Earth, Wind & Fire owe their name to drummer and founding member Maurice White, who drew inspiration from his astrological sign (which is, unfortunately, not in September). Back when Maurice White and an early form of the band were touring under the terrible name of "the Salty Peppers," White developed an interest in astrology and Ancient Egypt, according to an interview with Vibe. As legend has it, White's December birthday sign is Saggitarius, which has the elemental quality of Fire. In the northern hemisphere, Sagittarius occurs in the autumn, which draws the element of earth, whereas, in the southern hemisphere, it is spring, which bears the element of air (hence the lack of water in the band name).
Considering that "Earth, Air & Fire" doesn't quite have the same ring to it, the band members settled on "Earth, Wind & Fire". Following the addition of several other instrumentalists, including Michael Beal on guitar, Chester Washington on reeds and Leslie Drayton on trumpet, the band promptly released their self-titled debut album in 1971. The new release soared to No. 24 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart, solidifying the group as one of the leading soul acts of the early seventies.
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