The 21st of September will forever be an unofficial day to recognize the greatness of legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire. But next year, sometime in 2025, Questlove will make sure droves of fans celebrate and reflect on the unmatched musical influence of one of the greatest acts the industry has ever known.
In a Sept. 20 Instagram post, The Roots drummer announced that he is working on the first official documentary of the group comprised of original members Maurice White, Verdine White, Philip Bailey, and Larry Dunn. Over the years, iterations of the lineup have also included bandmates Ralph Johnson, Al McKay, Roland Bautista, and Andrew Woolfolk.
Founder and frontman Maurice passed away at the age of 74 in 2016, saxophonist Woolfolk at 71 in 2022, and drummer Fred White died at age 67 in 2023. In a released statement, remaining members Bailey, Verdine, and Johnson said, “We look forward to this in-depth journey of our band, and are so excited to have Questlove directing the documentary.”
Queslove made his directorial debut in 2021 with Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a documentary about the six-weekend 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The acclaimed project earned him an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 2022 Academy Awards.
In his post about the legendary elements, he wrote, “The story of how a band led by a genius from Chicago changed our way of thinking, our minds, and our hearts.” The group has sold more than 90 million records, won six Grammys, and influenced scores of artists with their classics, such as the indelible “September” and “Reasons.”
Three years ago, in 2021, they were a “Shining Star” that shone brightly during the pandemic shutdown when they had millions of people dancing throughout the night with their Verzuz against The Isley Brothers — further proving that their catalog and cultural relevance spanned more than five decades since their 1969 debut.
That impact was not lost on Questlove, whose post continued, “Having been baptized in the Afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit, I’ve learned about them, I’ve learned about us & more importantly, I’ve learned about and rediscovered myself in the process. I’m so excited to be directing a documentary preserving their positive but VERY vulnerable and real story of Soul, Self & Struggle. This is the story of joy, persistence, love, pain, magic, and self-discovery. This is Earth, Wind & Fire.”
The project will be brought to fruition in association with Sony Music Vision and producing partners from RadicalMedia, Broken Halo Entertainment, and Kinfolk Management + Media. A projected release date is forthcoming.