Episode Transcript
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0:00
M Welcome
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to Induction Vault, a production of I
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Heart Radio and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Universally beloved by fans and critics
0:33
alike, Earth Wind and Fire proved
0:35
the power of black music when they became
0:38
the first African American group to sell
0:40
out Madison Square Garden. In
0:42
the year two thousand, rapper Lo Kim
0:45
inducted Earth Wind and Fire into the Rock and Roll
0:47
Hall of Fame, honoring a band that
0:49
created quote, music that brings
0:51
people together, that celebrates
0:54
who we are and who we can be. Together.
0:57
On stage for the first time in twenty years,
1:00
the band took to the stage to thank first
1:02
and foremost their drummer, vocalist,
1:05
and visionary Maurice White, whose
1:07
meticulous leadership catapult of the band.
1:09
It's the shining Stars. They would eventually
1:11
become almost
1:14
speechless. Maurice White thanks
1:16
Rock Hall inductee Clive Davis,
1:19
before giving ultimate gratitude to those
1:21
who meant the most. Earth When and Fire success
1:24
the things,
1:30
ladies and gentlemen, in
1:32
this lifetime. There's music that you
1:35
like, and then there's music
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that you just plain oh need. It
1:40
is my great honor to be here tonight to
1:42
induct the band and makes music that everybody
1:45
needs. Earth When
1:48
and Fire, Like
2:01
Fly in the Family stone before them,
2:03
earth Wind and Fire completely changed
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which soul music can be, breaking
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a lot of ground for so many of us who
2:10
followed. Founded by the
2:12
incredible Maurice White and always
2:15
featuring the greatest musicians who ever
2:17
lived, Earth Wind and Fire
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brought a jazziness of funk
2:23
and a wide open spirit to the
2:25
pop charts without ever selling out or
2:27
selling themselves short. The song
2:30
titles alone bring a smile to your
2:32
face, Shining Star,
2:39
sing a song That's
2:41
the Way of the World, September
2:44
Boogie, Wonderland and wait a minute, of
2:46
course, one of my favorites burn
2:49
As Let's grow tonight.
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I mean, I may be young, but I grew
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to Earth Wind and Fire. And
3:01
believe me, there's a lot more songs where
3:03
those came from.
3:05
But the vocals of the uplifting,
3:11
uplifting, very very very very uplifting.
3:19
Well, you know, when the telepopters broken, I bring
3:21
I don't know what to do, okay,
3:28
But the vocals of the uplifting
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and very high flying Earth
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Wind and Fire has always
3:39
been beautiful to us. The way of
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the world is that we all need earth Wind
3:43
and Fire. These men made music
3:46
that brings people together, and maybe
3:48
that's why the best of earth Wind and Fires
3:51
album has probably been the soundtrack
3:53
of the more good parties that any one
3:55
of us can ever remember. They
3:58
made music that celebrate it's who we are
4:01
and who we can be. So tonight
4:04
let's celebrate the one
4:07
and the only earth Wind
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and Fire. After
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the break, we'll hear from members of earth Wind
4:23
and Fire on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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Induction vault. Thank
4:33
you very much. Our
4:36
gifts have truly made room for
4:38
us before great men, and as
4:40
you honor us, we know
4:42
that you definitely honor those who
4:45
have come before us who have inspired
4:47
us, and many of whom are
4:49
here tonight. Uh.
4:51
You anor a lot of hard work and dedication
4:53
to just a dream and just the music that
4:56
we love. To these guys that
4:58
we're together on the stage to night for the first
5:00
time in twenty years, all the original
5:03
members were. We're excited.
5:13
But you also honor a man with with
5:15
vision and tenacity and courage,
5:18
one who had
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a dream and tackled
5:23
that dream and fought against every
5:25
obstacle and now with his own
5:27
personal obstacles. I'm sure that he will
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courageously attack that
5:34
obstacle like he has
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every other one, and I'm sure he will win. Help
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us, ladies and gentlemen tonight to honor
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our visionary, our leader, Maurice
5:43
Wife.
5:56
H
6:00
m m
6:06
hm. Well,
6:15
the first thing I can say is that I'm speechless for
6:19
get all this together. But it's been a
6:21
long, hard road, but it's been a beautiful
6:23
road. Having the talented musicians
6:26
along with with us to take the ride. It's
6:28
been very good. And I just want
6:30
to say a few people out here that I need to
6:32
give thanks to because without their
6:34
guys, we wouldn't have achieved what we have achieved.
6:37
Bobollo oh m,
6:45
he gave us the right principles to follow.
6:48
Another another person that's been
6:50
along with us all along, it's Art mac Now.
6:58
And another one is rich your Savato who
7:00
built us two studios, recording studios.
7:06
And last for the least, Clive Davis who
7:08
really helped us. And
7:17
we couldn't couldn't have win any place
7:19
without the fans, the lawyer fans. We thank you
7:22
very much. Normally
7:26
I'm I am known as the hyper
7:28
one, but I am so humble Tonight to be up
7:30
here with these wonderful men and I
7:33
love so much. I want to first thank my
7:35
lovely wife Michelle. Thank you Steeteard for all the wonderful
7:37
years. Thank you uh, thank all
7:39
the fans. Thank thank everybody
7:42
and all the behind the scenes people that have helped us. And
7:44
there are three individuals I want to thank up here on the stage
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if I've spent a lot of my life with
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Philip. Thank you, my brother, for
7:51
your tenacity, your hard work, your
7:54
wisdom. Ralph, thank you for being
7:56
my memory to remember
7:59
what we're supposed to do. And Reese,
8:01
thanks for blazing that trail, for
8:03
help making a man out of me and for helped
8:05
me do what I came here to do. Thank you brother.
8:14
In a world where there's so much political correctness,
8:18
maybe I go into I get it's the green when I say I'd
8:21
like to thank God Almighty. I'd
8:23
like to thank my lovely wife. Thank you,
8:25
my wife Louise, who's worked side by side
8:28
with me for the last sixteen years. I'd
8:30
also like to thank my mother Rose, my
8:34
brothers and sisters, and least
8:36
but not least, last
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but not least, the beautiful
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spirit and musicality of Charles
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Stepney and family, and
8:48
also the four brothers
8:50
who put a lot of the fire in
8:52
earth when and fire the Phoenix Horns. Thank
8:55
you, good block. I
9:01
will keep this very brief, Uh, Maurice,
9:03
I just want to say to you, thank you for
9:06
allowing me to share the vision with you. Uh,
9:08
to our very excellent management team.
9:10
But Ab Cavallo, r
9:13
mcnowal with yourself, Otto, and last, but at
9:15
least, I want to just echo something I was already
9:17
said. Thank you Mr Clive Davis. I
9:25
agree, but everything was said, and
9:28
I'd like to thank Mr George Massenburg
9:30
for engineering all those great records
9:32
that we did. Thank you George,
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Uh, Bob Cavallo, Zachary Glickman, my
9:38
manager, my son's Baron Alex, and
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one of my greatest mentors, Mr Maurice White,
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Thank you, Maurice. Since
9:53
I'm the saxophonist, I want to acknowledge those
9:55
guys in the Phoenix Horns who came along and helped
9:58
the add like he said, the fire into the fire. That's
10:00
Louis Satta, Phil Don Murk
10:03
Romley and Michael Harris.
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They were a great additional Hm.
10:12
I'd like to thank the two guys that I came
10:14
from Denver, Colorado with Larry Dunn
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and Philip Bailey, who I love so much,
10:19
and all the White brothers that just helped
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to uh guide and lead our
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career. And we're compadres and roommates
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and all. We went through a lot of stuff, y'all. Thank
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you all for supporting us. We appreciate.
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First of all, I want to thank God, Almighty, Almighty
10:41
God. I want to thank every man up
10:43
here because these
10:46
are the men that raised me. I think every
10:48
one of you, guys, individually, collectively,
10:51
over and over again. And if it was not for
10:53
you guys, I wouldn't be here. I think
10:55
all of you. Thank you for loving
10:57
and appreciate the music. Thank you, y
11:05
I'd like to give thanks to Marius White, who brought
11:07
me out from Louisville, Kentucky to join your group
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and to cleave Davids and Auto fans into
11:12
Harvey food Qui, who just left to stage. He was
11:15
one of my supporters. Thank you. Thanks
11:36
for joining us on this week's episode of Rock
11:38
and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault for
11:40
more on your favorite inductees, to shop
11:42
inductee merch or to plan your trip to
11:44
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame visit rock
11:46
hall dot com plus Rock
11:50
and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special on demand
11:52
on HBO Max. Our
11:54
executive producers are Noel Brown, Shelby
11:57
Morrison, and Lisa Gurkey. Supervising
12:00
producer is Taylor shakogn Research
12:02
and archival assistants from Isabelle Keeper
12:04
and Shannon Herb. Thanks again for joining
12:06
us on this week's episode of Rock and Roll Hall of
12:09
Fame Induction VALL. Induction VALL
12:11
is a production of I Heart Radio and The Rock
12:13
and Roll Hall of Fame. For
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more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the I
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