Maurice began shopping demo tapes featuring Donny Hathaway to various record labels and the band eventually signed to Warner Bros. He asked his younger brother Verdine to join and on June 6, 1970, Verdine moved from Chicago to LA to become the band's bassist. He added singer Sherry Scott and percussionist Yackov Ben Israel, both from Chicago, to the band. Maurice moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. The Salty Peppers' second single, 'Uh Huh Yeah', did not fare as well. Calling themselves 'The Salty Peppers', they had a marginal hit single in the Midwest titled 'La La Time'.

The three friends got a recording contract with Capitol Records. They wrote songs and commercials in the Chicago area.

In 1969, Maurice White, a former session drummer for Chess Records and former member of the Ramsey Lewis Trio, joined two friends in Chicago, Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead, as a songwriting team. VH1 has described EWF as 'one of the greatest bands'. Rolling Stone has called them 'innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet galvanizing' and declared that the band 'changed the sound of black pop'. The band has received an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, a Soul Train Legend Award, a NARAS Signature Governor's Award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2012 Congressional Horizon Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2019. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, and Hollywood's Rockwalk, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band has won 6 Grammys out of 17 nominations and four American Music Awards out of 12 nominations. The band is known for its kalimba sound, dynamic horn section, energetic and elaborate stage shows, and the contrast between Bailey's falsetto and Maurice's baritone. Prominent members have included Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, Larry Dunn, Al McKay, Roland Bautista, Robert Brookins, Sonny Emory, Fred Ravel, Ronnie Laws, Sheldon Reynolds and Andrew Woolfolk. The band was formed in Chicago by Maurice White in 1969, growing out of the Salty Peppers. They are among the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.

Their style and sound span over various music genres such as jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro-pop. Earth, Wind & Fire ( EW&F or EWF) is an American musical group.

The Black Rose of Winter by P.J. Reed