“September,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s effervescent ode to the last night of summer, is a permanent composition for all seasons. Part of its alchemy resides in Andrew Woolfolk’s jubilant saxophone.
Woolfolk, a longtime member of Earth, Wind & Fire whose sweet instrument symbol made it impossible not to dance to songs like “September”, has died, group member Philip Bailey announced. Woolfolk was 71 years old.
Bailey, the band’s lead singer, said on Instagram that Woolfolk died after a six-year illness.
“I met him in high school, and we quickly became friends and bandmates,” Bailey wrote. “Great memories. Big talent. Funny. Competitive. Quickly witty. And always stylish.”
Woolfolk joined the band in the early 1970s, according to the band’s official cast. The EW&F lineup changed frequently over the years, but Woolfolk officially played sax (as well as flute and percussion) in and out of the group until 1993.
But he had not initially planned on joining the band – as Bailey describes in the 2014 memoir Shining Star: Braving the Elements of Earth, Wind & Fire, Woolfolk was studying music in New York when Bailey called him and asked him to join the band. join the group after the two played together in Denver. Woolfolk became known as one of the “original nine”, wrote Bailey.
When touring with the band, Woolfolk would stop the concert with saxophone solos, commanding the stage until the rest of his bandmates joined him. He was not the leader of the group, but on stage he possessed the unmistakable charisma of a star.
Offstage, Bailey wrote in her memoir, Woolfolk was a “player” who “could fill your hotel room dustbin with hot water and balance it on top of your bedroom door, just waiting for you come back late at night.”
In addition to the EW&F albums, Woolfolk also recorded with Phil Collins and Bailey on the latter’s later solo works.
In 2000, Woolfolk was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with his original fellow Earth, Wind & Fire. That night, Woolfolk, the only member of the group dressed in a fiery red leather coat, performed a victorious solo on “Shining Star.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
