EARTH, WIND & FIRE\u2019S PHILIP BAILEY ON MAURICE WHITE\u2019S LEGACY, DEDICATION TO FAITH: \u2018I ALWAYS GO BACK TO GOD\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Ralph Johnson, Philip Bailey, and Verdine White attend the “Earth, Wind & Fire” opening night premiere during the 2026 Tribeca Festival at Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 3, 2026. (Jamie McCarthy\/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)<\/p>\n Relatives of Maurice, who died in 2016, describe a man whose personal life was far more complicated than his public image suggested, including multiple relationships and children born outside his primary partnership.<\/p>\n Marilyn White, a longtime partner of Maurice, said in the film, “Maurice was not exactly the most faithful person. He had other women on the road. Maurice, in fact, got someone pregnant while he was out on the road. I didn\u2019t find out until after she was born. Everyone but me knew. And then he had another son from someone else.”\u00a0<\/p>\n She recalled a painful confrontation with Maurice.<\/p>\n Verdine White, Philip Bailey, and Ralph Johnson of Earth, Wind & Fire perform onstage at the “Earth, Wind & Fire” opening night premiere during the 2026 Tribeca Festival at Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 3, 2026. (Jamie McCarthy\/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)<\/p>\n “I said how could you do that? And he said, ‘I\u2019m a star, I can do whatever the f— I want.’ And I said, ‘You know what, that makes me feel unworthy.’ I am not unworthy and I moved out. He couldn\u2019t believe I did it and I did it.”<\/p>\n The film also features Maurice’s children, including daughter Mimi White and an interview with his son Eden White.<\/p>\n LIONEL RICHIE CALLS EXPLOSIVE MARRIAGE-ENDING FIGHT THE ‘SCANDAL OF MY CENTURY’ IN NEW TELL-ALL BOOK<\/a><\/p>\n “I\u2019m Maurice\u2019s youngest son that we know about,” Eden said. “Around the time my mom was making costumes, my dad pursued her and they had a connection. Him and my mom had a pretty tumultuous relationship. He was [continuously] pulling back. By the time I was born, they had been seeing each other for, I believe, around 20 years at that point.”<\/p>\n Maurice White, American singer-songwriter and musician of Earth, Wind & Fire, performs on stage in the U.S. on Feb. 3, 1978. (Michael Putland\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n He added that despite the strain, he still struggles to reconcile the emotional complexity of his father\u2019s behavior.<\/p>\n “It was really tough for me to want to pursue a relationship with him. Even as a child I was questioning my mother. I\u2019d ask, \u2018Why is he so distant?\u2019 And she explained it to me in what I think is a beautiful way and that\u2019s how I articulate it to this day. \u2018Everybody has a door in their heart that they let love in and out of, and he had enough trauma when he was younger that it closed the door for him. And he could only get it open so far.\u2019”<\/p>\n “But when he was making\u2026 music, that door would open as wide as it could.”<\/p>\n Beyond the personal revelations, Academy Award<\/a> winner Questlove chronicled the rise of Earth, Wind & Fire and its enigmatic founder, Maurice, in the documentary.<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson attends the “Earth, Wind & Fire” opening night premiere during the 2026 Tribeca Festival at Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 3, 2026. (Jamie McCarthy\/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)<\/p>\n “From humble beginnings to the epic, celestial, pyrotechnical stadium shows of their height, Questlove’s celebratory doc showcases this iconic group’s out-of-this-world music, visuals, metaphysics, and joy,” a press release on the Tribeca Festival site<\/a> reads.<\/p>\n The film revisits the band\u2019s origins through friends, family and never-before-seen footage, tracing how Maurice\u2019s vision expanded the group\u2019s sound, scale and theatrical ambition.<\/p>\n It also features interviews with former president Barack Obama<\/a>, former first lady Michelle Obama, Flea as well as Lionel Richie, blending animation and archival footage into what’s described as “a party of a film.”\u00a0<\/p>\n The documentary also delves into the band\u2019s inner workings, where several members describe financial frustration and what they viewed as tight creative control.<\/p>\n PAUL MCCARTNEY REVEALS EXPLOSIVE ‘F— YOU, JOHN’ MOMENT AFTER BEATLES LAWSUIT<\/a><\/p>\n Guitarist Johnny Graham said the public image masked a very different reality.<\/p>\n R&B group Earth Wind & Fire pose for a studio portrait circa the mid-1970s. (Michael Ochs Archives\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n “To the world there was this positive love image presented. But to us, it was totally different. Maurice was always separated from everyone. There was only certain people that could do an interview. If you take a picture, you must stand here in definite positions and there were things that were done intentionally to make you feel small. For one thing, we knew we weren\u2019t getting paid right.”<\/p>\n Graham recalled being surprised by his pay: “My first royalty check, Maurice handed to me and he goes, ‘Here\u2019s your royalties for the record.’ I looked at Maurice and said, ‘What\u2019s this?'” Graham said with a laugh.<\/p>\n He eventually walked away from the band.<\/p>\n “There was no reason to go through that sort of a treatment if you\u2019re not getting paid and not making any money. Why be there and be treated that way? I never came back.”<\/p>\n The film also notes internal breakups and fallout, including the departure of key musicians, the Phenix Horns, who left to work with Phil Collins.<\/p>\n NELSON TWINS REFUSED ‘DISHONORABLE’ BANKRUPTCY TO PROTECT FATHER’S LEGACY AFTER INHERITING MILLIONS IN DEBT<\/a><\/p>\n Other band members claimed, “Yes, things were expensive, but we were generating millions of dollars and only making $2,500 a week. I think it was less than some of the roadies.”<\/p>\n Larry Dunn, a former band member and songwriter, accused Maurice of maintaining tight control over credit and publishing.\u00a0<\/p>\n “For the first 8 years, Maurice took everyone\u2019s publishing,” Dunn alleged.<\/p>\n Other commentators from the documentary claimed, “Maurice was very slow to give up any kind of credit to anybody. The whole damn band should\u2019ve gotten co-production and credit. But he had to be perceived as the single sole champion of the sound.”<\/p>\n Even the band\u2019s legendary stage presence came with a staggering price tag, according to those involved.<\/p>\n Singer Maurice White poses at home in Los Angeles, California, on Aug. 27, 1985. (Bob Riha Jr.\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Eden recalled his mother, Ellene Warren, explaining the scale of production spent during the disco era: “My mom, she was one of the costume designers. I believe she spent nearly $1 million on fabric and other supplies in one year.”<\/p>\n Financial strain was also highlighted behind the curtain.<\/p>\n The documentary suggests the legendary band leader dealt with cash-flow issues. But for Maurice, compromising on the quality of the show just wasn’t an option; he was someone who poured everything into his art.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n At its core, the documentary underscores the seismic impact of Earth, Wind & Fire \u2014 a band that fused jazz<\/a>, funk, soul and pop into a global sound that defined an era.<\/p>\n What emerges is a portrait of Maurice as both architect and enigma \u2014 a man whose creative vision built an empire and whose personal choices left fractures still being processed decades later.<\/p>\n With numerous gold and platinum certifications, Earth, Wind & Fire has won six Grammys, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award<\/a>, and has sold more than 90 million albums.<\/p>\n![\"Ralph](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/earth-wind-fire-tribeca-2026-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Verdine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/earth-wind-fire-tribeca-fox-news-001.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Maurice](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-889454912.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Ahmir](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/questlove-tribeca-festival-fox-news-001.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Earth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/earth-wind-fire-studio-portrait-fox-news-001-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Singer](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/maurice-white-los-angeles-fox-news-001-scaled.jpeg\")
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