“He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels!” Verdine White, Fred’s brother and founding member of Earth, Wind & Fire, wrote on Instagram. “Child protégé, member of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with gold records at the young age of 16 years old! He was brother number 4 in the family lineup. But more than that at home and beyond he was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous!”