Parkinson's Awareness Month: 30 Days-30 Stories/Day Nineteen-Maurice White
"They're really trying to help increase awareness, and they're working really hard. I think they'll have a cure within five years."~ Maurice White on Parkinson's research
Maurice White is a founding member of the band Earth, Wind and Fire. They've won six Grammys, sold over 90 million records and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
White got his start in the music business as a session drummer for Chess Records. He played on records of Etta James, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy.
He then joined the Ramsey Trio playing on nine of their albums. They won a grammy for Best R&B performance.
His next stop was forming Earth, Wind & Fire.
White was diagnosed with Parkinson's in the late 1980's. That caused him to stop touring. He remained active with Earth, Wind & Fire plus writing and producing for other recording artists and bands.
This is a Rolling Stone article about White in the year 2000. Earth Wind and Fire was being inducted into the Hall of Fame in a week and White had just announced he had Parkinson's Disease.
Update.....Maurice White died today after a more than 20 year battle with Parkinson's Disease.