Robert Kool Bell

Robert Earl Kool Bell born October 8 1950 also known by his Muslim name Muhammad Bayyan is an American musician singer songwriter He is one of the founding members of the American RB soul funk and disco band Kool the Gang Bell was born in Youngstown Ohio to Aminah Bayyan 19322014 and Robert Bobby Bell 19291985 Bell grew up in Jersey City New Jersey Growing up Bell was nicknamed Kool due to being laid back Thats a nickname from the neighborhood I grew up in here in Jersey City Its a faddish thing and I just happened to take the name Kool cause Im 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 JT 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 Chairmans Award for artistic achievement The band recorded nine No 1 RB singles in the 1970s and 1980s including its No 1 pop single Celebration have had seven American Music Awards 25 Top Ten RB hits nine Top Ten Pop hits 31 gold and platinum albums The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Bell still tours with Kool the Gang as of 2023 along with original member George Brown Bells younger brother Ronald Bell was also a musician and coformed the band with Robert in 1964 Ronald died of undisclosed causes on September 9 2020 In 1971 Robert married to Deborah Jones Bell and Jones met when they were teenagers Deborah died on November 4 2018 aged 67 Her death was later revealed to have been the result of a longstanding illness Together they had a son who has worked with Kool the Gang in the past Source Article Robert Kool Bell from Wikipedia in English licensed under CCBYSA 30