncing his baby boy on his lap, Bailey had no idea what to expect when he joined the band.
“mso-spacerun: yes;”> band’s mission of making music that inspires, uplifts and encourages while celebrating the diverse beauty of the art form.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>With the elemental power suggested by the band name, Earth, Wind and Fire swept through the music industry and forever changed popular music as some of the best and brightest musicians of their time teamed up and made history.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Like a proud father, Bailey doted on his beloved brotherhood and the musical partnerships that transcended genres and will inspire generations to come.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It was not anything that we could have imagined. We were just focused on trying to remain true to our passion of music and trying to do it with excellence – as we are now,” Bailey said.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“And we’re just really blessed that it has moved so many people worldwide for so many years and is still doing so and that we’re still out there performing and traveling on the level that we’re on. It’s a great feeling.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”> Deep STL love
As they honor
their landmark 40th year of making music, EWF returns to
the road and will invite St. Louis to their special anniversary
celebration tour this Saturday.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>St. Louis “font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>has a special significance to the band in more ways than one.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“Most people my age would know the deep musical history of St. Louis and all of the jazz greats that have come out of that area,” Bailey said. “And the deep love that people have for music and great musicians. People from St. Louis are able to appreciate music from a whole different level, and it’s always a great experience for us to perform there.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Part of that rich St. Louis musical history intersects with EWF’s. The angelic first tenor tone of St. Louis’ own Donny Hathaway was the featured vocalist on the EWF demo tapes shopped to record labels that landed the band a deal with Warner Brothers after it was co-founded by Verdine and Maurice White in Chicago in 1969.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Few vocalists can match the lasting impression Hathaway leaves on listeners, but Bailey rose to the challenge with his falsetto. High notes and improvisation on EWF classics such as “Devotion” and “Reasons” have allowed Bailey to become one of the most identifiable voices in music.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“My vocal instrument is something that I’m always discovering,” Bailey said. “I just go out there and let the Lord move me in the way that he sees fit, and I’m glad that the audience appreciates it.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>St. Louis “font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>loves him back. One of the greatest musicians to emerge from this area, East St. Louis jazz composer and trumpeter Miles Davis, said Earth, Wind and Fire was his “all-time favorite band.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>An inspired audience “font-family: Verdana; line-height: 13px;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Bailey said he feels blessed with the opportunity to perform the band’s positive lyrics.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“I think one of the beautiful things about Earth, Wind and Fire is that the choices we’ve made to lyrically sing messages that were positive and uplifting and that several generations can sing and enjoy,” Bailey said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It is something that we will always look to as being very, very proud that we made that choice, because it’s really redemptive in terms of when we look at our legacy. It’s something we can look back and say that was a good decision to follow our hearts and say what was on our hearts that was uplifting and brought some life.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The lyrics to songs like “Keep Your Head to the Sky” and “Shining Star” (the band’s only No. 1 single) read like personal affirmations to carry one through trying times and reminded listeners of their personal worth.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s been something. Looking back and singing some of the songs, the songs have really spoken to us at certain times – spoken to me at certain times – in a very uplifting and empowering way,” Bailey said. “The very message I was giving out to somebody else has come back and blessed me.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The band’s success has rewarded EWF members with benefits that go beyond the intangible. Seven Top 10 singles, Six Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are just a few of the awards that they share, along with countless gold and platinum records.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>For them, the reward of creating music that moves and inspires people trumps any of the public accolades or profits they have received.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s really a process of, first, us being totally enamored and in love with the music and then creating music that we felt and was moving us,” Bailey said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It was very intentional. From the inception of EWF, Maurice’s vision was to lift the consciousness of humanity with the music. What we want you to experience is life in a more fulfilling and enriching way, and we hope that our music accompanies that life in a way that you can celebrate.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Earth, Wind and Fire will perform at the Fox Theatre on Saturday, June 18 at 8 p.m. For more information, visit
“http://www.metrotix.com/”>www.metrotix.com 534-1111.
