News Release
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jennifer Mire: (713) 238-1492
Holly Cassard: (713) 238-1490
Clair Studdard: (713) 238-1495
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Digital Image Attached; Others Available On Request)
EARTH, WIND & FIRE TO PERFORM WITH THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY
Get Your Groove on at Jones Hall!
HOUSTON (February 23, 2012) – On March 8, the Houston Symphony welcomes
Earth, Wind & Fire in a one night only collaborative performance on the Jones Hall
stage. From soul, funk and gospel to blues, jazz and rock, Earth, Wind & Fire took the
music world by storm with their self-titled 1971 debut album, Earth, Wind & Fire. As
evidence of the band’s success and influence, Earth, Wind & Fire has received eight
Grammy® Awards, four American Music Awards, eight #1 R&B singles, a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The
Houston Symphony will add a new twist to many of Earth, Wind & Fire’s most popular
hits such as "Let's Groove," "Boogie Wonderland" and "After Love has Gone."
Concert attendees are invited to enjoy dinner at Houston’s Hard Rock Cafe with an
Earth, Wind & Fire dinner package. The price is $208 per couple and includes dinner for
two at the Hard Rock Cafe and two tickets to the concert in Price Level 3 seating.
Dinner reservations will be made for 6 p.m. To reserve your Earth, Wind & Fire dinner
package, call (713) 238-1418 or email [email protected].
SYMPHONY SPECIAL
Jones Hall
615 Louisiana St.
Houston, TX 77002
SYMPHONY SPECIAL CONCERT
Thursday, March 8, 2012, 7:30pm
Earth, Wind & Fire
Charles Floyd, conductor
Tickets from: $29
About Earth, Wind & Fire
Founding member, Maurice White wanted a band that abolished the lines between
musical genres, freely borrowing from all styles without regard to convention. “Although
we were basically jazz musicians, we played soul, funk, gospel, blues, jazz, rock and
dance music…which somehow ended up becoming pop. We were coming out of a
decade of experimentation, mind expansion and cosmic awareness. I wanted our music
to convey messages of universal love and harmony without force-feeding listeners’
spiritual content." Earth, Wind & Fire also took great pride in bringing African culture to
pop culture. Their signature Motherland trademark is the handheld thumb piano known
as the “kalimba,” a sound that has blessed every one of their albums.
Along with his younger brother, Verdine White–a 19 year-old classically trained bassist–
M. White formed the group, The Salty Peppers. It was later rechristened to the 10-piece
outfit, Earth, Wind & Fire, inspired by “the elements” of his Sagittarian astrological chart.
The self-titled 1971 debut album, Earth, Wind & Fire, followed by 1972’s, The Need of
Love (Warner Bros. Records), were steeped in bedrock-jazz and rhythm and blues that
netted the up-and-coming band a loyal underground following. M. White recruited new
additions to the group including drummer/percussionist/vocalist Ralph Johnson, as well
as a percussionist with an amazing four-octave vocal range named Philip Bailey, a
voice that along with M. White’s charismatic baritone voice, set EWF’s vocal identity.
Currently, Maurice White is no longer a part of the touring group, but he remains the
band's heart and soul from behind the scenes as composer and producer.
With over 41 years in the music business, Earth, Wind & Fire has launched a cavalcade
of hits and ushered in a new generation of musical style. The first three Columbia
albums, Last Days and Time (1972), Head to the Sky (1973) and Open Our Eyes
(1974), led them onto the radio. The group put major stock in its live shows, performing
in any place that would book them. It was the soundtrack to an ill-fated film that broke
EWF wide open. That's the Way of the World (1975) was a stiff at the box office (twice),
but Earth Wind & Fire’s galvanizing 8-song LP was a sales and cultural phenomenon.
The group earned its first #1 single, "Shining Star", first Grammy Award and first double
platinum sales award from that now-classic album.
It was the later albums, Gratitude (1975), Spirit (1976) and All ‘n All (1977) that
cemented Earth, Wind & Fire’s status as superstars. Hit singles began to flow: "Can't
Hide Love," “Getaway,” "Serpentine Fire” and "Fantasy." Then there was "Got to Get
You Into My Life," their thrilling R&B arrangement of the Beatles’ classic from the film
odyssey, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, that expanded their audience even
further, and international touring followed. Later years brought other smash hits like
“September,” “Boogie Wonderland,” “After The Love Is Gone," "In The Stone,” “Let Me
Talk,” "Let's Groove,” “Fall in Love with Me,” “Spread Your Love” and "System of
Survival.” A final Columbia studio album, Heritage (1990), came next, as well as the
phenomenal 3-CD box set retrospective, The Eternal Dance (1992). A one-off return to
Warner Bros.’ Reprise label yielded Millennium (1993), which contained the Grammynominated "Sunday Morning."
The music and showmanship of Earth, Wind & Fire remains a natural for all media.
VH1, HBO and the Arts & Entertainment Network have all aired top rated concert
performances with A&E releasing its 1999 Live By Request program on DVD. The
Eagle Vision video company released the EWF documentary Shining Stars, which
contains rarely seen historic video footage along with in-depth interviews with the band
members. Hollywood continues to have a love affair with its music, commissioning new
Earth, Wind & Fire music for films such as Roll, Bounce (“Love Together”), Robots
(“Love’s Dance”) and Hitch, (“This is How I Feel”), as well as tapping their classics for
films such as Be Cool (“Fantasy”), Soul Food (“September”) and Muppets in Outer
Space (“Shining Star”).
After earning eight Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, eight double
platinum/Top 10 Pop albums, eight #1 R&B singles, a star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000) and Lifetime Achievement
honors from the NAACP, ASCAP and BET, Earth, Wind & Fire and its music remain as
inspirational and influential as ever.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2011-12 Season, the Houston Symphony will be in its 98th year as one of
America’s leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education,
touring and recording activities. Under the artistic leadership of Hans Graf, one of the
orchestra’s longest serving music directors, the Symphony has established a reputation
for innovative, powerful performances. With its Centennial Celebration on the horizon in
2013-14, the Houston Symphony is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in
Texas whose inaugural performance was held at The Majestic Theater in downtown
Houston on June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $25 million, the
full-time ensemble of 87 professional musicians is the largest performing arts
organization in Houston, presenting more than 280 concerts for 300,000 people
annually. For tickets and more information, please visit www.houstonsymphony.org or
call 713-224-7575.
###