Earth, Wind & Fire – “Shining Star”

Earth, Wind & Fire – “Shining Star”

Maurice:
The song “Shining Star” was born out of a hook Larry Dunn was working on. I delivered some vocal rhythms, and Larry put chords under it, working out the harmonic and chordal structure. The title and theme came out of a walk Philip and I had in the Colorado woods late one night. The moon was real bright, to the point where it looked like daytime. We were looking at the stars, and we could see the whole Milky Way. It felt like we were close enough to reach up and grab one. The atmosphere set the tone for a creative spark. The remaining melody and lyrics flew out of us. It was a perfect Earth, Wind & Fire song. There’s a kind of creative grace when you understand your creative identity. For Philip, Larry, and me, writing “Shining Star” was easy, because we knew who Earth, Wind & Fire was.

– Maurice White. My Life With Earth, Wind & Fire, by Maurice White with Herb Powell, 2016.

“Shining Star”
Written by Maurice, Larry Dunn, Philip Bailey