Legendary saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk, a longtime member of the iconic Grammy Award-winning R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire, has died at age 71.
The band’s co-lead singer, Phillip Bailey, announced the somber news via his Instagram page on Apr. 25.
“I met him in high school, and we quickly became friends and bandmates. Andrew Paul Woolfolk was his name,” Bailey wrote. “We lost him today, after being ill [for] over six years. He has transitioned onto forever, from this land of the dying to the land of the living.”
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He added that he had “great memories” with his bandmate, describing him as a very talented and stylish individual.
“Great memories. Great Talent. Funny. Competitive. Quick-witted and always styling. Booski, I’ll see you on the other side, my friend.”
According to Earth, Wind & Fire’s official website, Woolfolk joined the group in 1973 and played the saxophone, flute, and percussion on and off with them until 1993. He succeeded jazz saxophonist Ronnie Laws and was a part of EWF’s string of hits, including their timeless 1978 classic “September.” Other uber-popular songs his soprano and tenor saxophone sounds appeared on include “Reasons” (1974), “Shining Star” (1975), “Sing a Song” (1975), “Fantasy” (1977), “Boogie Wonderland” (1979), “Let’s Groove” (1981), and more.
Outside of the group, the Texas native collaborated with artists such as Phil Collins, Deniece Williams, and Bailey for his solo albums, “The Wonders of His Love” (1984) and “Triumph” (1986).
Bailey mentioned that Woolfolk didn’t initially plan to join EWF in his 2014 memoir “Shining Star: Braving the Elements of Earth, Wind & Fire.” However, the instrumentalist eventually joined after the singer asked him to, following a gig in Denver. At the time, he was studying music in New York.
The band was originally formed by its iconic lead singer, Maurice White, in 1969. White passed away in 2016.
In 2000, Woolfolk was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of EWF. He showed off his signature sound in a performance with the group during their celebratory ceremony.
Over a decade later, in 2019, Bailey said the musician stopped performing as he was residing in a retirement home.
