Ricky West: Last News

Ronald “Khalis” Bell, a co-founder, singer and producer of the group Kool & the Gang, has died. He was 68.

George “Funky” Brown, the drummer, founding member and one of the main songwriters of pop-R&B group Kool & The Gang, died in Los Angeles last night following a battle with lung cancer. He was 74.

TMZ, the band’s founding member died from Stage 4 lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles Thursday.A spokesperson for Brown told TMZ that donations can be made in his honor to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America.Brown discussed his sickness last month with KCAL News, saying that he had recovered for a brief time and was ready to perform again.However, his cancer returned earlier this year and he was forced to pull out of touring. “We’d join hands, and you’d say to yourself, ‘Let’s go make some people happy,’ ” Brown noted to the outlet, adding that to those struggling with cancer, “Don’t give up, never give up.”Brown co-wrote many of the R&B group’s hit songs, including “Ladies’ Night,” “Too Hot,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Celebration” and “Cherish.”Kool & The Gang was formed in 1964 in New Jersey.

Bruce Haring pmc-editorial-managerRonald “Khalis” Bell, a cofounder and singer of Kool & the Gang who wrote some of the group’s biggest hits, has died at age 68. Bell died at his home in the US Virgin Islands Wednesday morning, according to publicist Sujata Murthy. No cause of death has been released.Kool & the Gang was formed in 1964 in Jersey City, New Jersey by brothers Robert “Kool” Bell and Ronald “Khalis” Bell.