PROCLAMATION
Whereas: Robert "Kool" Bell is co-founder of Kool & The Gang along with his brother Ronald Bell, tenor saxophonist and Denis Dee Tee Thomas, alto saxophonist, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown and Charles Smith; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang is an American jazz, R&B, soul, funk and disco group, originally formed in 1964 as the Jazziacs based in Jersey City, New Jersey; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming the premiere performing band featuring classic funk and R&B, smooth pop-funk ensemble, and in the post-millennium creating music with a modern, electro-pop sound; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of three generations and thanks to songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame, they have become the world's "good times" musical sensation; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang has earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang will be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in October 2015;and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang has performed continuously for the past 45 years, longer than any R&B group in history and their soulful funk and tough, jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled band of all time; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang has persevered and performed for over five decades (50 years) in the world of music in the entertainment industry; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang has served as positive role models for the youth of the world through positive music; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang have recently received the Soul Train Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang has performed innumerable times in Chicago to the delight of thousands of local residents and Robert "Kool" Bell considers local spiritual leader Pastor T.L. Barrett of Life Center Church his ecumenical partner; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang supports the work of The KLEO (Keep Loving Each Other) Community Center under Torrey Barrett in creating opportunities for the youth of Chicago; and
Whereas: Kool & The Gang has performed for many American Presidents including President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, at the Inauguration of President Ronald Reagan and for numerous Heads of States Globally; and
Whereas: most recently Robert "Kool" Bell has been named Global Ambassador for Sustainable Energy for The REACH Consortium at the Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation at Illinois Institute of Technology, and spokesman for Africa Green Renewable Eternal Energy (A.G.R.E.E) and has lent his celebrity status to help bring lights and power to the millions of people yet living in darkness throughout Africa and the Caribbean; and
Now, Therefore, it is hereby proclaimed that Thursday, June 25, 2015 will be "Kool & The Gang Day in the City of Chicago" in recognition of Kool & The Gang performing on June 26, 2015 in Chicago at Montrose Beach and in celebration of their dedication to excellence in music for 50 years.
Signed,
Willie B. Cochran, Alderman, 20th Ward, City of Chicago May 6, 2015