Questlove Reveals the Heartwarming Reason Behind Earth, Wind & Fire's 'September'
If you're a fan of Earth, Wind & Fire's iconic 1978 hit "September," you probably immediately think of the song whenever the calendar flips to September 21.
Over the years, there has been debate over the song's true meaning and why Earth, Wind & Fire wants us all to "remember, the 21st night of September."
During last night's appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, acclaimed musician and filmmaker Questlove, who has a new documentary on the legendary band coming out in June, revealed the significance behind the date.
September 21 has family ties
It turns out, Questlove says, that September 21, 1978 was the expected due date of EWF founder and frontman Maurice White's son Kahbran. White wrote the song along with acclaimed songwriter Allee Willis.
"Sometimes the people have to decide what the signature song is. Earth, Wind & Fire had so many iconic songs. ‘September' was just a throwaway song on a greatest hits record," Questlove told Fallon, via PEOPLE. "Maurice's son was supposed to be born on Sept. 21, so technically, it was about the joy of him finding out that his son was going to be born. But he was born prematurely. But they still kept it the 21st day of September."
Kahbran, who is now 47, was born Aug. 1, 1978, nearly two months early.
The meaning remained hidden for decades
Willis herself had told people the date had no significance, but told the Wall Street Journal in 2019 that the year before, she finally learned the meaning from White's widow Marilyn.
"Maurice never told me that," Willis explained. "For decades, I had been disappointing people whose birthdays or weddings were on the 21st of September. Now they know."
Marilyn White also told the WSJ that she didn't know her husband included September 21 in the song until the first time he played it for her at home.
"My whole body smiled. It was like a secret message between us and our son. I said, ‘Oh my God, you remembered,'" she said. "‘Yeah,' Maurice said, ‘Yeah, I did.'"
More on Questlove's documentary
The project, Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World) premieres Sunday, June 7 on HBO. It will run from 9-11 p.m. ET before becoming available on HBO Max.
"Drawing from the band's rich visual, audio, and written archives, including never-before-seen footage, the film plays like an experiential kaleidoscope of images, colors, and music, transporting viewers to the vibrancy of live performances that have electrified fans past and present," said a Warner Bros. Discovery press release. "Through candid interviews with band members, colleagues, family, and high-profile fans, the film traces the childhood that would forge White's worldview and reflects the singular influence of his music on generations of artists, such as Prince and Stevie Wonder, as well as its resurgence through sampling and collaborations with today's hip-hop artists."
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 1:23 PM.