The Pharaohs, an American soul/jazz/funk group, were formed in 1962 out of a student band, The Jazzmen, at Crane Junior College in Chicago, Illinois.
This early incarnation comprised Louis Satterfield on trombone, Charles Handy on trumpet, and Don Myrick on alto saxophone.
They were joined by Fred Humphrey on piano, Ernest McCarthy on bass guitar and Maurice White on drums.
On the South Side of Chicago the Affro Arts Theater offered concerts, as well as classes in music and dance.
By the early 1970s, Maurice White had had some success with the Ramsey Lewis Trio and recorded a demo with several Chicago musicians.