Fred White, a former Earth, Wind & Fire drummer, died, his brother confirmed on social media. He was 67 years old at the time.
“Our family is heartbroken today with the loss of an incredible and talented family member, our beloved brother Frederick Eugene ‘Freddie’ White,” Verdine White wrote. “He now drums with the angels alongside our brothers Maurice, Monte, and Ronald in heaven!”
Fred White was a member of Earth, Wind & Fire from 1971 until 1984 when the band disbanded. Verdine White, the band’s founding bassist, referred to him as “an EWF ORIGINAL 9 member.”
The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
According to Pitchfork, Fred White toured as a drummer before graduating from high school and joined Earth, Wind & Fire before the age of 20. Maurice White, who died in 2016 at the age of 74, was also a founding member of the band, serving as bandleader, principal songwriter, and producer, as well as one of the group’s lead singers.
The band also confirmed Fred White’s death on its Instagram page, posting a video clip of White performing a drum solo while the band was on tour in Essen, Germany, in 1979. The video shows White smiling and blowing kisses to the cheering crowd.
“We could always count on him to lighten up a seemingly bad situation,” Verdine White wrote. “He will live on in our hearts forever, beloved Freddie!!”
