Overview

In Do You Remember? Celebrating Fifty Years of Earth, Wind & Fire, Trenton Bailey traces the humble beginning of Maurice White, his development as a musician, and his formation of Earth, Wind & Fire, a band that became a global phenomenon during the 1970s. By the early 1980s, the music industry was changing, and White had grown weary after working constantly for more than a decade. He decided to put the band on hiatus for more than three years. The band made a comeback in 1987, but White’s health crisis soon forced them to tour without him. During the twenty-first century, the band has received numerous accolades and lifetime achievement and hall of fame awards. The band remains relevant today, collaborating with younger artists and maintaining their classic sound. Earth, Wind & Fire stood apart from other soul bands with their philosophical lyrics and extravagant visual art, much of which is studied in the book, including album covers, concerts, and music videos. The lyrics of hit songs are examined alongside an analysis of the band’s chart success. Earth, Wind & Fire has produced twenty-one studio albums and several compilation albums. Each album is analyzed for content and quality. Earth, Wind & Fire is also known for using ancient Egyptian symbols, and Bailey thoroughly details those symbols and Maurice White’s fascination with Egyptology. After enduring many personnel changes, Earth, Wind & Fire continues to perform around the world and captivate diverse audiences.

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9781496843104

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Finding complete books about African American bands from the 1970s is a much harder task than it should be. This detailed examination of the biggest of all of those bands is essential reading for anyone who loves the music of Earth, Wind & Fire.--Marcus Chapman, music historian, radio personality, author, and on-screen contributor to TV One's Unsung Do You Remember? is an essential, breakthrough installment in what should be a generation of thoughtful reappraisals of the band that is Earth, Wind & Fire. The detailed information given here is essential and will establish this book in the field.--Rickey Vincent, author of Funk: The Music, the People and the Rhythm of the One

Author Information

Trenton Bailey is a historian from Memphis, Tennessee, who currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. An honors graduate of Morehouse College, he earned his PhD in humanities with a concentration in African American studies from Clark Atlanta University. Bailey has taught courses in world history, African history, and African American history at Clark Atlanta University, Georgia State University, and Morehouse College. He has done extensive research on the history of Morehouse College and has taught a course on the same. Bailey was the coordinator for the Morehouse Oral History Project and assistant coordinator for the Morehouse King Collection, and he continues to produce scholarship about Morehouse College. His research interests include classic funk music history, African American ingenuity, and African civilizations. Bailey is a member of various organizations related to African American life and culture.

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