Kool & the Gang is an American R&B, soul and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (also known as "Khalis Bayyan"), Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George "Funky" Brown, Woodrow "Woody" Sparrow and Ricky Westfield. They have undergone numerous changes in personnel and have explored many musical styles throughout their history, including jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, disco, rock and pop music. The group changed their name several times. Settling on Kool & the Gang, the group signed to De-Lite Records and released their debut album Kool and the Gang in 1969.

The band's first mainstream success came with the release of their fourth album Wild and Peaceful (1973); it contained the US top-ten singles "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging". The band entered a period of decline before they reached a second commercial peak between 1979 and 1986 following their partnership with Brazilian musician and producer Eumir Deodato and the addition of singer James "J.T." Taylor to the line-up. Their most successful albums of the time include Ladies' Night (1979), Celebrate! (1980) and Emergency (1984), the latter being their highest-selling album, with two million copies sold in the US. Their hit singles during the period include "Ladies' Night" (1979), the US No. 1 "Celebration" (1980), "Get Down on It" (1981), "Joanna" (1983), "Misled" (1984) and "Cherish" (1985). The group has continued to perform worldwide, including as a supporting act for Van Halen in 2012 and their fiftieth-anniversary tour in 2014.

Kool & the Gang have won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards and, in 2006, a Music Business Association Chairman's Award for artistic achievement. The group has been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame and been given a MOBO Award for Outstanding Achievement, the Soul Train Legend Award, the Marian Anderson Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, the group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Throughout 2018, the Bells, Brown and Taylor were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

Their discography includes 23 studio albums and nearly 70 singles. They have sold 7.5 million and 4.5 million Recording Industry Association of America-certified albums and singles, respectively, in the United States. Worldwide, they have sold over 70 million albums.

History

1964–1972: Formation and signing with De-Lite

The band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 when seven school friends decided to perform together as an instrumental jazz and soul group named the Jazziacs. Robert "Spike" Mickens on trumpet, Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas on saxophone, Ricky West on keyboards, George Brown on drums, and Charles Smith on guitar. Except Smith, all of them attended Lincoln High School in Jersey City. Robert Bell had given himself the nickname "Kool" as a way of adapting to the street gangs in his neighborhood after moving from Ohio. The Bells' father Bobby and uncle Tommy were boxers. They moved to New York to train and lived in the same apartment building as Thelonious Monk, who became Robert's godfather. Miles Davis would drop by because he wanted to be a boxer.

Their first gigs took place as the opening act to a weekly jazz night held in a local theatre every Sunday. They then had several name changes, including "the Soul Town Band" and "the New Dimensions". They played Motown covers as the backing musicians for Soul Town, a small Jersey City-based organization similar to Motown.

After selecting the new band name and line-up, Kool & the Gang signed a recording deal with Redd's new independent label, De-Lite Records. Redd wrote: "I discovered these eight super talented incomparable young musicians, [...and...] I immediately realized that their potential would earn them success unknown by most musicians". The group entered the studio and recorded their debut album, the all-instrumental Kool and the Gang (1969), with Redd as a producer, arranger, conductor, and partial songwriter. It would be their only album with guitarist Woody Sparrow. The album peaked at No. 46 on the Billboard R&B chart. Around this time, the group began to develop their stage performance after they witnessed a set by Willie (Feaster) and the Mighty Magnificents which, according to Robert Bell, "Blew us away[...] We thought, 'Wow, if we want to be in show business, we have to change our act. We can't just stand up there and play'."

The group followed their debut with two live albums: Live at the Sex Machine, recorded the year before, and Live at PJ's, both released in 1971. These were their final albums before their amicable split with Redd. Their next album, Music Is the Message, was the first time the group self-produced one of their records. Since the album failed to generate the radio exposure the group had hoped for, they began to explore how to build a following without relying on airplay. The latter two songs sold over one million copies and were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

thumb|230x230px|The group's 1974 single "[[Summer Madness (instrumental)|Summer Madness" has appeared in numerous media, including in the 1976 drama film Rocky. It was also in a famous 2006 Nike advertisement featuring LeBron James]]

Their success continued with Light of Worlds (1974), which contained the hit instrumental "Summer Madness". In October 1974, the group landed a spot on the national television music show Soul Train. In 1975 Kool & the Gang added Larry Gittens from the Stylistics, and released Spirit of the Boogie which contained the top 40 single "Spirit of the Boogie". That was followed by the part-studio part-live release Love & Understanding, in 1976.

By mid-1976, however, Kool & the Gang entered a period of commercial decline. Rolling Stone writer Geoff Himes wrote the fans "frowned on their loose and greasy approach to dance music." The Force and Everybody's Dancin displayed the group's attempt to adopt disco elements with female vocalists and a string section, but Robert Bell later said the group got "Too fancy and over-creative[...] We got away from the basic Kool & the Gang sound[...] and the public didn't like it". The change in style affected their ability to secure as many dates as before, working "just off and on" during this time. One review for Everybody's Dancin bore the headline, "Kool and the Gang have gone bland." Writer Mike Duffy opined, "They've joined the disco lemmings [...] The edge has gone. Say so long to the raw and raunchy."

During their low period, the group gained some mainstream attention with their contribution of "Open Sesame" to the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever (1977). James "J.T." Taylor from South Carolina was added; Taylor noted that vocals added more warmth to the songs, especially to ballads, which the group had previously avoided as no vocalist in the group could sing them properly. He recalled some resistance to his arrival from some group members and the female singers they had used on The Force and Everybody's Dancin. The change in style developed further when the group entered a four-album association with Brazilian musician, songwriter, and arranger Eumir Deodato as their producer, who helped them move towards mainstream pop and dance-oriented music with greater emphasis on catchy hooks and chorus lines. The group's first choice, Stevie Wonder, was too busy to work with them. In January 1980, Ladies' Night was certified platinum by the RIAA for selling one million copies in the US. The song was used in national media coverage for the 1980 World Series, the 1981 Super Bowl, the 1981 NBA Finals, and the 1981 return of the Iran hostages.

In June 1984, Kool & the Gang took time off from recording Emergency to perform at Wembley Stadium as part of a sold-out summer concert organised by Elton John.

The group's seventeenth album, Forever, was released in November 1986. The album included two hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Victory" (US No. 10, R&B No. 2) and "Stone Love" (US No. 10, R&B No. 4). Two further singles, "Holiday" and "Special Way" were also released from the album; the former reached the top ten on the R&B Chart, the latter hit reached No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. By 1986, the group had scored 14 top 40 singles in the US since 1980, more than Michael Jackson. In July 1986, the group recorded a special version of "Celebration" with different vocals that was used in an advertisement for Wendy's.

In 1987, the group completed a 50-city tour of the US. The tour included the group establishing their own public service program, devised by Robert Bell and Taylor, which encouraged school children to pursue education, giving free tickets to those with perfect attendance. The group rehearsed their stage show with a choreographer at Prince's studio at Paisley Park. After the tour, Taylor left Kool & the Gang to pursue a solo career. He returned in 1996 for their State of Affairs album.

1988–present: Later career

In February 1988, news of Taylor's departure from the group to pursue a solo career was reported in the press. In 2004 they released another album featuring remakes and some new songs. The Hits Reloaded contained collaborations with artists such as Atomic Kitten, Lisa Stansfield and Jamiroquai. The album reached No. 21 on the UK R&B Albums chart. During 2007 the group released another album entitled Still Kool. The album reached No. 31 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart. Still Kool has also been certified Platinum in France by the SNEP.

In 2012, Bell accepted Van Halen singer David Lee Roth's invitation for Kool & the Gang to be the opening act during their A Different Kind of Truth Tour as Roth had noticed a significant portion of their concert audience were women. Roth wanted the group after seeing their set at Glastonbury. In 2013 the group released a Christmas album Kool for the Holidays. That was the group's 24th studio album. During that year they were also inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

In 2016, a Jersey City street was renamed the "Kool and the Gang Way". During 2019, Kool and the Gang was also bestowed with the Marian Anderson Award.

On November 20, 2022, the group performed a special live concert at the naming ceremony for the newly christened Carnival Celebration, notably performing “Celebration” as a nod to the newest addition to the Carnival fleet.

Kool & the Gang were selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2024.

Longtime Kool & the Gang stylist and choreographer Michael Sumler, who opened concerts for the group since 1985 and was widely known as "Chicago Mike", died in a car crash in Cobb County, Georgia, on May 24, 2025, at the age of 71.

Music appearances

The group's music has been featured in several movies and video games:

  • "Jungle Boogie" was featured on the soundtracks for the movies Pulp Fiction (1994) and Undercover Brother (2002).
  • One Life to Live (January 1986 Episode No. 4491)
  • "Open Sesame" was featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (1977)
  • "Summer Madness" was played in the movies Rocky (1976) and Baby Boy (2001)

Personnel

Current members

  • Robert "Kool" Bell – bass, backing vocals (1964–present)
  • Curtis "Fitz" Williams – keyboards, backing vocals (1982–1988, 1995–present); alto saxophone (2021–present)
  • Shawn "Shawny Mac" McQuiller – vocals, guitar (1991–present)
  • Amir Bayyan (Kevin Bell) – lead guitar, keyboards (1995–1996, 2006–present; touring member 1975–1980)
  • Timothy Horton – drums, percussion (1998–present)
  • Curtis Pulliam – trumpet, backing vocals (2013–2016, 2024–present)
  • Jermaine Bryson – trombone, backing vocals (2015–present)
  • Walt Anderson – vocals, keyboards (2016–present)
  • Rick Marcel – guitar, bass, backing vocals (2017–present)
  • Louis "Nicky" Taylor – tenor saxophone, backing vocals (2023–present)

Former members

  • George "Funky" Brown – drums (1964–1998), keyboards (1989–1993, 1998–2023), percussion, backing vocals (1964–2023; his death)
  • Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas – alto saxophone, flute, backing vocals (1964–2021; his death)
  • Claydes Charles Smith – guitar (1964–2006; his death)
  • Ronald Bell – tenor saxophone, keyboards, backing vocals (1964–1989, 1992–2020; his death)
  • Ricky Westfield – keyboards, vocals (1964–1976; died 1985)
  • Robert "Spike" Mickens – trumpet, backing vocals (1964–1986; died 2010)
  • Woodrow "Woody" Sparrow – rhythm and lead guitar (1964–1969; his death)
  • Larry Gittens – trumpet, flugelhorn, backing vocals, keyboards (1975–1977, 1986–1988, session/touring 2000–2013)
  • Otha Nash – trombone (1975–1977; died 2003)
  • Kevin Lassiter – keyboards, vocals (1976–1979)
  • Clifford Adams – trombone, backing vocals (1980–1995; session/touring 1977–1980, 1995–2015; his death)
  • James "J.T." Taylor – vocals (1979–1988, 1996–1999; one-off guest in 2024)
  • Sir Earl Toon – keyboards, vocals (1979–1982)
  • Michael Ray – trumpet, backing vocals (1979–1991, 2007–2023)
  • Gary Brown – vocals (1988–1990)
  • Sennie "Skip" Martin – trumpet, vocals (1988–1995; session/touring 1995–2007)
  • Odeen Mays – keyboards, guitar, vocals (1988–1995)
  • Gerald Harris – keyboards, guitar (1992–1995)

Former session/touring musicians

  • Donald Boyce – vocals (1973–1976)
  • Jeannine Otis – backing vocals (1976)
  • Royal Bayyan – guitar (1978–1987)
  • Mark Blakey – drums (1988–1989)
  • Robert "Robbie G" Goble – drums, percussion (1989–1993)
  • Bernard Davis - drums (touring 1995)
  • Louis Van Taylor – tenor saxophone, backing vocals (2020–2023; touring substitute for Ronald Bell 1996–2017)
  • Frank "Rusty" Hamilton – keyboards (1996–2005)
  • Rodney "King" Ellis – vocals (2000–2007)
  • Jirmad "Soul-O" Gordon – vocals (2007–2010)
  • Lavell Evans – vocals, percussion (2009–2023)
  • Ravi Best – trumpet, backing vocals (2016–2024)
  • Shelley Carrol – tenor saxophone (touring substitute for Ronald Bell 2017–2020)
  • Aaron Haggerty – drums, percussion (touring substitute 2017, 2024)

Rick West, the group's original keyboardist, who left in 1976 to form his own band, died in 1985.

Guitarist Charles Smith died after a long illness in 2006 and was replaced by the Bells' youngest brother, Amir Bayyan, former leader of the Kay Gees.

Original trumpet player Robert "Spike" Mickens, who retired in 1986 due to poor health, died at the age of 59 on November 2, 2010, at a nursing home in Far Rockaway, New York.

Trombonist Clifford Alanza Adams Jr. died in January 2015 at the age of 62 after a year-long battle with cancer. Adams, who had been with Kool & the Gang since 1977, had no health insurance to cover medical expenses.

Saxophonist Ronald "Khalis Bayyan" Bell died suddenly in September 2020; the cause of death was not announced.

Alto saxophonist Dennis "D.T." Thomas died in his sleep on August 7, 2021, at the age of 70.

Drummer George “Funky” Brown died from lung cancer on November 16, 2023, at the age of 74.

Timeline

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bar:Lavell text:Lavell Evans

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bar:Earl text:Sir Earl Toon

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Discography

Studio albums

  • Kool and the Gang (1969)
  • Music Is the Message (1972)
  • Good Times (1972)
  • Wild and Peaceful (1973)
  • Light of Worlds (1974)
  • Spirit of the Boogie (1975)
  • Love & Understanding (1976)
  • Open Sesame (1976)
  • The Force (1977)
  • Everybody's Dancin (1978)
  • Ladies' Night (1979)
  • Celebrate! (1980)
  • Something Special (1981)
  • As One (1982)
  • In the Heart (1983)
  • Emergency (1984)
  • Forever (1986)
  • Sweat (1989)
  • Unite (1992)
  • State of Affairs (1996)
  • Gangland (2001)
  • The Hits: Reloaded (2004)
  • Still Kool (2007)
  • Kool for the Holidays (2013)
  • Perfect Union (2021)
  • People Just Wanna Have Fun (2023)

References

Sources

  • Official website
  • Interview by Pete Lewis, Blues & Soul, November 2010