Roland and gang co-founder Roland "Pure" Bell died Wednesday at their home on the US Virgin Islands.
He
was 68 years old and the cause of death was not, released. Bell formed the
group with his brother, Robert "Cole" Bell, in the 1960s, and the
group made successful films in the 1970s and '80s, including "Celebrating,"
"Jungle Boogie," "Cherish," "Ladies' included.
Night," and "Summer Madness," all in writing or co-written. He
also played saxophone, sang, and formed a band.
The Bell brothers began playing music at
Paint Cane in Young Town, Ohio, and formed their first group, Jazzy, with
childhood friends in Jersey, New Jersey. That group became Coke and Flames,
Jazz Birds and eventually Cole and Gang. Between 1970 and 2013, the group
released 23 studio albums, moving from the roots of jazz to funk and spirit in
the 70's, with the addition of singer James "JT". Taylor in 1979,
chart topping pop in the 1980s. Cole & the Gang won its first two Grammy
Awards in 1978, a BET Civil Train Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, and was
inducted’ into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.
Bell described his move to Rolling Stone
in 2015 to "celebrate" the group's most enduring hit in 1980. "I
was reading the scripture where the Creator was going to create and he was
announcing that he was going to create this human thing with the angels, and
the angels were there." Yes, that's where the idea came from. "Three
Dog Night had songs about 'Celebrate', but never a song about cell branding.
Everyone around the world, come on, has a celebration every second of our
lives. Somewhere, someone is always celebrating. "
Bell, who later used the name Khalis Bayan
later in life, is survived’ by his wife and 10 children.
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