bergenPAC Presents Earth Wind and Fire Celebrating Four Decades of Hits

Don’t miss Earth, Wind and Fire at bergenPAC Tuesday June 15, 2010. In nearly four decades, Earth Wind & Fire has spread its unique brand of soul, funk and R&B to a worldwide audience and has earned eight Grammy awards in the process! Hits like “After the Love Has Gone, “Reasons,” “Fantasy,” “Serpentine Fire,” “Boogie Wonderland,” “Getaway,” and “Shining Star.”

Legendary band Earth, Wind, & Fire is simply one of the most important, innovative, and commercially invincible contemporary Pop / R&B music forces of the 20th century. The group has had a remarkable and celebrated career spanning over four decades. Their signature sound is not easily categorized and since its inception has been profoundly influential….musically, socially and spiritually.

Tuesday June 15 at 8PM - $129, $99, $69, $49

Earth, Wind & Fire have received 20 Grammy Awards nominations and have won six awards as a group; its founding members individually (Maurice White & Philip Bailey) have won two each, totaling eight Grammy Awards.

Successfully breaking all musical genre boundaries through 23 albums. EWF have recorded eight #1 R&B singles and eight Double Platinum Top 10 Pop Albums over their career.

They have earned more than 50 gold and platinum albums and have sold over 90 million albums worldwide earning them a place on the list of best selling music artists. VH1 ranked Earth, Wind & Fire number 60 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll.

Many of today’s contemporary Grammy Award winning music artists have named EWF as their musical influence or have announced that they are die hard fans, Including: Usher, Beyonce and Prince (he thanked EWF in his induction acceptance speech recently at the British Hall of Fame). Alicia Keys proclaims that EWF is “ the best band ever.” Mary J. Blige has showed her appreciation to the band by re-recording one of the bands hit songs “Imagination.”

The Black Eyed Peas took the stage with EWF with a performance at the XXIX Super Bowl, and then an encore by opening the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. President Clinton invited the group to the White House in 2000 as special guests at a State dinner. In February 2009, President Obama invited Earth, Wind & Fire to perform in the East Room at the White House for the first social event of the new administration. President Obama declared in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine that the group was among his favorites. He said, they are “rhythm and blues and pop staples for me.”

Earth, Wind & Fire’s career achievements have been acknowledged and earned them their place in musical history. The Earth, Wind & Fire have been inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000); they have received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1995) and Hollywood’s Rockwalk (2003). That same year they received the Vocal Group Hall of Fame Award (2003). The music industry and fans bestowed Lifetime Achievement honors from ASCAP, NAACP, and the BET Awards. The American Music Awards awarded the group with four distiguised trophies. The principals of Earth, Wind & Fire: Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson have earned honorary doctorate degrees from the Columbia College in Chicago. Philip Bailey and founder Maurice White have earned doctorate degrees at Berklee College of Music. In June 2010 Philip Bailey, Maurice White and Verdine White will be inducted into the Song Writer’s Hall of Fame.

The Grammy Awards have exemplified EWF’s relevance and the connection with contemporary R&B and Pop artists by showcasing the group twice on both the 2005 and 2007 television events. The musical highlight at the 2005 broadcast included joining forces with Outkast, in what was the Hip Hop group’s last television appearance together. In 2007, EWF performed with the top nominees Ludacris and Mary J. Blige in a heartfelt performance with a poignant message to raise the social conciseness of teenage run-aways.

Earth, Wind & Fire's songs have been covered by artists such as the Jerry Garcia Band, Point Of Grace, D'Angelo, Lenny White, Patti LaBelle, The Manhattans , Wynonna Judd, Yolanda Adams, Incognito (band) Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, 112, theVienna Boys' Choir, Herb Alpert, Musiq and Tito Puente.

Their songs have also been sampled by artists some of which include A Tribe Called Quest, Wyclef Jean, Jay-Z, Amerie, The Fugees, LL Cool J, De La Soul, Common, Queen Pen, Naughty by Nature, P Diddy, The Roots, Will Smith, Cee-Lo link, MC Lyte and Lisa Left Eye Lopes.
Some artists who name Earth, Wind & Fire as a major influence, inspiration or idols include, Rahael Saadiq, Usher, Will I Am, Mary J Blige, Cherish, Prince, Pharrell Williams, The Neptunes, Jon Secadalink, Wyclef Jean, Common, Phil Collins, Boney James Angie Stone, The All-American Rejectslink, Jesse McCartney, Mint Condition, Solange Knowles, Babyface link,Outkast, Jamiroquai The D.E.Y.Marc Broussard, Omarion, Eric Benet, Sheila E, Marcus Miller, Erykah Badu, Jamie Foxx, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Brian Culbertson, Brooke Hogan, Meshell Ndegeocello, Wynton Marsalis and Mario

Miles Davis described EW&F as his "all time favorite band" saying "they have everything (horns, electric guitar, singers and more) in one band" Quincy Jones has proclaimed himself to be the "biggest fan of Earth, Wind & Fire since day one." Dionne Warwick has named Earth, Wind & Fire as her favorite group of all time.

In keeping with the group spiritual legacy the very principals of which the group was founded, Earth, Wind & Fire has stood for and profoundly believes in the circle of returning the benefits of success by giving back through supporting the continuation of raising funds and the consciousness of important social issues.

EWF were selected and honored at the Inaugural 2005 Grammy Jam. The benefit event that was supported by Stevie Wonder, wil.i.am, Indie Arie, Usher and Kanye West by performing EWF classic hit songs. Fans in the audience, including Prince, were mesmerized. Proceeds from the evening went to many non-profit organizations: The GRAMMY Foundation, California State Summer School for the Arts, the Los Angeles Chapter Scholarship Program, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and For The Arts.

The group’s founders have instituted charitable programs that have a direct endowment to local and national music and arts initiatives. Philip Bailey started the organization called Music is Unity Foundation. Verdiine White introduced Wright Life Arts Center for the Youth. EWF appeared and perform on the American Idol Gives back special. The program raised awareness and funds benefiting poverty relief of children and young people in the US and Africa.

Earth, Wind, & Fire remains to this day one of the top musical bands with a catalog of mega hits for over four decades. Their musical influences have changed the course of music and perhaps the spiritual conciseness around the world.

bergenPAC
30 North Van Brunt Street
Englewood, NJ 07631
www.bergenPAC.org

About Bergen Performing Arts Center: Known as The John Harms Center for 27 years, this cultural hub in Englewood, has been reborn as Bergen Performing Arts Center or bergenPAC. This 1367- seat theater is a landmark, and in its sixth season as bergenPAC it remains one of the finest acoustic halls in the United States. The legendary Tony Bennett and Canadian crooner k.d. lang recorded their 2003 Grammy award-winning CD live on bergenPAC’s own stage through a broadband fiber-optic connection with Bennett Studios. bergenPAC is the home of a media production system that is unparalleled, upholding its reputation as a venue for outstanding music, dance and theater. As a non-profit corporation, bergenPAC has thrived thanks to the aid and generosity of sponsors, donors and patrons.

Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office 201 227 1030 or online at www.bergenPAC.org For more information on the 2010 Spring Gala at bergenPAC or to purchase tickets, please visit www.bergenpac.org  or call 201-816-8160, ext. 16.