Story perspectives

Questlove-Directed Earth, Wind & Fire Doc Streams Nationwide

6/10/2026

Summary

Questlove Directs EW&F Documentary

The United States streams the Earth, Wind & Fire documentary Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs That’s the Weight of the World.
Band leader Maurice White guides the film’s exploration of the group’s origins and cultural impact.
Questlove of The Roots directs the documentary using only interview footage and no narrator.
Jay Smooth calls the film Questlove’s most polished work, praising its storytelling of the band’s legacy.

Summary

Questlove Explores EW&F

The documentary shows extravagant pyrotechnics made the band's tours lose money.
White's artistic vision, shaped by Napoleon Hill’s *The Law of Success*, turned into control-freak behavior, stinginess and affairs.
The film ties the band's rise to Black-Panther activism and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
Phil Collins used the band's horn section on his 1981 *Face Value* album and co-wrote 1984’s “Easy Lover” with Philip Bailey.

Summary

Obamas Dance

The documentary shows Barack and Michelle Obama dancing to “September” in a video interview recorded the morning after the 2024 elections.
It notes that “September,” originally a filler track on a greatest-hits compilation, has been streamed over 2.3 billion times on Spotify, out-pacing the band’s next five songs combined.
The director reports that the Obamas later cited Earth, Wind & Fire as the emblem for the 2024 presidential inauguration, using “September” as an encore.

Summary

Leonard Fires

Manager Leonard Smith fired most of the original Earth, Wind & Fire lineup, keeping only Verdine White and Maurice.
Maurice recruited guitarist Al McKay to add more funk to the band.
At a 1972 Uptown Theater show, Verdine White had the group sit in lotus position before playing.
Keyboardist Larry Dunn voiced publishing-rights disputes, revealing lingering financial tension inside the group.

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Questlove Directs EW&F Documentary

The United States streams the Earth, Wind & Fire documentary Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs That’s the Weight of the World.
Band leader Maurice White guides the film’s exploration of the group’s origins and cultural impact.
Questlove of The Roots directs the documentary using only interview footage and no narrator.
Jay Smooth calls the film Questlove’s most polished work, praising its storytelling of the band’s legacy.

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