The R&B world lost another bright light this weekend when Michael “Chicago Mike” Sumler, the beloved hype-man and backing vocalist of Kool & the Gang, died in a tragic car accident outside Atlanta. He was 71.
Late Saturday night, on a stretch of road near Buckner Road, Sumler’s black Nissan collided with another vehicle. While the other driver walked away unscathed, Sumler — whose infectious energy had lifted countless performances over three decades — couldn’t be saved.
“We’ve lost another brother,” said Robert “Kool” Bell, the band’s founding bassist and sole remaining original member. His voice heavy with emotion, Bell added, “The stage won’t be the same without Mike.”
The loss cuts deep for a group that’s been no stranger to heartbreak lately. Just last year, they bid farewell to drummer George Brown after his battle with cancer. Now, barely a month after their long-overdue Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, they’re mourning again.
Those close to Sumler paint a picture of someone whose offstage persona matched his electric stage presence. “He was the real deal — a true mentor,” remembers Adrian Meeks, a longtime friend who spoke with Fox 5 Atlanta. “Mike lived to see others succeed in this business. That was just his nature.”
Since joining in ’85, Sumler had been an integral part of one of R&B’s most enduring success stories. The numbers tell part of the tale: 25 Top Ten R&B singles, nine Pop hits that cracked the Top Ten, and a staggering 31 gold and platinum albums. But numbers barely scratch the surface of their impact on American music.
From the funk-drenched grooves of “Funky Stuff” to the eternal party starter “Celebration,” Kool & the Gang carved out their place in music history. Their achievements — two Grammys, seven American Music Awards, and that gleaming star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — speak to their lasting influence.
Despite this devastating setback, the band’s scheduled appearance at the UK’s Boogietown festival this summer alongside UB40 and Billy Ocean suggests their determination to keep the music playing. Yet anyone who witnessed Sumler working his magic knows — there’ll be an empty space on that stage that no one else can quite fill.
Sometimes, the truest measure of a performer isn’t just in the music they make, but in the spirit they leave behind. By that standard, Chicago Mike’s legacy is secure — remembered not just for the joy he brought to audiences worldwide, but for the countless artists he inspired along the way.
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