FORT BENNING, Ga., (Sept. 3, 2014) -- Celebrating 50 years of entertainment this year, Kool & the Gang has gained worldwide recognition for their infusions of funk, rock and jazzy arrangements that have made them the most sampled band of all time.
The Grammy-award winning band will headline the Benning Bash Sept. 13 on York Field, bringing decades of hits that lead singer Robert "Kool" Bell said will reach new generations of fans.
"It's a great feeling to perform at Fort Benning because of the people who protect our country and countries around the world," Bell said. "We're excited about doing this whenever we can."
Kool & the Gang has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide thanks to songs such as 70s and 80s hits "Celebration," "Cherish," "Jungle Boogie," "Summer Madness" and "Open Sesame." In addition to two Grammy awards, they have won seven American Music Awards, earned 25 top 10 R&B hits, nine top 10 Pop hits and 31 gold and platinum albums.
The band formed in 1964, when Bell and his brother Ronald "Khalis Bayyan" Bell, joined Jersey City, New Jersey, neighborhood friends Robert "Spike" Mickens, Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith to create a new blend of jazz, soul and funk. They changed their names several times, from the Jazziacs, to The New Dimensions, The Soul Town Band and Kool & The Flames. The band has also seen new members over the decades, with Bell and Bayyan remaining throughout the years.
"I started performing when I was 14 years old, but my grandmother played the piano and my father was a boxer and he would travel around the world and became friends with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk," he said. "Music was around the house and that's when my brother and I began to really get involved."
Their self-titled 1969 debut album introduced the band's signature sound of instrumentals and horns, resulting in their first Billboard R&B single, "Kool and the Gang" and later "Let The Music Take Your Mind."
Today, Kool & The Gang remains one of the most active touring bands, performing hundreds of shows every year. In 2012, they were invited to perform on a national tour with legendary rock band Van Halen after front man David Lee Roth saw them perform at the Glastonbury Festival in England alongside bands like Coldplay and U2.
"The idea probably made a lot of people scratch their heads," Bell said. "(Roth) said, 'You made the song 'Ladies Night' and 50 percent of our audiences are ladies, so let's go out and have a party.'"
Kool & The Gang has performed continuously for the past 35 years, longer than any R&B group in history. With a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and music sampled in dozens of movies and hit songs, Bell said Kool & the Gang is now also working on their first new album in seven years, in talks to produce a musical and writing a book titled, "Hollywood Swinging -- The Kool & the Gang Story."
They will also be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the Soul Train Music Awards this year. With the many accolades and recognition the band has earned over the years, Bell said it's the fans that keep them energetic and grateful for the journey.
"It's traveling around the world, meeting different people, learning new cultures and seeing longtime fans that finally get the chance to see you that keep us going," he said. "It's more common to see us in America, but places like South Africa, Bangkok and the Middle East always keep us motivated."
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