Kool & the Gang Diamond Anniversary

Kool & the Gang is a group formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, US, in 1964 by brothers Robert 'Kool' Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis 'D.T.' Thomas, Robert 'Spike' Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. They've had many changes in membership, having explored many musical styles during their history, including jazz, soul, funk, rock, and pop music. After finally deciding on their name following several others, the band signed to De-Lite Records then released their debut album, Kool and the Gang (1970). The group's breakthrough came with the issue of their 4th L.P. Wild and Peaceful (1973), which produced the US top-10 singles Jungle Boogie and Hollywood Swinging. Kool & the Gang then went into decline before they had renewed success from 1979 - 1986 following their partnership with Brazilian musician/producer Eumir Deodato, along with the recruitment of singer James 'J.T.' Taylor to their line-up. Their hit albums of this period include Ladies' Night (1979), Celebrate! (1980), and Emergency (1984), their biggest selling L.P. with 2 million copies shifted in the US. Their highest charting singles during this period included Ladies' Night, the US # 1 Celebration, Get Down on It, Joanna, Misled, and Cherish. The band has continued to perform worldwide, including as support for Van Halen in 2012 then their golden-anniversary tour during 2014. Kool & the Gang have received many awards, including 2 Grammy Awards, 7 American Music Awards then a Music Business Association Chairman's Award for artistic achievement in 2006. The group has been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame and been given a Soul Train Legend Award, the Marian Anderson Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bells, Brown, and Taylor were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during 2018. Their discography includes 23 studio albums, along with almost 70 singles. They've been certified by the RIAA as having sold 4.5 million L.Ps and 7.5 million singles in the US. Kool & the Gang have sold 70 million albums globally.