Ronald Bell - Kool & The Gang - Sad News

[Mike]

Reported in the msm the sad news of Robert Bell passing on

Ronald Bell: Kool & The Gang founder dies aged 68

Kool & The Gang co-founder Ronald Bell has died aged 68, a representative for the singer has said.

Bell died on Wednesday at his home in the US Virgin Islands with his wife by his side, his publicist said. No cause of death was released.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/ronald-bell-death-kool-gang-celebration-b421276.html

[Thinksmart]

Sad news and very young for such a long career.

[Kenb]

from The Jazziacs to the New Dimensions to The Soul Town Review to The Soul Town Band to Kool & The Gang.

R.I.P. Mr Bell

[Daved]

I've always considered them a bit cheesy, especially the big hits, but this has always been a guilty pleasure of mine.

 

 

[Daved]

Or better still

 

 

 

 

[Soulman58]

The first thing I ever heard/bought from them and still my favourite.  Before they got cheesy they were seriously funky.

R.I.P 

 

[Mickey Finn]

13 hours ago, Daved said:

I've always considered them a bit cheesy, especially the big hits, but this has always been a guilty pleasure of mine.

They were indeed, until Deodato started producing them in 1979, and by their own admission, simplified their music. This was helped also by recruiting James J.T. Taylor as lead singer, who gave them a much smoother sound.

Things got even more slick after the 4 Deodato-produced albums, by which time I gave up on them. But in their 70s prime they were pioneers and contenders with EWF and Cameo for big band funk jazz (if that's a term but I can't think of another way to describe it).

 

[Mickey Finn]

Sorry, meant that they were seriously funky before the cheese crept in and eventually took over completely. But in their prime they were among the best.

Edited September 11, 2020 by Mickey Finn