Part II

 

Maurice White: My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire

Introduction

by

Steve Harvey

Timeless

To write about how I feel about Earth, Wind & Fire, a musical group that has meant more to me than any other, is a true blessing.  The band's music is stored in my soul.  I first heard the group when I was in high school.  I'll never forget the power of the album Head to the Sky.  The song that I absolutely loved was This World Is a Masquerade.  It remains my jam.

By the time I got to college, I was all over them.  As a freshman at Kent State, I vividly remember walking into a store called the Cucumber Castle and buying Earth, Wind & Fire's That's the Way of the World for $3.95.  At the time, it broke me, but it was well worth it.  ore than four decades later Earth, Wind & Fire's music is by far the most-played music of my life -- Love's Holiday, That's the Way of the World, Can't Hide Love and Be ever Wonderful are in my personal top ten.

Earth, Wind & Fire is simply one of the greatest living groups, period.  No one put together lyrics to a melody like they did; no one added horns in the way they they did; and no one, but no one, messed with our minds about love and life like they did.  They remained so thoroughly committed to soul, yet had a universal sound -- and appeal.  On top of all that, they knew how to show!

I can't express how fully and completely this band has touched my being.  They have moved me beyond words over the years.  Their lyrics interpret and convey my emotions and in harmony.  They sing my feelings exactly as they are, in words that coule not have said it better.  I've shared the music with my three sons, age ranging from almost adult to their mid-twenties.  I was excited when they all put several albums in their iPods.  It made me smile.  

It's an honor to be asked to endorse Maurice White's amazing life story of how he took his band from conception to legendary status.  The book is rich in tales of brothers in song -- that damn Verdine "The Bass" White, Philip "Have Mercy" Bailey, and the rest of the heaven-sent band.  God was right on time when he hooked up their skills.  My interpretation of the elements; Earth because they grow on you; Wind because they move you in one loving direction; and Fire because they set your heart aflame.  Hands down, Earth, Wind & Fire is the greatest group of all time.

Maurice, I love and appreciate you at the highest level.  This book made me smil over and over again: learning the behind-the-scenes of your music, getting a chance to hear the thoughts behind the lyrics, and matching them up with mine.

Maurice, thank you for all that you have done for the world of music.  Thank you for the insight.  Thank you for your gift, not only to me but to us all.  Thank you for honoring love the way you did, for real music that will never die, fade away, or go out of style.  This thing you did is timeless.  Thank you for letting God use you to do what you were born to do.  Most people go through life never knowing what they were brought here to do.  But you did it, man, and you did it like no one else -- not before and not since.

I'm just glad God allowed me to live to hear it for myself, because Lord have mercy, here ain't nothing like your music!  

Maurice White: My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire 

Foreword

by 

David Foster

A True American Treasure

Music history will affirm Maurice White's unique contribution to rock and roll.  Most will extol his many hit records, his leadership abilities or his God-given talents as a producer, drumer and singer, but it would be a disservice to limit his contributions to these well-known accomplishments.  Maurice White was more; he was a catalyst.  Through his creation of Earth, Wind & Fire he changed the musical and performance landscape of pop music forever.

It was foredestined that the first sixteen Grammys should be awarded for the song After the Love is Gone, not because the song meant more to me than other hits that would come later, but because the song was my vehicle into the world of my mentor, hero and friend Maurice White.  

I first met Maurice in early 1978.  I was a session musician and arranger then, and had just started to produce records of my own.  When I sat down at the piano and played After the Love is Gone for Maurice, it was a life-altering moment for me.

I believe Maurice and I hit it off so well because we both believe that being a good musician is a fine thing, but greatness is always the goal.  In fact, my mantra is that good is the enemy of great.  As I expected, I saw nothing but greatness in him during our first meeting; I somehow knew being around him would make me better.  When you come from Canada, as I do, you have to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously as a musician and my work benefited from the ultimate guide -- the music of Earth, Wind & Fire.  I learned so much about how to fuse the different genres of R&B, jazz and classical yet still retain my own signature in the final product.  

I was also a normal, everyday fan, one of those thousands of people who stood in line at Tower Records in Hollywood so that one minute after midnight I could get the next Earth, Wind & Fire album.

For so very long I wanted to tell the world about Maurice's contribution to my life.  At one point I entertained the idea of having a big testimonial dinner in his honor.  I should have know; Maurice, being the very private man he is, wasn't having any of that.  But in October of 2010, at my latest David Foster & Friends television special on PBS, I finally get the chance to publicly tell him, and the world, how I felt.  I think my words that night summed it up:

There is also someone here tonight, a man who taught me more about making music, about decency, about calmness, about well-being and about the true spirit of music than any other human being on the planet. One thing I know for sure, if he hadn't been born, pop music would sound a lot different today.  That man is the genius behind Earth, Wind & Fire.  Ladies and gentlemen, he's here with us tonight in a rare public appearance -- Maurice White, my hero, my mentor and a true American treasure.  

That was a special moment for me: cliche as it may be, I think it's important to give credit to those on whose shoulders you stand, and -- when life permits it -- to give that credit directly, face to face with the ones you owe.  As you might imagine, being able to do that in person in front of eight thousand people felt better for me than it probably did for Maurice.

Now, after reading Maurice's memoir, I finally understand how a humble Memphis unbringing gave the world the electrifying and optimistic music of Earth, Wind & Fire.  His story is not a luric rock-and-roll story about "the leader of the band" but a subtle, beautifully told one about clarity, core motivations, courage and above all, music -- all told through the eyes of a private man dedicated to using music to lift the spirit of the listening world.  

This textured narrative is a testament to the musical boundaries Maurice White erased and the different people he brought together, a testament that shows who he is personaly and professionally.  For me, it recalls the many creative bursts we shared -- moments I will always cherish.  

This is the story of a true American treasure, indeed.

Prologue

 by Maurice White

On March 6, 2000, I stepped to the podium at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City to accept Earth, Wind & Fire's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  In my acceptance speech, I told the audience that establishing the band's place in history had been a hard road, but a good road.  I considered the honor a small capstone to a long career in what I believe is the highest form of creative expression -- music.

The long and winding word that led up to this moment started in a series of dreams I had in 1969.  These dreams, which I believe were given to me from the Divine, inspired me to form a band that would uplift the human spirit, whether through celebrating the benefits of developing the inner life or simply creating joyous musical moments.  

I've given the music of Earth, Wind & Fire everything I have:  mind, body, and spirit.  When I hear those songs today, on the radio or coming from the television, the lyrics don't bring back memories of writing, recording, or even performing them.  Rather, they remind me of my personal life journey.  

My odyssey with Earth, Wind & Fire has taught me that the significant events of our lives become a spiritual story.  I hope that when you read my story, you will be inspired to live your own life with gratitude and purpose.  My Memphis Christian roots, which evolved into my belief in the univeral truths of all the faiths and the wisdom of the stars, have guided my path.  But it's the lesson of my spiritual story that have made me a survivor and kept my head to the sky.  

     

Earth, Wind & Fire proved the power of black music.  The talented band rose to prominence in the 1970s by bringing together the sounds that came before it .. jazz, blues, R&B, pop, gospel, deep soul and funk .. making an impact that transcends race, cultures and time!

One of the tightest ensembles since the Count Basie Orchestra the band known as Earth, Wind & Fire are legendary for their stage shows, a spectable of magic, muscle and musicianship.  More than any other group .. Earth, Wind & Fire solidified the growth of black album music .. scoring six consecutive double-platnium albums and becoming Columbia Records' best-selling R&B band .. of all time!

Musically tight, boldly experimental and universally loved .. Earth, Wind & Fire had it all! They wrapped their music into one psychedelic, mystical package!  Few groups were as innovative yet beloved by critics and audiences as Earth, Wind & Fire.

September Song

Described as a "visionary" and a "mastermind" by Variety magazine, White was nominated for a total of 22 Grammys of which he won seven.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group of Hall of Fame as a member of Earth, Wind & Fire.  White was also inducted, individually, into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  He worked with musical acts such as Cher, The Emotions, Barbra Streisand, 

Ramsey Lewis and Neil Diamond.

White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of Earth, Wind & Fire. White was posthumously bestowed with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Grammy Awards ceremony on February 15, 2016 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.  At the ceremony 

Stevie Wonder and Pentatonix performed a rendition of "That's the Way of the World" in tribute to Maurice White.

On September 13, 2016, White's autobiography, 

Maurice White:  My Life With Earth, Wind & Fire by Maurice White and Herb Powell was released including a foreword by 

Steve Harvey and an afterword by David Foster. 

He was my mentor and my hero.

David Foster

RIP Maurice

1941-2016

 

Michigan Theatre

603 E. Liberty Street

Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Michigan Theatre is a movie palace near the Central Campus of the University of Michigan.  It shows independent films, stage productions and hosts musical concerts.  It was built in 1927 and opened January 5, 1928.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places November 28, 1980.  The architectural style is late 19th and 20th century revivals, Lombard Romanesque.  

Designed by Detroit-based architect, Maurice Herman Finkel, the historic auditorium seats 1,610 and features the theatre's original 1927 Barton Theatre Pipe Organ, orchestra pit, stage and elaborate architectural details.  Of some 7,000 theatre organs collectively built by many companies between the mid-1910s and the early 1930s, the Michigan Barton is one of only about 45 remaining in their original locations.  The instrument is professionally maintained and is played regularly by staff organists prior the film screenings and for silent films making it one of the most-heard theatre organs in the country.

1927 Barton Theatre Pipe Organ

The Michigan was built for and owned by Angelo Poulos and his heirs and was leased until 1978 to the Butterfield Theatres chain who managed it along with Butterfield's nearby State Theatre.  Both theatres in Ann Arbor are now owned and managed by the non-profit Michigan Theatre Foundation.  

Dramatic night shot showing a tall ladder to change the marquee letters.

 

Richard Rodgers (left) and Oscar Hammerstein II (right) 

Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theatre-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals.  Their musical theatre writing partnership has been called the great of the 20th century. 

Their popular Broadway productions in the 1940s and 1950s initiated what is considered the "golden age" of musical theatre.  Five of their Broadway shows were outstanding successes such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, The Sound of Music and South Pacific. The Sound of Music contained more hit songs than any other Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and the film version was the most financially successful film adaptation of a Broadway musical ever made!

The song, "Edelweiss" is the last song Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote together.  Due to Hammerstein's failing health it sadly took his life nine months after The Sound of Music opened on Broadway. Hammerstein won Academy Awards for the songs "The Last Time I Saw Paris" from Lady Be Good (1941) and "It Might as Well Be Spring" from State Fair (1945).  In addition, he received three Tony Awards for South Pacific and one for The King and I.

Rodgers and Hammerstein were even the mystery guests on episode #298 of What's My Line which aired on February 19, 1956.  Blindfolded panelist, Arlene Francis was able to correctly identify them. Among the famous What's My Line panelists were also Dorothy Kilgallen, Fred Allen and Bennett Cerf.  The host was John Charles Daly.    

 

 

Mitzi Gaynor

1931-2024

Mitzi Gaynor (born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber in Chicago, Illinois) to Henry de Czanyi von Gerber, a violinist, cellist and music director of Hungarian descent and his wife Pauline, a dancer. Gaynor was an American entertainer, a film actress, singer, dancer and theatre/nightclub performer.  Her biggest international fame came from her starring role as Ensign Nellie Forbush in the film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific in 1958 for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical at the 1959 awards.  Gaynor was one of the last surviving stars of the "Golden Age" of the Hollywood Musical. 

South Pacific was filmed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.  Mitzi became fast friends with Italian film star, Rossano Brazzi (1916-1994) who played her love interest Emile de Becque, a French plantation owner.  To play Navy Ensign Nellie Forbush in the film, Mitzi, then 25, beat out several better-known actresses including Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day and Mary Martin, who originated the role on Broadway.  "I could sing and I could dance," she says of her advantage over Elizabeth while Doris and Mary were deemed too mature to play the ingenue role. "Filming the movie on location was hard work, but thrilling just the same.  I adored working with Rossano.  I would tease him in my best Italian .. "Rossano, you are the most handsome man in all of the movies" and his answer was .. "Mitzi Gaynor, I know".  

Emile de Becque and Ensign Nellie Forbush 

Nellie Forbush is a fictional character created by bestselling author James A. Michener (1907-1997).   A native of Arkansas, the character of Nellie first appears in Michener's book, Tales of the South Pacific which was published in 1947.  Tales of the South Pacific, a series of 19 interrelated stories based on Michener's experience in the U.S. Navy while stationed on the New Hebrides Islands in the Pacific during WWII, won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. 

South Pacific was filmed on Ha'ena Beach in the beautifiul Hawaiian Islands.  There were 178 cast members for nine weeks.  Rain and a tidal wave  made for a challenging production schedule.  Ha'ena Beach was used as the Bali Ha'i Village.  Lumaha'i Beach is where Mitzi Gaynor washed that man right out of her hair and is located on the north shore of Kauai.  

South Pacific would become the fifth highest-grossing film of 1958.  Mitzi was one of the few actors in the film who performed their own singing and would go on to star in many other films though found career longevity in nightclubs, TV specials and as a recording star.

Her family first moved to Elgin, Illinois then to Detroit and later when she was age 11 to Hollywood, California.  She trained as a ballerina as a child and began her career with the corps de ballet. Gaynor signed a seven-year contract with Twentieth Century-Fox at age 17.  She sang, acted and danced in a number of film musicals, often paired with some of the male musical stars of the day.  A Fox Studio executive tht Mitzi Gerber sounded like the name of a delicatessen and they came up with a name that used the same initials.

Gaynor married Jack Bean, a talent agent and public relations executive for Music Corp. of America (MCA), in San Francisco on November 18, 1954.  Mitzi met Jack when she asked him to be her agent while she was under contract with 20th Century Fox.  Bean was working as an agent for Ella Fitzgerald and others at the time.  Their professional partnership and relationship eventually led to a 52-year marriage.  They met on a blind date.  At the time, she had just broken up with Mr. Howard Hughes after dating him for appproximately 8 months!

Mitzi and Jack

Following her film work, Gaynor performed in other media.  She appeared between two sets by The Beatles when they made their second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 16, 1964.  She has recounted the irony of members of the band, already famous for their distinctive "mop-tops", borrowing her hair dryer behind the scenes. Afterward, she had dinner with them and they asked for her autograph.  Through the 1960s and 1970s, she starred in nine television specials which garnered 16 Emmy awards.

I wouldn't have had the opportunity if I hadn't made South Pacific.

Mitzi Gaynor.

Thank you Mitzi for touching our lives with your extraordinary and memorable talent on stage and on screen .. and oh! that adorable wink she gave her audiences!

RIP Mitzi

Job well done!! 

Fallingwater is a house designed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935.  It is situated in the Mill Run area of Stewart township (Fayette County) in the Laurel Highlands of southwest Pennsylvania about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.  From 1935-1939 it was partly built over a waterfall on the Bear Run River and was designed to serve as a weekend retreat for Lillian and Edgar J. Kaufmann, owners of Kaufmann's Department Stores in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Edgar Jonas Kaufmann

1885-1955

Fallingwater was placed on the U.S. National Historic Landmark on May 23, 1966 and on the National Registry of Historic Places on July 23, 1974.  It was given a Pennsylvania Historical Marker on May 15, 1994.  The governing body is the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.  

After its completion, Time magazine called Wright's Fallingwater the most beautiful job" and it is listed among Smithsonian's "Life List of 28 Places to See".  In 1991, members of the American Institute of Architects named Fallingwater the "best all-time work of American architecture" and, in 2007, ranked Fallingwater 29th on its "America's Favorite Architecture" list. 

Another home owned by the Kaufmann name though not built by Wright was the Kaufmann Desert House or simply the Kaufmann House located in Palm Springs, California.  It was designed by architect, Richard J. Neutra and completed in 1946.  The  house has been described as "an architectural marvel that helped define the modernist aesthetics of the resort city of Palm Springs.  It is designated a Class 1 Historic Site by Palm Springs City Council.  

Kaufmann Desert Home 

After Kaufmann passed in 1955, the house stood vacant for several years.  It, then, had a series of owners including singer, Barry Manilow.  It underwent several renovations which included enclosing a patio, adding floral wallpaper to the bedrooms and removing a wall for the addition of a media room.  The roof lines were also altered with the addition of air-conditioning units.  After being listed for sale for 3 1/2 years, the home was purchased in 1992 by Brent Harris, an investment manager and his wife beth Edwards Harris, an architectural historian for $1.5 million.  

Seeking to restore the home to its original design, the new owners contacted Marmol Radziner Associates to undertake the five-year project which began in 1993.  Being able to find unpublished photos of the home's interior they were able to obtain pieces from the original suppliers of paint and fixtures.  A metal-crimping machine was purchased to produce the sheet-metal fascia that originally lined the roof.  Brent Harris was also able to have a long-closed section of a Utah quarry reopened to mine matching stone to replace what had been removed or damaged.  To help restore the desert buffer Neutra had envisioned for the house, the couple  also bought several adjoining plots to more than double the land around the 3,200-square-foot house.  They rebuilt a pool house that served as a viewing pavilion for the main house and kept a tennis court that was built on a parcel added to the original Kaufmann property.  

Sadly, the Brent Harris and his wife divorced and the home was sold on May 13, 2008 for $15 million at auction by Christie's as part of a high-profile sale of contemporary art.  It had a presale estimate of $15 million to $25 million.  The sale later fell through as the bidder breached terms of the purchase agreement.  In October 2008, the house was listed for sale at $12.95 million, but it was not sold.  It was, again, listed for sale on October 2020 at $25 million.  

The Kaufmann house was included on a list of all-time top 10 houses in Los Angeles despite its location in Palm Springs in December 2008.  The house was part of the decor for the 2022 film, Don't Worry Darling. The opening sequence was filmed at this house and was the first film to be shot there.  The director, Olivia Wilde was inspired by the home's architecture and hung a photograph of it while working on the script. 

To be there was huge.  To direct the first shot there felt like this really auspicious beginning to the movie which was this love letter not only to film, but to architecture, to design, to this era.

Quote given by Olivia Wilde to Variety Magazine

 The Kalamazoo State

404 S. Burdick Street

Kalamazoo, Michigan 

A large crowd outside the Kalamazoo State Theatre

Circa 1937

1,590 Seating Capacity

Cliff Robertson in PT 109

Circa 1963

Located in downtown Kalamazoo since July 14, 1927, the Spanish courtyard style State Theatre is an historic and captivating theatre that offers a unique experience.  Founded by the Colonel William S. Butterfield Company, the largest theatre operator in Michigan at the time.  This theatre also designed by renowned architect, John Eberson combines architectural grandeur with a rich cultural heritage.  From its early roots in the Vaudeville tradition to its diverse lineup of performances including opera, drama, big bands, ballet, dance reviews, stage shows and movies the State Theatre has been a beloved fixture in the community.

In 1964, the theatre underwent renovations to ensure its continued operation.  While some of the original ornate features were modified, the renovations enable the theatre to adapt to changing times. However, in 1982, the State Theatre faced closure.  This pivotal moment mobilized the community, leading to the formation of the "Save the State" committee and campaign.  Together, local art groups and city officials joined forces to preserve the theatre's legacy and historic building.  In 1985, the Hinman Company purchased the building and initiated further renovations, solidifying the theatre's place in Kalamazoo's history.  The State was built to accommodate both live performances and motion picture including a Barton theatre organ.  The State is the last of numerous Kalamazoo theatres to remain from the early 20th century. 

The State is home to its original Barton theatre organ which accompanied silent pictures from 1927-1937.  The introduction of "talkies" ended the use of the organ until 1950, but by 1961 it was fully restored and put back into service.  The organ is still used for special presentations, but its present condition is noted by the American Theatre Organ Society (ATSO) as "in need of restoration".  Theatre organs were a unique combination of multiple instruments and sound effects.  These intriguing machines greatly varied in size and complexity ranging from two manuals and six ranks to four or five manuals and more than fifty or sixty ranks.  Silent films always had a musical accompaniment.  In  the large picture palaces such as those in Chicago and Detroit, they would typically hae a live orchestra.  The smaller palaces such as the Kalamazoo State Theatre would have had a chamber group or pipe organ.  This was a great improvement from the small town and second run houses which would typically only offer a piano player. 

Today, the Kalamazoo State Theatre stands as a testament to its vibrant past and enduring significance. The Kalamazoo State Theatre is part of the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT), an organization that champions the restoration, preservation and ongoing operations of North America's treasured theatres.

The State was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places November 17, 2021.  The NRHP is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historic significance. The theatre was also named as one of seven winners of the 2022 Governor's Awards for Historic Preservation.

The State Theatre has been a beloved fixture in Kalamazoo for nearly 100 years and is one of the few theatres of it kind in Michigan.  The new designation from the National Registry of Historic Places makes the case for the significance of the theatre's past and also its future as a source of entertainment for theatre lovers, history buffs and tourists for years to come."

Governor Gretchen Whitmer