Dwight: Welcome to Tracking Earth, Wind, and Fire. Your deep dive into the music, the musicians, and the enduring legacy of one of the greatest bands to ever hit the stage and studio. I'm your host, Doc Brooks. Thanks for tuning in, and I hope to earn your subscription and support for my podcast. I welcome your comments. Sending me an email at trackingwf at gmail dot com. And please follow the podcast playlist so you can listen to all the great songs we talk about on Spotify. Before the hit songs, the on stage magic, the stadium tours, and the awards and accolades, there was a shy young boy who grew up in Memphis, who lived with a gentle but firm. Woman he called Mama. As we noted in our first episode, when Sandy's birth mother Edna moved to Chicago to find a better work opportunity, she left him with Mama. And between his love of radio and growing up with Mama in the church, music became central to their lives. And he began to play the snare drums first in the drum and bugle corps, then he played in the school band. He also sang in a gospel quartet with his good friend David Porter. And so his love of doo-wop that he heard on the radio, his love of music, were coming together. I call this episode Maurice White The Drummer, which actually talks about his early musical collaborations with not just David Porter. But Booker T. Jones and his first professional gigs. My storytelling comes from Maurice White's memoir, My Life with Earth, Wind and Fire, written by Herb Powell, as well as in my own research. I also draw from Booker T. Jones's memoir, Time is Tight. My Life, Note by Note. And I hope to have Booker T. Jones on this podcast so he can talk about his collaboration with Maurice White as well as his own storied career in music. So if you're ready to learn and enjoy, let's get started. When Maurice White entered Porter Junior High School in 1957, he and his friend David Porter shared a love of music. That spell of music intensified in 1958 when Maurice White met Booker T. Jones, practicing in the bandroom. Although Jones was only in the sixth grade, He was an accomplished musician compared to White. And although White credits Jones for awakening his musical spirit, I would contend that it was actually a combination of one, the music education he received in school, two, his own maturation, due in large part to mama's upbringing, and three, Booker T. Jones' inspiration, guidance, and support. But one thing is clear music was the bond of That kept Maurice White, David Porter, and Booker T. Jones together for the next few years. Despite their eventual separation, each would go on to enjoy very successful careers in music. So let's begin by talking a little bit about music education as the foundation for many of the musicians who came out of Memphis. And unlike today, music education was common in schools in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Elementary and middle schools had choirs and orchestras. There were bands and orchestras in junior high and high schools. And some schools even had classes in music theory and music appreciation. These curricular and co curricular activities proved essential for students, especially those like Maurice White, who wasn't into sports. Maurice White rightfully acknowledges that music education promoted self discipline, improved sensitivity, concentration, and literacy. And music education not only provided black youths like Maurice White, David Porter, and Booker T. Jones. A chance to dream, but it also gave them pathways to fulfill their dreams. And for many of the black students in Memphis, the talent shows at Booker T. Washington High School probably seemed like performing in Hollywood. The attractive auditorium furnished a show business-like atmosphere, and the teachers who directed the bands and choirs were supportive Memphis's Beale Street provided all the necessary venues to allow these students to witness professional musicians. There were also opportunities in and around Memphis for these young people to perform. with Booker T. Jones' encouragement, Maurice White expanded his playing from school to the other venues in and around Memphis. Booker T. Jones was an amazing young musician. And he found that young musicians in Memphis tend to gravitate towards jazz because that's where there were more professional opportunities. Memphis had already gave birth to saxophonist Hank Crawford. Drummer Joe Dukes and Booker Little. In fact, Jones saw Joe Dukes as the standard bearer because he was sought out by jazz musicians in New York, like Brother Jack McDuff. In fact, it was Joe Dukes' impending departure from Memphis that led to Maurice White's first professional opportunity with a group called Squash Campbell and the Mad Lads. Maurice describes Squash Campbell as a sax playing fool with weird mannerisms. And although not much is known about Squash Campbell, other than Maurice White's characterization of him as a sax player that played well but had these strange contortions when he played, like he was having seizures. But White says that. Squash Campbell was very good at hustling gigs at colleges and other venues in and around the Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama corridor. So when I think of Squash Campbell and the Madlads, old heads like me can remember a 1960s vocal group called the Mad Lads. And they ironically were from Memphis's Booker T, Washington High School. Now the Mad Lads were originally named the Emeralds, and when they signed with Volt and later Stax records, they changed their name to the Mad Lads. I couldn't find any references to Squash Campbell in my research on the Mad Lads. In fact, Booker T. Jones doesn't even refer to Squash Campbell in his memoir. And I couldn't find any mention of Squash Campbell in any of the research I did on Memphis music. Nonetheless, Maurice White describes Squash Campbell as a very positive force in his life and actually credits him for adding a little flash to his drumming. White also praises Squash Campbell for encouraging him and giving him the confidence that he too could be a band leader as long as he was able to hustle gigs and keep his bands working. So you can see, even before the age of 20, Maurice White is looking beyond just being a band member to becoming a successful band leader. And as we will find out later, White prioritized keeping Earthwind in Fire. Busy and performing. keeping in mind that it was Maurice White who replaced Joe Dukes when he left Squash Campbell and the Mad Lads for New York. He was still in high school. He allegedly told Maurice White, I hear you're pretty good on the cans. Maurice White responded by saying, I'm trying. To which Dukes said, Don't say I'm trying, just say I'm good. Maurice White replied, I'm good. And Joe Dukes, along with Max Roach, became Maurice's idol. In fact, Joe Dukes lived in the same Lemoy Gardens projects, as Maurice, and was probably the most respected musician in the neighborhood. Maurice recalls seeing Joe Dukes going to performances in his tuxedo, making him the first black man that Maurice White had ever seen in a tuxedo. Besides being a top-notch drummer, Joe Dukes was also a good vocalist. In fact, he even started a singing group called The Four Dukes. And yet he's considered an underappreciated jazz drummer, even though he performed and recorded with McBrother Jack McDuff and an up-and-coming guitarist named George Benson. One day, Maurice White came home from school and found mama lying on the floor in pain. That brought him to the realization that he needed to step up his responsibilities at home. So he took a job delivering newspapers for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, which was made possible in part by the bicycle given to him by Dr. Adams from Chicago when he visited several years ago. And when White handed over his first paycheck to mama, he believed that he had crossed the threshold to manhood. So he used his earnings from Squash Campbell and the Mad Lads and the newspaper to pay the rent and buy groceries. He also learned that Dr. Adams in Chicago was sending money for him and Mama. he also had money so that he could make a down payment on his first musical instrument. A set of gold drums. Unfortunately, the joy that came with having that drum set was short-lived when that first payment was due. Unable to pay, the music store owner came to Maurice's house and repossessed his drums. Needless to say, Maurice was devastated. Nonetheless, he was able to continue to get opportunities playing as a drummer. Using a makeshift drum set that he had basically put together and borrowing some from the Booker T Washington High School's music room. And he was the drummer in a quartet that actually featured Booker T. Jones on guitar, tenor saxophone as well, along with Frank Easley on bass, and a pianist by the name of Richard Shann. Booker T. Jones considers Shann to be the actual leader of the band, and he spoke about him as having this weird, deliberate. Southern draw and he sounded more like a white guy than a black man. Jones actually saw him as a Bohemian who actually could be from New York. Kind of a weird guy. But he loved jazz and he bought a lot of albums and would share them with Maurice White. And they would learn to play jazz music together. Maurice White also formed a group with David Porter and some other musicians, such as Lewis Keel. So between the Squash Campbell and the Mad Lads gig, the quartet, and other ad hoc appearances, White not only played in almost every talent show associated with Booker T. Washington High School, but in other high schools and colleges in the region. He was a busy young man. These performances resulted largely from the music education that Booker T. Jones, Maurice White, and others received at Booker T. Washington High School. under the direction of Booker T. Washington's band leader, Walter Martin, Booker T. Jones, David Porter, and Maurice White flourished as musicians Band director Martin impressed Booker T. Jones from the very first. Time he saw them. In fact, band director Martin was actually a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School. And he was there and studied under a legendary band director named William Theodore McDaniel. And according to the Memphis Hall of Fame, the story of Memphis's thriving music scene at the time was really based on an unofficial alliance. Between the famous Beale Street venues and the music education programs in the high schools. Professor McDaniel played a major role in that partnership because he taught several generations of musicians who would go on to define the intersections of jazz, blues, and soul music. Booker T. Jones pays homage to Walter Martin, his band director, by saying that he was impressed with the band director the very first day he met him at Porter Junior High School. He was able to join the band as a fourth grader, even though one had to be in seventh grade to be in the band. when band director Walter Martin transferred. To Booker T. Washington High School to become its band director, he was re-reunited with Booker T. Jones and Maurice White. In fact, Booker T. Jones recalls the reverence in Martin's voice anytime he referred to Maurice White. And Booker T. Jones understood this respect because he saw that Maurice White was one of the few persons in his age group who was really committed to making music. And in Jones' word, had the potential to become a virtuoso. band director Martin, would even let David Porter and Maurice White drive his 1957 Plymouth sedan around Memphis, presumably to transport their instruments to performances Speaking of the Memphis music scene, it was booming in the 50s. Beale Street gave the city sort of a feel like Chicago or even New York. Memphis is known as the birthplace of the blues. It also boasted jazz and rhythm and blues. It did not matter to Maurice and his music partners that they basically played for nothing. They were performing to a Appreciative audiences, and more importantly, were performing music like their heroes and playing the same instruments of their idols. For example, Maurice White played the drums like his heroes, Joe Dukes and Max Roach. Booker T. Jones was a saxophonist at that time, like his idols, Leroy Cooper and the legendary Hank Crawford. Another part of the Memphis music scene was radio. Maurice White listened to radio a lot, and longed to be a part of the music that he listened to on WDIA, the first radio station in the United States, to completely dedicate their music to the black community. White listened to WDIA every morning and night until Mama told him to turn that radio off. Maurice Booker T and David Porter, if they weren't performing, they were either playing jazz albums, watching live performances, or practicing. Music consumed their life. They developed a deep appreciation of jazz. It was Richard Shann who supplied most of those jazz albums. But in Booker T. Jones' view, he and Maurice were like soul brothers in the sense that neither had a natural brother, his own age. from Maurice White's perspective, music was central to their world. In fact, it was their universe. And jazz music was at the core of this universe. White and his contemporaries, Porter and Booker T. Jones even had a small following who would actually travel with them to performances in the region. Unfortunately, that wonderful partnership would end in the spring Because what should have been a time for celebration became one of the most traumatic moments in the life of White. It was the day of his graduation and he was donned in his robe and stood proudly on stage and he looked into the audience and he was shocked at first because he noticed his birth mother, Mother Dear, sitting in the front row, dead center, A glare that was purposeful. It had been six years since his short visit to Chicago, and he had no idea she was coming to his graduation. So his initial emotions were actually shock. And then he had a variety of emotions trying to process and make sense of this. He was confused. He was uncertain. Why was she there? And before he could even approach her and ask, she pulled him aside and made a very simple statement. I want you to move to Chicago. I want you back, Sandy. Maurice failed to recognize her tone. Was it desperation? Did she know something about him or mamma that he didn't? Her attitude and tenor wasn't motherly, but more like a needy sibling or friend in need. He quickly realized that her offer, though, was a chance to get out of Memphis and all of its racism. He knew about the thousands of southerners who were leaving the South for northern cities like Chicago. And as I read Maurice's book, I wonder if he knew something about Chicago's music scene. Maurice didn't have a lot of time, but nonetheless he didn't have a lot of possessions, so packing was pretty simple. all he needed to do was say goodbye to the handful of people who meant so much to him. Did he owe them an explanation? Or would they understand the potential opportunities that await in Chicago? He had a girlfriend, DJ, although Booker T. Jones referred to her as DeLois. He had to say goodbye to his musical partners, David Porter, and Booker T. Jones, and above those, he would have to say goodbye to Mama. Mama was understandably sad, but after a deep swallow, she looked him in the eye and said, Sandy, ain't no opportunities for you here. And I've always told you to keep moving. Ain't nothing here for a boy like you with all of your talent. You gotta keep on moving. And if you don't go now, you will never get out of the south. Well, despite her forward-looking words, Maurice could tell by the folds on their face that she did not want him to leave. And in six months after his departure from Memphis, Mama would pass away. Booker T. Jones drove his dad's Buick slowly to the train station. Both Maurice and his girlfriend were in the backseat crying. Booker T's slumped shoulders told Maurice that he didn't want Maurice to go. Jones felt he would not be seeing Mama anymore and called Maurice's departure an introduction to emptiness. A small part of Maurice felt the same way, if only to continue his relationship with Booker T. Jones. But he had come to grips that this would be the end of their union and that he would probably never return to Memphis. Booker T got to the train station, didn't say much, stood there as Maurice and his girlfriend were kissing and saying goodbye with their eyes full of tears. It would be some 15 years later when Booker T first heard Earth within Fires, that's the way of the world, The song struck him deeply and brought him to the realization that their separation was necessary if either of them were to reach their full potential. Despite supporting each other, Jones believed they also limited each other. For Jones, the supreme work was done. Maurice was doing the work of his life as intended. All aboard! With a handshake and a quick hug, Maurice White disappeared into the Illinois Central Train, the city of New Orleans. Thank you for tuning in to Tracking Earth, Wind, and Fire. The next episode Welcome to Chicago, Maurice White, will dive deep into Maurice White's days in the Windy City. Until then, keep your head to the sky.