There is very little in the music business that Maurice White has not done. During his thirty- plus years in the industry, Maurice has created an unparalleled legacy as a bandleader, songwriter, producer, and musician. He has also headed his own record label, production company and recording studio. In the process, his musical creations have touched the hearts and minds of people everywhere in a way most artists only dream of doing.

One of nine children, Maurice grew up in Memphis where he was exposed to all types of music like gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and early rock-and-roll, which helped shape his musical foundation. Originally a drummer, Maurice's education included training at the prestigious Chicago Conservatory of Music. His first professional experience was as staff drummer at Chess Records where, during his five-year stint, he kept the beat for such giants as Etta James, Willie Dixon, and Ramsey Lewis among numerous others. It was Lewis who got Maurice out of the studio and onto the road. "Ramsey helped shape my musical vision beyond just the music," Maurice recalls. "I learned about performance and staging. He really was a great teacher."

In 1969, Maurice started his own band along with keyboardists/vocalists Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead, called The Salty Peppers, which was the basis for what has been called the greatest crossover band ever -- Earth, Wind & Fire. Maurice came to Los Angeles in 1970 on a mission to create a truly universal group -- universal in spirit and ambitious in scope, defying boundaries of color, culture, and categorization. Naming the outfit for the elements in his astrological chart, Maurice instilled in Earth, Wind & Fire a sense of mastery of four principles of the music art form: excellence in composition, musicianship, production, and performance. After a year and a half, Flemons and Whitehead departed, and Maurice recruited younger brother, bassist Verdine, and singer Philip Bailey, which proved to be the winning combination.

Making the most of a four-year hiatus from Earth, Wind & Fire in the mid-eighties, Maurice produced an extraordinary list of vocalists including Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, El DeBarge and Jennifer Holiday in addition to contributing songs to motion picture soundtracks. He tasted success individually as a solo artist with a version of the Ben E. King classic, "Stand By Me," that went Top 10 on the R&B singles chart and appeared on his solo album.

In the mid-nineties, Earth, Wind & Fire regained its stride as Maurice now shared the helm with Philip and Verdine since he no longer tours with the band. "After thirty years of living out of a suitcase, I'd decided to concentrate on the next phase of my career," boasts a re-energized Maurice. Now his considerable talents are being poured into building Magnet Vision, a recording company which is comprised of Kalimba Records, the Kalimba International production company, and a state-of-the-art recording facility in Santa Monica.

Keyboardist Freddie Ravel the first act signed to the label, released an album (distributed by Verve Forecast) that climbed into the contemporary jazz Top 20. Maurice was behind the board for last year's top-selling jazz record, "Urban Nights," featuring an all-star line-up for GRP Records and "Urban Nights II," with a different cast.

Earth, Wind & Fire has indubitably inspired fans globally and influenced countless recording artists. While Maurice is still making new magic with the band he founded, Magnet Vision provides him with new outlets to develop pristine talent and producing an array of artists from different musical genres. "Music is my passion, and it is a medium in which people of all backgrounds and makeup can communicate," Maurice says. "In this next chapter, I'm looking forward to continuing to bring to people music of the highest quality, music that stimulates and encourages people to be their very best." Maurice is currently signing and producing new acts to his record label. Some of his new acts include Kenny Jackson and Xpression. In addition, Maurice has said that there will be more Earth, Wind & Fire albums and another solo album in the coming years.