Latest news with #Kool&TheGang
The Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Kool & The Gang's Michael Sumler dies in car crash at 71
In its statement, Kool & The Gang described Michael Sumler (far left) as 'our longtime wardrobe valet' and said he worked with the band from 2000 to 2015. Photos: Facebook Michael Sumler, who spent years working with the venerable soul-funk group Kool & The Gang as both an onstage hype man and a behind-the-scenes stylist, died Sunday in a car crash in Georgia. He was 71. His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the band. 11Alive, a TV station in Atlanta, reported that Sumler was killed after his car collided with another vehicle as he was travelling on Veterans Memorial Highway in Georgia's Cobb County. Sumler, who was known as Chicago Mike, had performed Sunday evening in Mableton, Georgia, with the group Con Funk Shun, whose Michael Cooper paid tribute to Sumler on social media. "We had no idea that Sunday night's Love's Train would be your last ride," Cooper wrote. "Rest in heavenly piece." In its statement, Kool & The Gang described Sumler as "our longtime wardrobe valet" and said he worked with the band from 2000 to 2015, "making sure the guys looked their best on stage every night." Sumler "also hyped the crowd with his energy and dance moves at the top of the show," the group added. Known for hits including Ladies Night, Jungle Boogie, Get Down On It and Celebration , Kool & The Gang was formed in the mid-1960s in Jersey City, New Jersey, by brothers Robert Bell (who went by Kool) and Ronald Khalis Bell along with several neighbourhood pals. Last year the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which called Kool & The Gang "the most sampled group in hip-hop history." Information on Sumler's survivors wasn't immediately available. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michael Sumler Of Kool & The Gang, Dead At 71
Michael 'Chicago Mike' Sumler, longtime member of Kool & The Gang, died in a fatal car accident in Cobb County, Georgia over the weekend. He was 71. Fox5 Atlanta reported that Sumler was driving when his car 'collided with another vehicle just before midnight Saturday on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road.' He was pronounced dead at the scene. 'It was a devastating blow,' Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group told the outlet. 'It's like, no, no, not Mike. He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he'd been around most of all of his life. He was the bridge, you know, for inspiring artists and songwriters and producers and musicians to the legends […] He'll be dearly missed.' Meeks also described Sumler as 'always jovial, always just kind, always wanting to make sure everybody else around him was good.' Greg Williams of Switch Entertainment added, 'He was the hype guy out of the group, getting the audience going.' Sumler was part of Kool & The Gang for over three decades, but his loved ones confirmed that his true impact went 'far beyond the stage.' They shared how active he was in regard to mentoring the youth and helping rising acts maneuver the industry. Williams considered Sumler to be 'one of these people God put on a planet to teach people how to act because he was kind, he was thoughtful, he was intelligent, he was articulate and he was the life of the party.' With many of Sumler's family still in Chicago, his friends are waiting to speak with them before proceeding with memorial arrangements. VIBE sends our deepest condolences to all those from A Tribe Called Quest To Be Honored By Busta Rhymes During Rock & Roll HOF Induction Jordin Sparks, Lynda Dawn, Fousheé, And More New R&B Music With No Restrictions Mary J. Blige Talks Hall Of Fame Induction: "We Did It, My Fans And I"
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Zurich Classic karaoke returns as Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak sing 'We are the Champions'
Zurich Classic karaoke returns as Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak sing 'We are the Champions' It's the tradition unlike any other at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans we never knew we needed: champion karaoke. Thanks to Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry joining the volunteer party on Sunday night last year after their victory in the PGA Tour's lone two-man team event and belting out Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin,' it has become a thing for the winners to take to the stage and celebrate with a diddy or two. If it wasn't already a thing, it officially is now. That's because Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, who won for the first time on Tour, were up to the challenge. Asked in a post-victory TV interview to rate their karaoke abilities, Griffin said, 'Andrew looks a little bit concerned. I'm ready to take on anything. I feel unstoppable right now.' 'I can't sing,' Novak said. 'I can try to sing. I just can't sing.' But when the winning duo reached the stage, they chose another all-time classic in Queen's 'We are the Champions.' Novak was right — he can't sing. But the band and its lead singer covered as best they could. 'We've got to put some moves into it,' the lead singer told the audience. 'Y'all want to see these brothers, get down?' And with that the band busted into Kool & The Gang's 'Get Down on It.' Griffin rose to the occasion. Novak? He shook his champion's belt and played along. 'I give myself like an A-,' Griffin said afterwards. 'Singing and dancing is bottom tier for me. That was a pretty good effort on my part,' Novak added. 'Ben's got it down, I don't. That's why we're a team.' A winning team on the PGA Tour and with a passing grade for their first victory celebration under their belt.
Euronews
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
The must-see acts of Nuits de Fourvière festival 2025
If you haven't heard of the Nuits de Fourvière festival, you're missing out on one of Europe's richest and most exciting festivals. Located on the hill of Fourvière, the festival takes place every summer among the ruins of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Théâtre Antique de Fourvière. It's hands down one of our favourite European festivals, with its stunning location matching equally impressive line-ups. As if that wasn't enough, the originality of this festival lies in its pluridisciplinary credentials, offering music, ballet, dance and theatre over the course of two months. This year's edition, running from 2 June to 26 July, is no exception – with the likes of Kraftwerk, The Kills, Kool & The Gang, Chilly Gonzales and The Libertines heading to Fourvière alongside various circus, magic and theatre acts. The tickets go on sale this week (Wednesday 19 at 12pm), so here's our handpicked, chronological guide to the shows you shouldn't miss out on this year. The fact that none of the already mentioned names have made our shortlist should indicate quite how good 2025's line-up is... When? 9 June Buoyed by the success of their fourth LP, 'Romance', which was one of our favourite albums of 2024, the Dublin quintet is heading to Lyon in June. The Irish post-punkers have confirmed that they are one of the most consistently exciting modern bands around. Every one of their releases has marked leaps and bounds in terms of songwriting and sound evolution, and 'Romance' feels like a consecration. Missing the opportunity to see Grian Chatten & Co at the height of their powers isn't an option. When? 12 June Formed in 2020, the circus collective Cirque Queer has made a name for itself by revisiting big top and freak show traditions and bundling it up in an extravagant spectacle that can be described as joyfully exuberant. The show, which doesn't take place in the Grand Théâtre but under a big top on the stunning Place de la Croix-Rousse, promises to be a low-key highlight of this year's edition. Don't miss out. When? 13 June French singer-songwriter Clara Luciani is back at the Nuits de Fourvière and this year's line-up is stronger for it. Having made a name for herself as one of the vocalists in the rock outfit La Femme (more on them in a bit), her albums 'Sainte-Victoire' (2018) and 'Cœur' (2021) elevated her as one of French pop's most promising voices. That was confirmed with last year's 'Mon Sang', which boasts emotional ballads and bubbly hooks, making Luciani a must-see at this vibrant moment in her career. When? 17-18 June Are you familiar with 'Grace', the only studio album by the late Jeff Buckley? If not, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied has just the show for you. If so and you're more than aware of the much-missed gifted songwriter, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied has just the show for you. He marries music and dance to celebrate the work of the 90s icon, creating what promises to be a spellbinding show through a series of dance tableaux. When? 29 June Talk about a big get for Les Nuits de Fourvière... Cypress Hill need no introduction at this point, and you just know their show is going to be an unmissable ruckus. Just imagine seeing these legends of West Coast hip-hop in a huge Roman amphitheatre with the crowd singing along to hits like 'Insane in the Brain', 'Superstar' and 'When the Shit Goes Down'... Sign us up now. When? 30 June Last year marked not only 30 years since Portishead's debut 'Dummy' but also the release of Beth Gibbons' debut solo album, 'Lives Outgrown'. It's a sublime collection of songs which ponder life and grief, all with breathtaking sensuality and a poignant delivery only Gibbons could have delivered. We can't wait to hear how it sounds live. Plus, she's bringing lo-fi rocker Bill Callahan along for the ride as her opener. Considering his most recent albums 'YTILAER' and 'Resuscitate!' are already modern classics, this double-bill promises a moody and intoxicating evening. When? 3 July Celebrated French psychedelic punk band La Femme are known for their lively shows, and considering their most recent album 'Rock Machine' recaptures the energy of their 2013 debut 'Psycho Tropical Berlin', anyone attending will be in for a treat. As if that wasn't enough, French singer Thomas de Pourquery – who is known for collaborating with Oxmo Puccino and Metronomy - will open the evening, backed with a what the Fourvière programme describes as a 'large, inclusive and generous choir'. Colour us intrigued. When? 5 July American hip-hop pioneers De La Soul join forces with Franco-Malian rapper Oxmo Puccino and charismatic slam up-and-comer George Ka for an electric night simply titled 'H.I.P.H.O.P.' Let's not pretend this isn't the first thing we're booking once we get access to tickets on Wednesday. When? 11 July German-born British composer and pianist Max Richter is one of the most important musicians of our time. You've heard his music in concert halls, art installations, as well as on the big screen (Waltz With Bashir, Ad Astra) and smaller ones (The Leftovers, Black Mirror), and this year, the post-minimalist and neoclassical composer brings his enrapturing compositions to Lyon. Joined by a string quintet, he'll be playing extracts from his gorgeous 2024 album 'In A Landscape', as well as 2004's 'The Blue Notebooks', which we ranked the top European album of the 21st century. 'Unmissable' is putting it mildly. When? 16 July How about some theatre as a palate-cleanser to all the musical goodness? The four cheeky scamps of the Compagnie Bravache, armed with plastic helmets and some fake blood, have set themselves quite the challenge: performing the whole of "The Iliad" in 50 minutes. Yep, that's less than an hour to do justice to Achilles, Ulysses, Helen and Paris. Epic? Yes. Demanding? Absolutely. Bound to be a giggle? Without a doubt. Tickets for this year's festival go on sale on Wednesday 19 March and your can check out the whole programme here. Malta's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, Miriana Conte, has released a reworked version of her song 'Kant', after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ruled that the title and lyrics needed to be changed. The decision was prompted by the song's title, which was deemed a little too close to the C-bomb (C U Next Tuesday) for the EBU's comfort. While "kant", derived from the Latin "cantus", technically means 'song' or "chant" in Maltese, the nod to the more spicy English version, referring to a woman's genitals, was clearly intentional. In the chorus of the previous song, Conte belts out 'serving kant' in the chorus – a direct reference to queer slang that basically means to do something with fierce, "girlboss" energy. For a deeper dive into why the C-word remains so controversial and its origins, you can read all about that here. Now retitled as 'Serving', the updated version closely mirrors the original, except what used to be "serving kant", is now just "serving". If you've heard the first version, the silence where "kant" used to be feels deafening. Naturally, fans have been quick to comment on this noticeable gap. One user joked, "Even though they removed the word 'Kant,' I can still hear it in my brain." Another added, "Miriana did the right choice by leaving the kant part empty for the revamp. Now the audience can sing it!!" In the recently released video for the revamped song, the voice of the BBC economics editor Faisal Islam can be heard in the intro, after he interviewed Conte on Newsnight about having only days to alter the song following a complaint. Islam can be heard humorously suggesting, "Serving brunch, maybe? I don't know," as a possible direction for the reworked lyrics. Conte shared her disappointment in the EBU's decision in a Facebook post: 'While I'm shocked and disappointed, especially since we have less than a week to submit the song, I promise you this: the show will go on – Diva NOT down,' she wrote. This year's Eurovision Song Contest is being held in the Swiss city of Basel, and will consist of two semi-finals on 13 and 15 May, and a final on 17 May 2025.
