SINGER GONE
Michael Sumler dead at 71: Kool & the Gang singer & hype-man killed in car crash as tributes paid to ‘life of the party’
The band is known for its huge hit in 1980
MICHAEL Sumler, a singer for Kool & the Gang, has died aged 71 following a horror car crash.
Tributes are pouring in for the band's beloved hype-man known as "Chicago Mike" as he is remembered for always being the "life of the party".
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Sumler died following a car crash just outside Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday night.
The soul icon was driving a black Nissan when it collided with another car near on Veterans Memorial Highway on Buckner Road.
Sumler was pronounced dead shortly after the initial crash, say the Cobb County Police Department.
The other 33-year-old driver was not injured in the crash.
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Sumler was known for being a fun and insightful music industry mogul who featured as a backing vocalist for the legendary Kool & the Gang for over three decades.
Sumler’s friend, Adrian Meeks, told Fox 5 Atlanta his death came as “a devastating blow" for all those who knew him.
Sumler first joined the iconic band in 1985 and would go on to mentor several young musicians as part of the group.
His friend added: "He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he’d been around most of all of his life."
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Robert "Kool" Bell, the band's founding bassist and the last surving original member of the group, said: "It’s a bittersweet feeling.
"We’ve lost another brother, and the stage won’t be the same without Mike.”
Kool & the Gang were formed in 1969 and had an illustrious career, winning two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits and 31 gold and platinum albums.
The popular band were the longest performing R&B group in history.
The group's first major breakthrough came in 1973 with the release of the album "Wild and Peaceful", which featured the iconic hit single "Funky Stuff".
The addition of lead vocalist Taylor and producer Eumir Deodato propelled the band to new heights, leading to their all-time classic hit "Celebration" in 1980 — now a staple at parties worldwide.
Kool & the Gang would later be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
And in 2015, the band was awarded a star on the .
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Sumler is just the latest member of the group to pass away after The Gang’s drummer George Brown most recently passed away in 2023 after a battle with cancer.
The iconic group are set to headline the UK festival Boogietown in July alongside UB40 and Billy Ocean.
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