John Paris Of Earth, WInd & Fire Hospitalized After Backstage Heart Attack
John Paris, the 58-year-old New Jersey native who has been the drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire since 2001, suffered a heart attack backstage at the Chase Center in San Francisco on the evening of August 6, just minutes before the band was scheduled to take the stage alongside Lionel Richie as part of their Sing A Song All Night Long tour.
A packed arena was emptied. Emergency responders transported him to a local hospital in critical condition.
Paris is still hospitalized. A friend of Paris and his wife launched a GoFundMe this week to help the couple, noting that his wife had to leave her job and their home to stay by his side during his recovery. The fundraiser has drawn significant support from fans of the band.
None of the three longtime core members of Earth, Wind & Fire, Philip Bailey, Verdine White or Ralph Johnson, were involved in the incident.
The band has not yet rescheduled the San Francisco date, though Ticketmaster is working on it and existing tickets will be honored for the new date or refunded.
Paris played with Patti LaBelle, Kelly Clarkson and Bruce Hornsby before joining Earth, Wind & Fire.
He has been the band's drummer for 25 years and appears on their late-era studio albums. His current condition has not been publicly updated beyond the initial critical status.
