American R&B band formed in Chicago in 1969 by Maurice White. Long-running lineup featured Maurice's brother Verdine White on bass, Philip Bailey (vocals), Ralph Johnson (drums), and a rotating brass section. The band fused jazz, soul, funk, R&B, and pop with elaborate stage productions.
Twenty studio albums between 1970 and 2013. Commercial peak: That's the Way of the World (1975), Gratitude (1975), Spirit (1976), All 'n All (1977), and I Am (1979). Maurice White retired from touring in the 1990s due to Parkinson's disease and died in 2016. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
