 Harper Audio presents My Life with Earth Wind and Fire by Maurice White with Herb Powell read by Dionne Graham This book is dedicated to my children Cabran, Eden and Mimi As well as all those who are moved to fan the fire forward a true American treasure David Foster 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, drummer 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 and Fire, he changed the musical and performance landscape of pop music forever It was four destined that the first of my 16 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 and fire I learned so much about how to fuse the different genres of R&B Jazz and classical and 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 and 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 known Maurice being the very private man that he was wasn't having any of that But in October of 2010 at my latest David Foster and Friends television special for PBS I finally did get the chance to publicly tell him and the world how I felt I think my words that night summed it up There's 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 and 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 8,000 people felt better for me than it probably did for Maurice Now after reading Maurice's memoir, I finally understand how a humble Memphis upbringing gave the world the electrifying and Optimistic music of earth wind and fire His story is not a lurid 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 personally and professionally For me it recalls the many creative bursts we shared Sample complete ready to continue