The original Earth, Wind & Fire horn section, the Ph(o)enix Horns grew out of an earlier band called The Pharaohs, which was originally formed around alto sax player Don Myrick, trumpeter Louis Satterfield and trumpeter Charles Handy in the late 1960s.

By the time of the Pharaohs' 1971 recording debut, Awakening, the group also included plus Big Willie Woods on trombone, Oye Bisi and Shango Njoko Adefumi on African drums, Yehudah Ben Israel on guitar and vocals, Alious Watkins on trap drums, Derf Reklaw-Raheem on percussion and flute and Aaron Dodd on tuba. When Maurice White was putting together Earth, Wind & Fire, he hired The Pharaohs as the Phoenix Horns.

After noting their explosive presence with Earth, Wind & Fire, Phil Collins initiated a musical coup and The Phoenix Horns became an important element of his decade long string of recordings, as well as very successful world tours.