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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 8 June 2017
Earth, Wind & Fire take to the road with hits _ and sadness

MARK KENNEDY loss last year of their found-
AP Entertainment Writer er Maurice White.
NEW YORK (AP) — Earth, “We’re still healing,” said
Wind & Fire goes on the drummer Ralph Johnson,
road this summer with one of three original mem-
some classic hits, a new bers still playing the band’s
touring partner and linger- infectious hooks. “I think
ing heartache. the way we’ve dealt with it
The hits include “Septem- has been to do the music.”
ber,” ‘’Shining Star” and Concertgoers can expect
“Boogie Wonderland,” a teary memorial to White
while they’ll share the amid the disco grooves
stage with the band Chic, and horn-driven funk. The
featuring Nile Rodgers. The band has always honored
sadness comes from the its missing member — White

In this Feb. 14, 2016 file photo, Verdine White, from left, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson of Earth,
Wind and Fire perform at the 2016 Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Associated Press

stopped touring in 1995 — ing the show’s memorial and Shazam have made
but this time the section has part for fear that tears will their work accessible. A
a final kiss to it. fall. Many fans stop to pull band that started on vinyl
“It’s not something you get out cellphones and cap- turns out to be thriving in
over. Maurice will always be ture the moment. the digital age.
part of us. We cut our teeth “Everything is fun, fun, fun, “They can get to us. They
on Earth, Wind and Fire. He fun. Then we get to that can discover us. And redis-
was our mentor, our leader, section and that’s when cover us and rediscover us
our Elvis, our John Lennon, the show gets heart. All and turn a friend on to us,”
all in one guy,” said White’s we see is just phones,” said said White. “So when we’re
brother, Verdine. White. “It’s heavy. It’s deep. doing the concert, they’re
Earth, Wind & Fire and Chic It’s beautiful, though.” Googling and they’re buy-
embark on their Live Na- Earth, Wind & Fire was in- ing songs they didn’t even
tion tour July 12 in Oakland, ducted into the Rock and know that existed. So ac-
California, and then hits Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, tually I think it’s been a big
New York City, Chicago, played the 2005 Super Bowl help.”
Philadelphia, Atlanta, Bos- halftime show and has six Earth, Wind & Fire and
ton and Washington, D.C., Grammys. The band’s “Got Chic hit the road proving
before concluding Aug. 22 to Get You Into My Life” that nostalgia acts are still
in Detroit. was on President Barack reliable tour sellers. Other
It’s called 2054 The Tour Obama’s first Spotify playl- bands from the 1970s like
and it looks backward to ist. Queen, Foreigner, Bos-
the heyday of the infamous Each generation seems ton, Aerosmith, Kiss, Alice
disco Studio 54 and to a to rediscover the band, in Cooper, Billy Joel and Rod
shiny, electronic future. part because popular cul- Stewart are also touring this
Each venue will be recon- ture can’t get enough of its year.
figured to make it easier for bouncy vibe. Last year, in “I think people will always
the bands to interact with one November weekend, be enamored with bands
dancing fans. the band had three songs that can really play — live
Each night, after unleash- in the world’s top two mov- performance. You can’t
ing a top-heavy string of ies — “Trolls” and “Doctor beat that,” Johnson said.
hits, Earth, Wind & Fire get Strange.” “There’s something you get
serious during the White “We’re part of peoples’ from a live performance
tribute. It comes during the lives. As they say, ‘the you can’t get from a re-
song “That’s the Way of soundtrack of their lives’ — cord or a CD.
the World,” when a video literally,” said White. “They The experience is very dif-
memorial of Maurice White always want pictures: ‘Can ferent.”
plays. He died at 74 last I take this for my dad or my How long will they keep at
year after suffering from mom?’ ‘Will you sign this for it? Until the boogie wonder-
Parkinson’s disease. my dad?’ We get that all land stops.
Johnson and Verdine White the time.” “Maurice wanted a band
— joined by fellow original Satellite and classic rock that could play all genres
member, singer Philip Bai- radio keep the band’s hits of music and a band that
ley — said they try to avoid alive and online services would not be standing still
looking at each other dur- like iTunes, SoundCloud onstage. q