Earth, Wind & Fire Share the One Piece of Advice They'd Give Their Younger Selves When First Starting Out (Exclusive)
Earth, Wind & Fire Share the One Piece of Advice They'd Give Their Younger Selves When First Starting Out (Exclusive)
Rachel Raposas, Alexandra SchonfeldSun, June 7, 2026 at 6:58 PM UTC
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Earth, Wind & Fire in 2025.Credit: Medios y Media/Getty -
Earth, Wind & Fire members Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson reflected on their long careers in the band, spanning nearly six decades
At the premiere of their new documentary, the three members agreed on just one piece of advice they'd share with their younger selves
Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World, debuting on HBO, features rare archival material from the band's original members
The members of Earth, Wind & Fire have just one piece of advice for their younger selves.
The iconic genre-blending band, first founded in 1969, spoke with PEOPLE at the premiere of their new documentary, Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World, on Wednesday, June 3. Three of the group's original members — Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson — reflected on their long career in the band, chronicled in the film debuting on HBO.
When asked what advice they'd impart on their younger selves when the band was just starting out, Bailey, White and Johnson all agreed on their words of wisdom.
"I would say, 'hold on, we're going for a ride!'" Bailey says, while White chimes in, "Yeah, that's the one!"
"It'll get a little bumpy at times," Johnson continues, "but we're going to come out smooth on the other end."
Created in 1969 by the late founder Maurice White, Earth, Wind & Fire came to fruition over the course of several years as he assembled a group of skilled musicians. The principal lineup included his brothers Verdine and Fred White, plus Johnson, Bailey, Johnny Graham, Larry Dunn, Al McKay and Andrew Woolfolk.
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Earth, Wind and Fire.Credit: Ebet Roberts/Redferns
In its nearly six decades, Earth, Wind & Fire released beloved hits like "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "Shining Star" and "Sing a Song." The group remains one of the best-selling bands in history and has earned six Grammy Awards out of 17 nominations.
The band briefly went on hiatus from 1984 to 1987, leaving room for its members to pursue solo work. Though many of the principal lineup members have stepped away from touring in recent years, Bailey, Verdine and Johnson still tour under the original band name.
Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World features "exclusive access to the band's archives of visual, audio, and written material, as well as the support of the estate of Maurice White and the band members," according to the film's synopsis.
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Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World debuts June 7 on HBO.
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