Charles Stepney (March 26, 1931May 17, 1976) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and musician. Stepney is noted for his work with artists such as The Dells, Ramsey Lewis, Rotary Connection and Earth, Wind & Fire. Career He started his musical career as a jazz piano and vibraphone player, and began work for Chess Records as a musician and arranger. In 1966, Charles Stepney and Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records' co-founder Leonard Chess, created the band Rotary Connection. Stepney went on to produce the group on the Chess vanity label Cadet Concept. These were their 1967 self titled debut album, 1968's Aladdin and Peace LPs and 1969's release Songs. He also produced the group's 1970 album Dinner Music and 1971 LP Hey Love. According to writer Paul Bowler: "The six albums that Rotary Connection recorded under Stepney's guidance proved revolutionary; a glorious fusion of styles made essential by the simpatico nature of Stepney's lush string arrangements and [Minnie] Riperton's multi-octave, quasi-operatic vocals." Stepney went on to produce Rotary Connection lead singer Minnie Riperton's 1970 debut album Come to My Garden. Commenting on Minnie at the time he said that she "has a soprano range of about four octaves, a whole lot of soul, she's good-looking and she's got the experience of Rotary behind her." During 1970 Stepney also wrote, produced and conducted a Classical Jazz Symphony entitled "Cohesion". "Cohesion" was performed by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Ramsey Lewis Trio and Minnie Riperton in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stepney worked with a wide range of other performers at Chess. He began producing soul group The Dells on their 1968 album There Is. He later produced the group's 1969 release Love is Blue and their 1971 LPs Like It Is, Like It Was and Freedom Means. He also worked with blues musicians Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf , and singers Terry Callier, Marlena Shaw, and Deniece Williams, on their albums. He is credited as a musician or producer on albums including The Soulful Strings – Paint It Black (1966) and Groovin' with the Soulful Strings (1967); Muddy Waters – Electric Mud (1968) and After the Rain (1969); Howlin' Wolf – The Howlin' Wolf Album (1969); Marlena Shaw – The Spice of Life (1969); Terry Callier – Occasional Rain (1972), What Color Is Love (1973) and I Just Can't Help Myself (1974); Phil Upchurch – Upchurch (Cadet, 1969) and The Way I