Maurice White (Dec. 19, 1941 – Feb. 3, 2016)
Maurice White, the founder of Earth, Wind and Fire, died in his sleep at age 74 after suffering from Parkinson’s disease. During his tenure with the funk-soul band, they sold over a 100 million records and churned out hits like “Reasons,” “September” and “Shining Star.” Aside from his work with the band, White carved out an impressive music career behind the scenes, co-producing and co-writing the hit, “Best of My Love” by The Emotions, a group he discovered.
Kashif Saleem (Dec. 26, 1959 – Sept. 25, 2016)
Singer-songwriter and producer Kashif Saleem, known for his work with the likes of Whitney Houston and George Benson, reportedly died of natural causes at 56 years old.
