Kool & The Gang hype man Michael Sumler, known to fans as “Chicago Mike,” has passed away. He was 71.
According to Billboard, Sumler died in a car crash over the weekend in Cobb County, Georgia. His vehicle reportedly collided head-on with another car on Veterans Memorial Highway, near Buckner Road.
For over 30 years, Sumler brought energy and electricity to Kool & The Gang’s live shows as their inimitable hype man. Speaking to local news station Fox 5, Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group said of Sumler: “He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he’d been around most of all of his life. He was the bridge, you know, for inspiring artists and songwriters and producers and musicians to the legends.”
Mableton, Georgia Mayor Michael Owens also released a statement on Sumler’s passing, writing in a Facebook post: “We are saddened by the death of musician Michael Sumler. ‘Chicago Mike’ contributed so much to the music and entertainment communities.”
Mayor Owens continued: “His style and energy added flare and excitement to Kool and the Gang for decades. The city of Mableton, council members and I join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss.”
Several Kool & The Gang Members Have Passed Away Over The years
Sumler is not the first member of Kool & The Gang to die. Rick West, the group’s original keyboardist, died in 1985. Guitarist Charles Smith died after a long illness in 2006. Original trumpet player Robert “Spike” Mickens died on Nov. 2, 2010, at the age of 59.
Trombonist Clifford Alanza Adams Jr. died in January 2015 at the age of 62, following a year-long battle with cancer. Saxophonist Ronald “Khalis Bayyan” Bell suddenly died in September 2020, with no cause of death ever publicly shared.
Alto saxophonist Dennis “D.T.” Thomas died in his sleep on Aug. 7, 2021, at the age of 70. Lastly, drummer George “Funky” Brown died from lung cancer on Nov. 16, 2023. He was 74.
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