Ronald “Kool” Bell, a founding member of Kool & the Gang and co-writer of the group’s biggest hits, has died at 68.
Bell died at his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his wife Tia at his side, according to a publicist. No cause of death was provided.
"Thank you thank you thank you for everything,” tweeted funk musician Jay Mumford of The Du-Rites, who called Bell “an amazing musical genius and great person whose music made life that much better for me.”
The Ohio-born sax player and singer created Kool & the Gang with his brother Robert “Kool” Bell and five of their friends in 1964. Early hits included “Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging” but the group big success after adding vocalist James “JT” Taylor in 1979.
Songs like “Ladies’ Night,” “Too Hot,” “Joanna,” “Cherish,” “Fresh” and “Get Down On It” were all Top 10 hits.
Kool & the Gang’s biggest hit was 1980’s “Celebration,” which Bell – whose Muslim name was Khalis Bayyan – said was inspired by the Quran.
“I was reading the passage, where God was creating Adam, and the angels were celebrating and singing praises,” he told Al Jazeera, in 2014. “That inspired me to write the basic chords, the line, ‘Everyone around the world, come on, celebration.’”
In addition to wife Tia, Bell leaves behind children Kahdijah, Rasheed, Nadirah, Liza, Maryam, Aminah, Jennah, Khalis, Asia, and James.