Known to his friends as "Reese" Maurice White was an American R&B and funk singer (born on December 19, 1941 in Memphis, Tennessee, died on February 3rd, 2016 in Los Angeles). A childhood friend of Booker T. Jones he was bitten by the music bug early and after finishing high school moved to Chicago where he worked as a session musician, usually playing drums, on many Chess sessions of the early 60s.
He spent the mid to late 60s working with Ramsey Lewis and then formed Earth, Wind & Fire in 1969 with local Chicago singers, but relocated the band to Los Angeles in 1970 where they found success. He is the brother of Fred White and Verdine White.