Kool & The Gang’s beloved hype man has died at age 71.
Michael Sumler, who was known by fans as ‘Chicago Mike’ died in a car accident in Georgia on Saturday May 24, reported by Fox 5 Atlanta.
Sumler spent over 30 years with the R&B, funk, soul group and was known for being the group’s energetic hype man during live shows.
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“He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he’d been around most of all of his life,” Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group told Fox 5.
“He was the bridge, you know, for inspiring artists and songwriters and producers and musicians to the legends.”
“He was the hype guy out of the group, getting the audience going,” said Greg Williams of Switch Entertainment.
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Mableton’s Mayor Michael Owens also released a statement on Facebook in the wake of Sumler’s death.
“This Memorial Day weekend the world lost a music legend,” the statement started.
“Michael Sumler, known as “Chicago Mike” of Kool and the Gang died in a crash Sunday night on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road. He was 71. The City of Mableton, City Council and I join his friends, family and fans in mourning his loss.”
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Kool & The Gang were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
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The band are known for some iconic hits, namely Celebration, Ladies Night and Get Down On It.
Throughout their time they’ve won two Grammys and seven American Music Awards. The group has also registered 31 gold and platinum albums to date.
Despite being a part of the music scene for so long, the group are still touring and scheduled to perform in Europe over the coming months.
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