Artist page

**Kool & The Gang Bio** Kool & The Gang was formed in the mid-60s by Robert "Kool" Bell, his brother Ronald Bell, and their teenage friends in New Jersey, initially performing as the Jazziacs. They played traditional jazz for several years before evolving their style to incorporate funk influences from artists like Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown. The group signed with the De-Lite label in the early '70s and gained a loyal following, particularly with their 1971 album, *Live at the Sex Machine*. Their breakthrough came in 1974 with the album *Wild and Peaceful*, which featured hits like "Funky Stuff," "Hollywood Swinging," and "Jungle Boogie." However, by 1979, Kool & The Gang had faded from the spotlight. They revitalized their sound by bringing in lead singer James J.T. Taylor and producer Eumir Deodato for the album *Ladies Night*, which became a major success, yielding hits such as the title track and "Too Hot." This marked the beginning of an impressive run of top-10 hits throughout the '80s, including "Celebration," "Misled," "Cherish," "Take My Heart," "Joanna," "Fresh," and "Let's Go Dancin'." Despite the upbeat nature of their music, by 1987, their sound began to feel formulaic. J.T. Taylor left the group to pursue

For any edit requests, please reach out to info@rovr.live