Larry Dunn

Larry Dunn was born in Denver, Colorado, in 1953. In 1972 he became the keyboardist for Earth, Wind & Fire. He was an important part of the group’s success in the 1970s and early ’80s, and won six Grammy Awards. In 1987, after a four-year break, Earth, Wind & Fire re-formed, but Dunn had moved on to other projects. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  Along with keyboards, Dunn played organ, piano and synthesizer for Earth, Wind & Fire, and for several years acted as musical director. The group began to take off after releasing Head to the Sky in 1973, scoring solid hits with the title track and “Evil.” Their next album, 1975’s That’s the Way of the World, was their breakthrough, and is also among Dunn’s favorites because its success, he says, made him realize how popular the group had become. The album produced the No. 1 hit “Shining Star,” which Dunn contributed to as a songwriter. During Earth, Wind & Fire’s heyday, which ran into the early ’80s, they released a steady series of gold and multi-platinum albums, includingGratitude (1975), Spirit (1976) and I Am (1979). By the time the group decided to take a break in 1983, Dunn, along with his band mates, had won six Grammy Awards. He had also produced and composed music for numerous side projects during this time.

As a member of Earth, Wind & Fire, Dunn was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He joined the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2011 he released another solo album, N2 the Journey, on his Source Music Productions label.

Website: LarryDunn.com