Fred White, best known for being the drummer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire died on Monday, January 3. His brother Verdine White, who was one of the founding members of the band, confirmed the news on Instagram. The drummer was 67 years old.
“Dearest family, friends and fans … Our family is saddened today with the loss of an amazing and talented family member, our beloved brother Frederick Eugene ‘Freddie’ White,” Verdine White wrote on Instagram.
Also read: Trevor Bickford family: Parents Audra D’Antilio, Thomas Kimo Bickford, grandmother Patti Bickford
“He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels! Child protege, member of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with gold records at the young age of 16 years old! He was brother number 4 in the family lineup,” he added.
White said that Fred was found dead at his home and did not mention anything about how he died. It is thus possible to say that he died a natural death at his home.
The details about the drummer’s wife and children are not known. Due to his private life, information on them is not publicly available. It is not even clear if the drummer was married in the first place.
White’s estimated net worth was between $1 to $5 million.
Continuing on the obituary, Verdine White stressed that the drummer was a “wonderful bro” who “at home and beyond” would light up family gatherings with his “entertaining” and “delightfully mischievous” ways. He described him as someone who could “make a seemingly bad situation more lighthearted.”
Earvin Johnson, National Basketball Association (NBA) legend paid tribute on social media for his “dear friend”.
The former Los Angeles Lakers point guard said: “RIP to my dear friend Fred White, a member of one of my all-time favorite musical groups Earth, Wind & Fire! My thoughts and prayers go out to his Earth, Wind & Fire bandmates, and his entire family.”
