Singer Philip Bailey confirmed Woolfolk’s death, paying tribute to his friend and bandmate: “Great memories. Great talent. Funny. Competitive. Quick witted. And always styling”
Fire and reliable hired gun for a slew of other artists, died Sunday, April 24. He was 71.
Earth, Wind, and Fire vocalist Phililp Bailey confirmed Woolfolk’s death on Instagram.
Andrew Woolfolk, the longtime saxophonist for Earth, Wind & Fire, died on Sunday (April 24) at the age of 71. Woolfolk’s tragic death was confirmed by EWF lead singer Philip Bailey on Instagram.
Though the sax player’s cause of death is not public knowledge, his bandmate revealed he had been sick for quite some time.
Bailey reflected in his Instagram post, “I met him in High School, and we quickly became friends and band mates.
We lost him today, after being ill of over 6 years. He has Transitioned on to the forever, from this Land of the dying to the Land of the Living.
Woolfolk was born on Oct. 11, 1950, in Texas. He met Bailey after moving to Colorado, where he was raised.
He studied saxophone under jazz legend Joe Henderson while living in New York City and was considering a career in banking when Bailey tapped him to join EWF in 1973.
This sparked a string of successes as they continued with 1974’s Open Your Eyes—for which a Rolling Stone review hailed Woolfolk’s