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 consider...
Click here for full text