Thanks to his daughters, psychedelic soul man Charles Stepney takes his place in music history

When Chicago’s famous soul music scene was at its pinnacle in the 1960s and ’70s, the biggest artists — from Earth, Wind & Fire to Minnie Riperton — shared one key thing: They worked closely with the legendary producer, composer and arranger Charles Stepney. Stepney wrote hit songs like Earth Wind & Fire’s “That’s the Way of the World” and “Reasons,” plus Riperton’s “Les Fleurs.” Despite his many contributions, Stepney was not well known in Chicago following his untimely 1976 death when he was 45. “As the kids say, he...