Sheldon Reynolds, former vocalist and lead guitarist for Earth, Wind & Fire died at age 63. Philp Bailey, Reynolds’ former Earth, Wind & Fire bandmate announced the tragic news on Wednesday on social media.

“This news of Sheldon Reynolds’ transition is very sad for all of us who knew and worked with him,” Bailey wrote in a Facebook post. “Sheldon vocally had Reese down. That’s what Maurice said when he hired Sheldon to share vocals and play guitar. Sheldon was an excellent addition to the band, a great writer and producer, and a genuinely kind and loving person. He will be missed.”

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Who was Sheldon Reynolds?

Sheldon Reynolds was born on September 13, 1959, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Reynolds began playing the guitar when he was eight years old, and by the age of 12 was considered a prodigy. He was an alumnus of The University of Cincinnati.

Initially, he began his career by touring with singer Millie Jackson. Reynolds later joined R&B band Sun, with whom he recorded three albums. In 1983 he became a member of The Commodores, a band he spent four years with.

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However, his claim to fame came when he joined Earth, Wind, & Fire (EWF) as a lead guitarist and co-vocalist. He went on to play on EWF’s LPs Touch The World (1987), The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 2 (1988), Heritage (1990), Millennium (1993) and In The Name of Love (1997). 

Reynolds was also s a contributing editor to the magazine Astronomy and the host of a talk show on Twilight Radio.

He was formerly married to Janie Hendrix, the adopted sister of Jimi Hendrix.