Verdine White was born on the 25th July 1951, in Chicago, Illinois USA, and is a musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the bassist in the band Earth, Wind & Fire. White is known for his energy during performances, including his dancing while playing. White remains the only founding member of the band. His career started in 1969.
Have you ever wondered how rich Verdine White is, as of mid-2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that White’s net worth is as high as $10 million, earned through his successful musical career. In addition to playing the bass guitar with Earth, Wind & Fire for over 40 years now, White has also collaborated with numerous fellow musicians, which has also improved his wealth.
Verdine White Net Worth $10 Million
Verdine White was born a son of Verdine Sr., a doctor who also played the saxophone, and grew up in Chicago with his two brothers, Fred and Maurice White. He listened to Miles Davis, John Coltrane and other influential jazz musicians, and decided to play the bass guitar when he saw a double bass in his high school orchestra class.
His father bought him an electric bass, and he was sent to take private lessons from Radi Velah of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. On the weekends, White spent time with session bassist and trombonist Louis Satterfield; the two will play together in the Earth, Wind & Fire later. Along with Satterfield, White’s influences were James Jamerson, Paul McCartney, and Gary Karr. Verdine bought a new bought Fender Telecaster bass and started playing in Chicago clubs with local bands before his brother Maurice formed the Earth, Wind & Fire in 1970, and asked Verdine to join him in Los Angeles.
As a member of the cult band, White has won six Grammy Awards, seventeen nominations, sold over 90 million albums worldwide and recorded over 50 gold and platinum albums. The band has been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, among other honors. He contributed in all of 21 EWF’s albums from 1971 to date, increasing his net worth by a large margin in the process, thanks to the band’s popularity in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
White has collaborated with many fellow musicians too, including Ramsey Lewis in 1974 and 1975, Gene Harris, The Emotions, and Deniece Williams in 1976. He also worked with Level 42 in 1983, Urban Knights in 1997, Jennifer Lopez in 2002, and most recently with Flo Rida in 2015, which has also added to his net worth..
Regarding his personal life, Verdine White married Shelly Clark in 1980, a member of the R&B group Honey Cone and former member of The Ikettes. He has a son, Warner Richard Wright, IV, born in 1974 and known by his stage name Dubsak. White’s granddaughter Naila often accompanies him to concerts and social events, and she studies voice with Seth Riggs as apparently she is a gifted 13-year-old girl.
Verdine is a philanthropist, and he co-founded the Verdine White Foundation with the goal of helping unprivileged and talented students, providing them with a musical education and scholarships. White was inducted into the Boys and Girls Club’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2007, while in 2010 he was inducted as a Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity at a ceremony at Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.
