Courtesy photo Earth, Wind & Fire’s three remaining members from their heyday are (from left) bassist Verdine White, singer Philip Bailey and drummer Ralph Johnson.

Bring on the funk — all the way to Happy Valley. R&B icons Earth, Wind and Fire are bringing their eclectic mix of 1970s pop, funk and soul to the Bryce Jordan Center in State College on Sept. 14. Soul singer and songwriter Michael McDonald will open the show at 7:30 p.m. ‘‘They’ve garnered a reputation over the years as an amazing live act,” said Bernie Punt, director of sales and marketing at BJC. “And to have Michael McDonald open for them is just an incredible double billing.’’ Innovative yet popular, EWF changed the sound of black pop in the ’70s with their Latin-funk rhythms, gospel harmonies, a horn section, falsetto vocals and various other exotic ingredients chosen by leader and producer Maurice White, according to The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll (Simon and Schuster, 2001). The band could harmonize like a Motown group, work a groove like the James Brown Revue and improvise like a jazz fusion outfit.