Early life Bell was born in
Youngstown, Ohio, to Aminah Bayyan (1932–2014) and Robert "Bobby" Bell (1929–1985). Bell grew up in
Jersey City, New Jersey. Growing up, Bell was nicknamed "Kool", due to being "laid back":
Kool & The Gang Along with his brother,
Ronald Bell, he began playing
jazz, and in 1964 they formed a group named
The Jazziacs. They began playing at clubs in New York City under a series of different band names before settling on the name
Kool & the Gang in 1968. Their debut album,
Kool and the Gang, was released the following year. The band's first major hit came in 1973, with "
Jungle Boogie", which charted at number four on the
Billboard Hot 100. Their first number one hit single was "
Spirit of the Boogie", which was released in 1975. Bell, along with Kool & the Gang members
James "J.T." Taylor and Dennis Thomas, were a part of the 1984 charity supergroup
Band Aid. Kool & the Gang have won numerous awards, including two
Grammy Awards, seven
American Music Awards, and, in 2006, a
Music Business Association Chairman's Award for artistic achievement. The band recorded nine No. 1
R&B singles in the 1970s and 1980s, including its No. 1
pop single "
Celebration". They have seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. The group is honored on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame. As of 2024, Bell still tours with Kool & the Gang. In 2024, Bell was selected for induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of Kool & the Gang. == Personal life ==