Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. [] LOS ANGELES (AP) Ronald "Khalis" Bell, a co-founder, singer and producer of the group Kool & the Gang, has died. No cause of death has been revealed. Robert "Spike . . Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. A cause of death was not announced. Robert passed away of cause of death on month day 1943, at age 85 at death place, Virginia. Bell's death was confirmed by Tia Sinclair Bell, his wife and agent, according to Variety. Spike, as he was affectionately known as, was a founding member of the R&B group, Kool & the Gang, which was formed in Jersey City NJ in 1964. The cause of death has not been released. Robert "Spike . Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. Ronald "Khalis" Bell, singer and co-founder of legendary R&B, soul, funk band Kool & the Gang, died at his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday morning, said his . . . Suicide rates increased 30% between 2000-2018, and declined in 2019 and 2020. 3 The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. . Death: 2 Nov 2010 (aged 58-59) Far Rockaway, Queens County, New York, USA. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles . Burial: Burial Details Unknown . . The group consisted of Ronald, his brother Robert "Kool" Bell, Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. Kool & the Gang was first founded in 1964 in New Jersey. Other members would include lead singer . DEVELOPING:: As yet, no cause of death has been revealed. Robert "Spike . No cause of death was immediately provided. . . . Thomas formed Kool & the Gang in 1964 with bassist Robert "Kool" Bell and his brother, the late tenor saxophonist Ronald Bell, along with drummer George Brown, guitarist Charles Smith, trumpeter Robert "Spike" Mickens and pianist Ricky Westfield. Robert "Spike . The cause of death has not been released. The cause of death has not been released. Born on Nov. 1, 1951, Bell, along with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell, formed a band with their pals Spike Mickens, Dennis Thomas, Ricky Westfield, George Brown . Bell started the group with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell along with neighborhood friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens . Their . Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B, and pop. Ronald "Khalis" Bell, a co-founder of funk mainstays Kool & The Gang who sang, co-wrote songs and played saxophone, died Wednesday at his U.S. Virgin Islands home.He was 68. The cause of death was not announced. The cause of death was not announced. He was buried at burial place, Virginia. The band performed under various names before its members . Robert "Spike . Photo: Getty Images. Man hugs family after 137 days fighting COVID-19 . After a brief downturn, the group enjoyed a return to stardom in the '80s. . The band said Thomas "passed away peacefully in his sleep" in New Jersey. . June 23, 2006. Robert "Spike" Mickens Charles Smith . . No cause of death has been announced at this time. In 1964, Bell and his brother Robert "Kool" formed a band with Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. The cause of death has not been released. A cause of death was not provided. The cause of death has not been released. Ronald Bell and his brother Robert 'Kool' Bell formed the band in 1964 by teaming up with neighborhood friends Dennis 'D.T." Thomas, Robert 'Spike' Mickens . Robert "Spike" Mickens Charles Smith . Robert "Spike . The cause of death has not been released. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. No cause of death has been announced, Billboard reported. . Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. . Over the course of two decades, the band with a tight brand of funk music amassed a catalog . Documents of Robert L. Mickens. Robert "Kool" Bell, George Brown, Dennis Thomas and Robert "Spike" Mickens -- who became Kool & the Gang. A cause of death has not been released. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West in 1964 to whip up a unique blend of jazz, soul and funk. . The cause of death was not disclosed. The cause of death has not been released. Bell died at his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands Wednesday morning with his wife by his side, publicist Sujata Murthy said. This is about one death every 11 minutes. The cause of death has not been released. (Terms and conditions). Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. Lung cancer killed nearly 140,000 Americans in 2019, making it the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S And this month is also National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. The cause of death has not been released. No cause of death was given. Alongside Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, Robert "Spike" Micken, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West, Thomas was among the co-founders of the Jazz group Kool & the Gang. In 1964, he and six of his friends brothers Ronald "Khalis" Bell and Robert "Kool" Bell, Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George . . . Initially calling themselves the Jazziacs, the band underwent several name . The cause of death has not been released. They were joined by Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens . George Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, and Ricky West. . . The lineup comprised of Bell and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, as well as neighborhood friends Robert "Spike" Mickens, Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Ricky West, George Brown, and Charles Smith. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, file) Rich Fury/Invision/AP. DEVELOPING:: After a brief downturn, the group enjoyed a return to stardom in the '80s. The cause of death has not been released. The cause of death was not given. No cause of death has been announced at this time. . . . . + Follow . . No cause of death was revealed. Robert "Spike . Bell passed away at his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with the cause of death currently unknown. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. The cause of death has not been released. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West in 1964 to whip up a unique blend of jazz, soul and funk. The cause of death has not been released. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. . Bell started the group with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell along with neighborhood friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens . The cause of death has not been released. He died after a . In 1964, Bell and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, joined their neighborhood friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West to form a musical group. Ronald "Khalis" Bell co-wrote many of Kool and the Gang's most popular songs, including 1980's "Celebration" memorial page for Robert "Spike" Mickens (1951-2 Nov 2010), Find a Grave Memorial ID 71021391, ; Maintained by Babe (contributor 46785600 . A cause of death was not provided. The cause of death has not been released. Robert "Spike . No cause of death was given.In 1964, Bell formed the Kool & the Gang band along with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell in Jersey City, New Jersey. In addition to performing with the group, Ronald co-wrote and produced a number of their hit songs, including Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Hollywood Swinging, Summer Madness, Open . No cause of death has been announced, Billboard reported. Robert "Spike . Robert "Spike . Bell's death was confirmed by Tia Sinclair Bell, his wife and agent, according to Variety. Following. Their . Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. The cause of death has not been released. A cause of death has yet to be determined. They were first known as the Jazziacs, before settling for Kool and the Gang. . . After a brief downturn, the group enjoyed a return to stardom in the '80s. . Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. The cause of death has not been released. The cause of death has not been released. The cause of death has not been released. The cause of death has not been released. No cause of death was given. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, file) 1 of 2. . Ronald "Khalis" Bell, a co-founder, songwriter, saxophonist, vocalist and producer of the chart-topping group Kool & The Gang, died Wednesday morning at his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. . The cause of death has not been released. Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky . Back in 1964 New Jersey teenagers - brothers Ronald "Khalis" Bell and Robert "Kool" Bell and their friends "Dee Tee," Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith - decided to form a band that was originally called the Jazziacs. The cause of death has not been released. . The cause of death has not been released. Kool & the Gang won a Grammy in 1978 for their work on the soundtrack for "Saturday Night Fever." Bell, the singer, songwriter and saxophonist, co-wrote some of the band's biggest hits, including "Ladies' Night," "Jungle Boogie" and "Celebration." Ronald Bell and his older brother Robert "Kool" Bell teamed up with Jersey City friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas , Robert "Spike" Mickens , Charles Smith , George . Kool & the Gang was formed in 1964 in Jersey City, NJ, by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald "Khalis" Bell. Bell was born in Youngstown. ROBERT MICKENS JERSEY CITY Robert "Spike" Mickens, 59, passed away on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, in a nursing home in Far Rockaway, NY after a long illness. Other members would include lead singer . Bell formed the Kool & the Gang band along with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell in Jersey City, New Jersey. Robert "Spike . Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. Kool & the Gang won a Grammy in 1978 for their work on the soundtrack for "Saturday Night Fever." The group was honored with a BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement . Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. ADVERTISEMENT. Their . . The cause of death has not been released. The cause of death has not been released. No further details about his cause of death were revealed. Robert "Spike . The group consisted of Ronald, his brother Robert "Kool" Bell, Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens . LOS ANGELES, June 22 (AP) Claydes Charles Smith, a founder and the lead guitarist of the group Kool and the Gang, died on Tuesday in Maplewood, N.J. . . In 1964, Bell and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, joined neighborhood friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith . A self-taught musician, Ronald formed the group in 1964 with his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell," and neighborhood friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Ricky West, Charles Smith, and George Brown. . Alzheimer disease is the 7 th leading cause of death in the country, accounting for over 133,000 deaths in 2020, according to provisional data. Back in 1964 New Jersey teenagers - brothers Ronald "Khalis" Bell and Robert "Kool" Bell and their friends "Dee Tee," Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith - decided to form a band that was originally called the Jazziacs. . . A cause of death has yet to be determined. Thomas, brothers Ronald Bell and Robert "Kool" Bell, Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith. . Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, 3 with 45,979 deaths in 2020. They later went on to form the Jazziacs with friends Robert "Spike" Mickens, Dennis Thomas, Ricky Westfield, George Brown and Charles Smith - eventually becoming Kool & The Gang. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West.They have undergone numerous changes in personnel and have explored many musical styles throughout their history, including jazz, soul, funk, rock, and pop music. Text "RICKEY" to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. Robert passed away on November 2 2010, at age 59 in Far Rockaway. . Robert "Spike . Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Rickey West join. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. He was 68. Robert "Spike . . He was 57. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. Bell started the group with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell along with neighborhood friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens . No official cause of death has been disclosed. . A self-taught saxophonist and singer, he founded the group in New Jersey with Robert and five schoolfriends - Dennis Thomas, Robert Mickens, Charles Smith, George . COVID-19 was reported as either the underlying cause of death or a contributing cause of death for some 11.3% of U.S. fatalities, and replaced suicide as one of the top 10 leading causes of death. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. . Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. The legendary band announced Thomas' death on Saturday, August 7. Bell started the group with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell along with neighborhood friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. Kool & the Gang grew from jazz roots in the 1960s to become one of the major groups of the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop. Spike is the devoted son of the late Victor . The cause of death has not been released. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West in 1964 to whip up a unique blend of jazz, soul and funk. His cause of death has not yet been . The cause of death was not given. Get push notifications with news, features and more. In 2020, an estimated 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned a . The cause of death has not been released. No cause of death has been announced at this time. Bell started the group with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell along with neighborhood friends Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens . A self-taught saxophonist and singer, he founded the group in New Jersey with Robert and five schoolfriends - Dennis Thomas, Robert Mickens, Charles Smith, George . Robert "Kool" Bell, George Brown, Dennis Thomas and Robert "Spike" Mickens -- who became Kool & the Gang. 540. . Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West rounded out the rest of the band.Also Read: 'Lockdown': Anne Hathaway in Talks to Star in Doug Liman . . Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. He was 68. Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky West. Robert Spike Mickens was born in 1951, in Jersey City.