American musician, a singer, percussionist and sessions drummer with Motown and Chess labels. He later toured with Ramsey Lewis for three years. In 1969 he formed the group “Salty Peters” and the following year, brought the band to Los Angeles with the name “Earth, Wind and Fire.” He had first sung at his local church from the time he was six and played drums in high school. While still a student, he was performing locally. After a brief stint in University, White entered the Chicago Conservatory of Music in 1960, studying composition and percussion with James Mack, majoring in music with the goal of becoming a teacher.
In 1962 he began to take gigs as a sessions drummer and was soon working regularly. He made frequent trips to Africa and the middle East during the ’60s, fascinated with Egyptology. He brought back the cultural influence of those trips to his future music.
From the time of their debut album in April 1971, Earth Wind and Fire moved into the upper echelon of the happening groups, moving up the charts and winning awards.
In early 2000, it was revealed that White has been battling Parkinson’s disease, making a rare appearance performing with his band at the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame induction with his band members and other fellow performers.
White died in his sleep after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease at his home in Los Angeles, California, on 4 February 2016, aged 74.
Link to Wikipedia biography