Wall of Greatness

Kool & The Gang

Khalis Bayyan (a.k.a. Ronald Bell), Robert “Kool” Bell, George “Funky” Brown, Charles ‘Claydes” Smith and Dennis “DT” Thomas

This legendary R&B group got their start practicing in the garage of the Boys & Girls Club on Ash Street in Jersey City. Since then they have sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of three generations.

Thanks to songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame, they’ve 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. Kool & The Gang has performed continuously for the past 35 years, longer than any R&B group in history. Their bulletproof funk and tough, jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled band of all time.

In 2005, the reunited with their Boys & Girls Club family performing a benefit concert for Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey at Six Flags Great Adventure. In August of 2009, Gang Touring Inc. and affiliate O2Y launched the “Kool School Music Boot Camp” in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey and Rutgers University. The program exposes aspiring artists to all facets of the music business and provides unique insights into what it takes to sustain a successful career in the industry.

Club Location: Jersey City, N.J.
Occupation: Musicians
Members Since: 1965