Earth, Wind & Fire, American pop, soul, and jazz-fusion band that became one of the best-selling and most influential groups of the 1970s. The principal members were Maurice White (b. December 19, 1941, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.—d. February 4, 2016, Los Angeles, California), Philip Bailey (b. May 8, 1951, Denver, Colorado), Verdine White (b. July 25, 1951, Chicago, Illinois), Fred White (b. January 13, 1955, Chicago, Illinois—d.