Latest news with #Kool&theGang
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mike Sumler, Kool & the Gang Hype Man, Dies at 71
Mike Sumler, hype man of the Grammy Award-winning group Kool & the Gang, has died. He was 71. Sumler died in a car crash during Memorial Day weekend, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. The R&B group confirmed his death in a Wednesday post on X. More from The Hollywood Reporter Taylor Swift Buys Back Rights To Her First Six Albums Years After Scooter Braun Drama Who's Who in the Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial: Key Witnesses, Industry Enablers and Victims So Far Miley Cyrus Releases Ninth Album, 'Something Beautiful' 'We're deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our longtime wardrobe valet, Mike Sumler,' Kool & the Gang wrote. 'Mike worked alongside Kool & the Gang from 2000-2015, making sure the guys looked their best on stage every night. He also hyped the crowd with his energy and dance moves at the.' Sumler first crossed paths with the group in 1985 when he was performing with his own band, Power Pac. He looked back on the experience of meeting Kool & the Gang in a 2018 interview with Kelly Talk Show when he said that 'One of the Kool & the Gang security guys caught our act in the club in Chicago and we became friends.' He continued to travel with the group as their stylist-choreographer, but 'once they saw that I could do some other things, they said we need to have you onstage.' That's when Sumler joined the 'Get Down on It' hitmakers as their hype man; he went on to provide background vocals for their music. Kool & the Gang has earned three Grammy nominations and one win in 1979 for album of the year for their work on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. They received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015 and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
American Military News
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Kool & the Gang's Michael Sumler dies in car crash at 71
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 traveling 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 neighborhood pals. Khalis Bell died in 2020; George 'Funky' Brown, the band's founding drummer, died in 2023. 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.' Among the countless songs that have borrowed elements of Kool & the Gang's music: Nas' 'N.Y. State of Mind,' Mase's 'Feel So Good,' Luniz's 'I Got 5 on It,' the Wu-Tang Clan's 'Method Man' and 'Summertime' by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. In 2021, Kool & the Gang became the first act to perform for a full-capacity crowd at the Hollywood Bowl after a lengthy and unprecedented closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on Sumler's survivors wasn't immediately available. ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Kool & the Gang's Michael Sumler dies in car crash at 71
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 traveling on Veterans Memorial Highway in Georgia's Cobb County. Sumler, who was known as Chicago Mike, had performed Sunday evening in Mableton, Ga., 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, N.J., by brothers Robert Bell (who went by Kool) and Ronald Khalis Bell along with several neighborhood pals. Khalis Bell died in 2020; George 'Funky' Brown, the band's founding drummer, died in 2023. 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.' Among the countless songs that have borrowed elements of Kool & the Gang's music: Nas' 'N.Y. State of Mind,' Mase's 'Feel So Good,' Luniz's 'I Got 5 on It,' the Wu-Tang Clan's 'Method Man' and 'Summertime' by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. In 2021, Kool & the Gang became the first act to perform for a full-capacity crowd at the Hollywood Bowl after a lengthy and unprecedented closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on Sumler's survivors wasn't immediately available.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
14 killed in GA crashes over Memorial Day weekend
Fourteen people died in crashes over the Memorial Day weekend in Georgia, according to the Department of Public Safety. The crashes happened in Brunswick, Clayton County, Cobb County, Douglasville, Gwinnett County, Perry, Richmond County, South Fulton and Statesboro. GSP says the holiday travel period was from May 23 at 6 p.m. to May 26 at 11:59 p.m. RELATED STORIES 3 college friends killed in I-75 crash remembered as 'the most genuine people' Former Kool & the Gang member dies in car crash in Mableton 6-year-old, 66-year-old killed in Memorial Day crash in Gwinnett County South Fulton police investigating hit and run that killed woman walking in roadway In addition to the deadly crashes, troopers responded to over 390 crashes across the state and reported a total of 189 injuries. Here are the other statistics that GSP shared: 26,200 traffic stops 410 arrest for driving under the influence (DUI) 18,000 warnings and over 13,000 citations. Over 1,050 distracted driving citations Almost 1,800 seatbelt citations More than 300 child restraint citations [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Kool & the Gang's Michael Sumler dies in car crash at 71
Michael Sumler, a member of the iconic R&B band Kool & the Gang, tragically died at the age of 71 in a car accident. The Grammy-winning band confirmed the news of Sumler's death on Thursday. 'We're deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our longtime wardrobe valet, Mike Sumler,' the band told The Post in a statement. 'Mike worked alongside Kool & the Gang from 2004-2015, making sure the guys looked their best on stage every night.' 4 Michael Sumler, a member of the iconic R&B band Kool & the Gang, tragically died at the age of 71 in a car accident. FOX 5 After starting out as a stylist for the band, Sumler soon became involved in providing background vocals and joining the group onstage. 'He also hyped the crowd with his energy and dance moves at the top of the show. Most recently, Mike helped Kool with LeKool champagne events,' they went on. 'Everyone here at Kool & the Gang has fond memories of Mike and will miss him. May he rest in peace.' Sumler, who was lovingly nicknamed 'Chicago Mike,' died in a car crash in Cobb County, Ga., over Memorial Day Weekend. The 33-year-old driver of the other vehicle was not injured. Sumlar died on the scene after the vehicle he was driving had colluded with another car on May 25, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. 4 The Grammy-winning band confirmed news of Sumler's death, revealing that he had worked with them from 2000 to 2015.. Getty Images Following his death, Mableton mayor Michael Owens paid a heartfelt tribute. 'This Memorial Day weekend the world lost a music legend,' he said in a statement. 'Michael Sumler, known as 'Chicago Mike' of Kool and the Gang died in a crash Sunday night on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road. He was 71.' 'The City of Mableton, City Council and I join his friends, family and fans in mourning his loss,' Owens added. Sumler joined the band after an introduction from a member of the group's security team. 4 Some of the band's biggest hits to date include 'Get Down on It,' 'Jungle Boogie,' 'Funky Stuff,' 'Ladies' Night' and 'Celebration.' Getty Images 'I had a local band out of Chicago called Power Pac,' Sumler told the Kelly Talk Show in 2018. 'One of the Kool and the Gang security guys caught our act in the club in Chicago and we became friends, and he decided… he said, 'Hey, you'd like to meet my group?' And I said 'Sure.'' After starting out as a stylist-choreographer for the group, his future in the band seemed bright. 'Once they saw that I could do some other things, they said we need to have you onstage,' he said. Sumler began his role in the band with the opening dance number and soon transitioned into providing background vocals. 'So I started off doing moves on the stage, and so that was the opening for the band. And then they said, 'Well we need you a little more,'' he said. 'So I started coming on doing background singing and just working the whole show… just creating even more moves for the band.' Some of the band's biggest hits to date include 'Get Down on It,' 'Jungle Boogie,' 'Funky Stuff,' 'Ladies' Night' and 'Celebration.' 4 During its glittering career, the band won two Grammy Awards and 7 American Music Awards. United Archives via Getty Images In 2015, the band was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Nine years later, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, they won two Grammys and seven American Music Awards. Robert 'Kool' Bell remains the only surviving member of the band.
