“Do you remember? The 21st of September!” Yes! Today is Earth, Wind, and Fire Day, September 21st.
Today’s date is memorialized in the Earth Wind & Fire song “September.” The pioneering R&B and disco band recorded the hit in 1978. It is the band’s most recognizable song and reached #1 on the Billboard R&B charts.
Listen here:
Written by lead singer Maurice White with Al McKay and Allee Willis, the funky tune is instantly recognizable and a hit at nearly every wedding I’ve ever been to.
What is the 21st of September?
“21st of September” referenced in the lyrics is a memory the singer is trying to evoke in a lover:
Do you remember the 21st night of September?
Love was changin’ the minds of pretenders
While chasin’ the clouds away
Our hearts were ringin’ in the key that our souls were singin’
As we danced in the night, remember
How the stars stole the night away, oh, yeah
While White claims that he picked the date because it sounds good, White’s wife and lyricist Willis maintain its significance as White’s song’s birthday.
Regardless the song is what the kids these days call a bop.
I’ve played it about a dozen times already and plan on dressing up as the band to go out tonight. Here are a few more fun facts on the song from Fortune:
It’s a song that has played at both the Democratic and Republican conventions (in the same year!). It has been featured in at least 14 major motion pictures and numerous TV shows. And it’s a song that still has people wondering exactly what “ba-dee-ya” means. (Spoiler: No one has figured it out in the 43 years the song has been around.)
The song is a cultural phenomenon.
In an age where every song on the radio is about drugs, gangster-nonsense, and being sad, it is nice to listen to music with a positive and happy message!
“I wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before… We were coming out of a decade of experimentation, mind expansion and cosmic awareness. I wanted our music to convey messages of universal love and harmony.” – Maurice White, Founder of EWF 🗣️#EarthWindAndFireDay pic.twitter.com/wzcW5E4zo0
— Mi-Soul (@misoulradio) September 21, 2021
What a concept, a song that doesn’t make me want to drive off a cliff!
Sadly, Maurice White died on February 4, 2016. Parkinson’s disease kept him from touring with Earth, Wind & Fire, he stayed busy behind the scenes.
Other Events on September 21st
This date in history holds significance beyond the song.
In the distant past, this was the first day of fall.
Here are a few events, birthdays, and deaths associated with the 21st of September.
September 21st Events
- 1170: The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Norman Invaders
- 1780: Benedict Arnold hands over war plans to the British
- 1942: The B29 Superfortress makes its maiden flight
- 1981: Sandra Day O’Connor is appointed as the first woman to the Supreme Court
September 21st Birthdays
- 1866: H.G. Wells, science fiction pioneer
- 1934: Leonard Cohen, singer-songwriter
- 1943: Jerry Bruckheimer, blockbuster producer
- 1944: Stephen King, novelist
September 21st Deaths
- 1860: Arthur Schopenhauer, Germany philosopher and pessimist
- 1998: Florence Griffith Joyner, world-record-holding sprinter
September 21st Holidays and Observances
- Armenian Independence Day
- Belize Independence Day
- Malta Independence Day
On a personal note, today is special for me because it is my nephew’s birthday. He has plenty of earth, wind, and fire about him! Happy Birthday, Hughsie! Uncle Hollywood misses you!
Do you have a memory of the 21st of September? Please share them in the comments below.