Al McKay
The rhythmic engine of Earth, Wind & Fire, a guitarist whose taut, funky chops defined the sound of 1970s soul.
Born 1948 (age 78)·Musical artist·Birthday: February 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Al McKay's guitar didn't just play notes; it snapped, popped, and drove the beat. Hailing from Los Angeles, he cut his teeth in the potent local scene with The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, absorbing a deep, gritty funk foundation. When Maurice White recruited him for Earth, Wind & Fire in 1973, McKay's style became the essential counterpoint to the group's soaring harmonies and spiritual themes. His playing—economical, percussive, and irresistibly tight—is the backbone of classics like "September" and "Shining Star." He co-wrote major hits, including "Sing a Song," and his stage presence, often anchored to a rhythmic groove while Philip Bailey soared above, was a study in controlled power. After leaving the band, he continued as a sought-after session musician and bandleader, his All Stars keeping that precise, joyful funk alive for new generations.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Al was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- As a key member of Earth, Wind & Fire during their peak, he co-wrote and played guitar on iconic hits like "Sing a Song" and "September."
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 as a member of Earth, Wind & Fire.
- His distinctive rhythm guitar work, known as the 'McKay chunk,' is a foundational element of the band's signature sound.
Did You Know?
He is left-handed but plays guitar right-handed.
Before joining EW&F, he played on The Temptations' hit "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone."
He founded the Al McKay All Stars, a band dedicated to performing the Earth, Wind & Fire catalog and classic funk.
“The pocket is everything; you find that groove and you don't let it go.”
