Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American music band formed in 1969. Their music spans the multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide. The band was formed in Chicago by Maurice White in 1969, growing out of the Salty Peppers; its history includes a hiatus from mid-1984 to mid-1987.During Summer 2017 the band went on a North American tour entitled, 2054-The Tour, supported by Chic featuring Nile Rodgers.