Why It’s EARTH, WIND & FIRE Dummy!
WHAT HAS 18 LEGS, DOESN'T DRINK AND IS BIGGER THAN AEROSMITH?
When 22,000 exhausted concertgoers try to leave an arena simultaneously (in this case, Washington D.C.’s Capitol Center), the odds are excellent that no one will get anywhere.
Certainly not the lead Earth, Wind & Fire limousine, jammed with band members' and friends, and trapped deep in the bowels of the traffic jam. A noisy, off-key symphony of car horns echoes across the parking lot. The chauffeur spits in disgust as he tunes in a local soul station.
“I feel like a monkey in a cage,” complains Philip Bailey, the group’s falsetto vocalist, safely ensconsed in the back seat. His female companions, one on each arm, giggle unsympathetically. “You better get on the case,” mocks the one in hot pants, staring wide-eyed at the throng of young female admirers surrounding the gunmetal grey vehicle.
Bailey, who bears an eerie resemblance to the late Sam Cooke, warily rolls down the window to accept hand slaps and special requests. “Autograph my hand, nigger!” jeers a pint-sized black enthusiast. Bailey begrudgingly complies, reaching languidly across the half-open window and flashing a smooth matinee-idol smile.