Robert "Kool" Bell | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Robert Earl Bell |
Also known as | Kool Muhammad Bayyan |
Born | Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. | October 8, 1950
Genres | Jazz, R&B, soul, funk, dance-pop, disco, boogie |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, vocals |
Years active | 1964–present |
Labels | De-Lite, Mercury |
Member of | Kool & the Gang |
Formerly of | Band Aid |
Robert Earl "Kool" Bell (born October 8, 1950), also known by his Muslim name Muhammad Bayyan, [1] is an American musician, singer & songwriter.
He is one of the founding members of the American R&B, soul, funk and disco band Kool & the Gang. [2]
Bell was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Aminah Bayyan (1932–2014) and Robert "Bobby" Bell (1929–1985). Bell grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey. Growing up, Bell was nicknamed "Kool", due to being "laid back": [3]
That's a nickname from the neighborhood I grew up in here in Jersey City. It's a faddish thing and I just happened to take the name Kool 'cause I'm kind of a laid back person.
Along with his brother, Ronald Bell, he began playing jazz & in 1964 they formed a group named The Jazziacs. They began playing at clubs in New York City under a series of different band names before settling on the name "Kool & The Gang" in 1968. Their debut album, Kool and the Gang, was released the following year. Their first major hit came in 1973, with Jungle Boogie , which charted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Their first number one hit single was Spirit of the Boogie, which was released in 1975.
Bell, along with Kool & the Gang members James "J.T." Taylor and Dennis Thomas, were a part of the 1984 charity supergroup Band Aid.
Kool & the Gang have won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and, in 2006, a Music Business Association Chairman's Award for artistic achievement. The band recorded nine No. 1 R&B singles in the 1970s and 1980s, including its No. 1 pop single "Celebration", have had seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, 31 gold and platinum albums. [4] The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. [5] Bell still tours with Kool & the Gang, as of 2023.
Bell's younger brother, Ronald Bell, was also a musician, and co-formed the band with Robert in 1964. Both brothers converted to Islam in 1972. [6] Ronald died of undisclosed causes on September 9, 2020.
In 1971, Robert married to Deborah Jones. Bell and Jones met when they were teenagers. [4] Deborah died on November 4, 2018, aged 67. [7] Her death was later revealed to have been the result of a long-standing illness. [8]
Together, they had a son, who has worked with Kool & the Gang in the past.
Year | Album |
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1969 | Kool and the Gang |
1972 | Music Is the Message |
Good Times | |
1973 | Wild and Peaceful |
1974 | Light of Worlds |
1975 | Spirit of the Boogie |
1976 | Love & Understanding |
Open Sesame | |
1977 | The Force |
1978 | Everybody's Dancin' |
1979 | Ladies' Night |
1980 | Celebrate! |
1981 | Something Special |
1982 | As One |
1983 | In the Heart |
1984 | Emergency |
1986 | Forever |
1989 | Sweat |
1992 | Unite |
1996 | State of Affairs |
2001 | Gangland |
2004 | The Hits: Reloaded |
2007 | Still Kool |
2013 | Kool for the Holidays |
2021 | Perfect Union |
Year | Album |
---|---|
1971 | Live at the Sex Machine |
Live at PJ's | |
1998 | Greatest Hits Live |
2002 | Too Hot Live |
2010 | The Very Best-Live In Concert |
Year | Single |
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1969 | "Kool and the Gang" |
"The Gang's Back Again" (A-side) | |
"Kool's Back Again" (B-side) | |
1970 | "Kool It (Here Comes The Fuzz)" |
"Let the Music Take Your Mind" | |
"Funky Man" | |
1971 | "Who's Gonna Take the Weight (Part One)" |
"I Want to Take You Higher" | |
"N.T. Part I" | |
1972 | "Love the Life You Live, Part I" |
"Music Is the Message (Part 1)" | |
"Funky Granny" | |
"Good Times" | |
1973 | "Country Junky" |
"Funky Stuff" | |
"Jungle Boogie" | |
1974 | "Hollywood Swinging" |
"Higher Plane" | |
"Rhyme Tyme People" | |
1975 | "Spirit of the Boogie" (A-side) |
"Summer Madness" (B-side) | |
"Caribbean Festival" | |
1976 | "Love and Understanding (Come Together)" |
"Universal Sound" | |
"Open Sesame - Part 1" | |
1977 | "Super Band" |
1978 | "Slick Superchick" |
"A Place in Space" | |
"I Like Music" | |
"Everybody's Dancin'" | |
1979 | "Ladies' Night" |
"Too Hot" | |
1980 | "Hangin' Out" |
"Celebration" | |
1981 | "Take It to the Top" |
"Jones vs. Jones" | |
"Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" | |
"Steppin' Out" | |
"Get Down on It" | |
1982 | "No Show" |
"Big Fun" | |
"Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La, La, La)" | |
"Hi De Hi, Hi De Ho" | |
1983 | "Street Kids" |
"Straight Ahead" | |
"Joanna" | |
1984 | "Tonight" |
"(When You Say You Love Somebody) In the Heart" | |
"Fresh" | |
"Misled" | |
1985 | "Cherish" |
"Emergency" | |
1986 | "Victory" |
1987 | "Stone Love" |
"Holiday" | |
"Special Way" | |
"Peace Maker" | |
1988 | "Rags to Riches" |
"Strong" | |
"Celebration" (remix) | |
1989 | "Raindrops" |
"Never Give Up" | |
1991 | "Get Down on It" (remix) |
1992 | "(Jump Up on The) Rhythm and Ride" |
1996 | "Salute to the Ladies" |
2003 | "Ladies Night" (with Atomic Kitten) |
2004 | "Fresh" (with Liberty X) |
"Too Hot" (with Lisa Stansfield) | |
"Get Down on It" (with Blue & Lil' Kim) | |
2005 | "Hollywood Swinging" (with Jamiroquai) |
"No Show" (featuring Blackstreet) | |
2006 | "Steppin' into Love" |
2010 | "Miss Lead" (ft. Towanna) |
2016 | "Sexy (Where'd You Get Yours)" |
2021 | "Pursuit of Happiness" (Rap Version) |
Kool & the Gang is an American R&B, soul, and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, Woodrow "Woody" Sparrow, and Ricky Westfield. They have undergone numerous changes in personnel and have explored many musical styles throughout their history, including jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, disco, rock, and pop music. After settling on their name following several changes, the group signed to De-Lite Records and released their debut album, Kool and the Gang (1969).
Spirit of the Boogie is the sixth studio album by Kool & the Gang, released in 1975. It can be seen as a follow-up to Wild and Peaceful (1973); the instrumental "Jungle Jazz" uses the same basic rhythm track heard in "Jungle Boogie", but lets the players improvise on their instruments. References to earlier works can be noticed. "Spirit of the Boogie" features Donald Boyce, who was rapping on "Jungle Boogie". Some African influence can be felt, and the band even play in a West-Indian style on "Caribbean Festival", another instrumental track, with once more much room for improvisation.
The Kay-Gees were an American funk and disco group during the 1970s, protégés of Kool & the Gang. The group featured Amir Bayyan, younger brother to Kool & the Gang's Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, who subsequently joined his brothers in Kool & the Gang, as well as Kevin Lassiter, Michael Cheek, Callie Cheek, Dennis White, Glen Griffin, Fernando Arocho, Greg Radford, Huey Harris, Peter Duarte, Ray Wright and Wilson Becket.
Kool and the Gang is the debut studio album by funk band Kool & the Gang. The album was released in December 1969, and reached No. 43 on the Billboard R&B albums chart.
Wild and Peaceful is the fourth studio album, and sixth album of new material released by the funk band Kool & the Gang, and is their commercial breakthrough album. It was released in 1973 and was hugely successful on the Billboard R&B chart, reaching No. 6 and charting for 36 weeks. It also reached No. 33 on the Pop charts, making it the band's first entry into that chart's Top 40. The album spawned the band's first three Top 10 singles. "Funky Stuff" reached No. 5 R&B/No. 29 Pop. The hugely popular track "Jungle Boogie" soared to No. 2 R&B and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Hollywood Swinging" topped the Billboard Hot Soul Singles in June 1974 while reaching No. 6 Pop. The latter two singles both sold over a million copies and were certified Gold by the RIAA. The album itself was also certified Gold.
Light of Worlds is the fifth studio album, and seventh album of new material by the American R&B group Kool & the Gang. Released in 1974, it was later remastered by Polygram and was a second success for the band, reaching number 16 in the R&B chart and number 63 in the pop chart. It was a landmark in the funk/jazz fusion genre of the 1970s.
Love & Understanding is the seventh studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1976. The album had mild success. Three tracks, "Hollywood Swinging", "Summer Madness" and "Universal Sound" were recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre in London, England.
The Force is the ninth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1977 on De-Lite Records. The album peaked at No. 33 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Ladies' Night is the eleventh studio album by the American band Kool & the Gang, released in 1979. The album became their first major success especially after the release of the title track, the U.S. #8 "Ladies' Night," and the U.S. #5 follow-up "Too Hot" which both became Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The album brought a return to the mainstream after a lull in success from 1976-1978. Ladies' Night reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart. Additionally, all the cuts from the album reached number five on the disco chart.
Celebrate! is the twelfth studio album by American band Kool & the Gang. Released on September 29, 1980, the album reached No. 1 on the US R&B chart and #10 on the Billboard 200. The album produced perhaps Kool & the Gang's most recognizable hit song, the #1 chart-topper, "Celebration", which still receives heavy play today over four decades later.
In the Heart is the fifteenth studio album by the funk/R&B band Kool & the Gang, released on November 21, 1983. Four singles were released from the album, with two singles becoming major hits on the US Hot 100. The first single, "Straight Ahead", failed to chart on the Hot 100, but the second single, "Joanna", soared to number two on the charts in the US and UK, and hit number one on the US R&B chart as well. The third single, "Tonight", brought another major hit as it peaked at #13 on the US Hot 100. The fourth single "(When You Say You Love Somebody) In the Heart" did not chart on the Hot 100, but became a moderate hit on the US R&B chart.
Forever is the seventeenth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1986. The album included two major hits on the US Hot 100 Chart: "Victory" and "Stone Love". Three additional singles charted, "Holiday" reached the top ten on the R&B Chart, "Special Way" reached #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. and "Peacemaker" was released in international markets and charted at #20 in New Zealand.
Sweat is the eighteenth studio album by the band Kool & the Gang, released in 1989 following a three-year gap between albums. James "J.T." Taylor, Khalis Bayyan and Robert "Spike" Mickens had departed, and this album showed a refocused band.
Unite is the nineteenth studio album by the band Kool & the Gang, released in 1992 following a three-year gap between albums. It marked the return of Khalis Bayyan to the group after his absence on Sweat. The album was released on iTunes under the title "Jump Up On It!".
Gangland is the twenty-first studio album by the band Kool & the Gang, released in 2001 following a five-year gap between albums. The album was a compilation of rappers backed by Kool and the Gang remaking some of the band's songs.
Ronald Nathan Bell, also known as Khalis Bayyan, was an American composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, saxophonist and co-founding member of Kool & the Gang. The band recorded nine No. 1 R&B singles in the 1970s and 1980s, including its No. 1 pop single "Celebration". The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Claydes "Charles" Smith was an American musician best known as co-founder and lead guitarist of the group Kool & the Gang.
"Spirit of the Boogie" is a funk/soul song recorded by Kool & the Gang as the title track for their 1975 album.
People Just Wanna Have Fun is the twenty-sixth studio album by American funk band Kool & the Gang, released through Astana Music, BFD Records and The Orchard on July 14, 2023. Released to celebrate the band's 60th anniversary, it features the final recordings by Ronald "Khalis" Bell, Dennis "D.T." Thomas and George "Funky" Brown and the group is augmented by several guest vocalists.
Perfect Union is a 2021 studio album by American disco and funk band Kool & the Gang. The album was the first new music from the group in over a decade and was last to feature founding member Ronald Bell before his death.