Musician George “Funky” Brown has died. The famous drummer and songwriter of the musical group Kool & the Gang died at his home in Los Angeles.
He is known to have co-written songs for the band such as “Ladies Night,” “Too Hot,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Celebration,” and “Cherish.”
Before his death, Brown battled lung cancer on and off for years. He left a wife, Hannah Brown, and five children.
George ‘Funky’ Brown Dies At 74
Kool & The Gang drummer Brown has died aged 74 at his home in Los Angeles. The songwriter’s death was confirmed by a representative of his family.
“George Brown passed away on November 16, 2023, in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer,” they said. Adding, “Brown co-wrote many of the band’s iconic songs, including Ladies Night, Too Hot, Jungle Boogie, Celebration and Cherish.”
The musician’s death appears to have been fueled by his long-term battle with lung cancer. He initially recovered from it and started performing again with the group. However, he relapsed and was later diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
After his death, only one founding member of Kool & The Gang, Robert ‘Kool’ Bell, was still alive. Other founding members included Ronald Bell, Dennis Thomas, Robert Mickens, Ricky West, and guitarist Charles Smith.
In a statement on Instagram, the band wrote about their late drummer, “In loving memory of our beloved brother, co-founder and the funniest drummer the world has ever seen. His beautiful soul is now at peace. We love you, George. Thank you for giving us the sound of happiness.”
George ‘Funky’ Brown On The Kool & The Gang Band
Shortly after releasing his memoirs “Too Hot: Kool & The Gang And Me” back in July, Brown opened up about the changes in the band, saying that they had continued to perform because they had good chemistry.
He said in an interview with NPR, “It’s chemistry. If the chemistry is there, bingo, it works. And you want to make it happen, and you want to see people happy, and you want to be successful with it.
He added, “And you want to help create a culture, a world culture, where people come together with that music. That music brings people together and makes this one-world culture greater than ever.”
At the time, Brown also added that making “happy music” is about giving people “a good time,” before adding that that’s what the band does.
The late drummer is survived by his wife, Hanh Brown, and children: Dorian Melvin Brown, Jorge Lewis Brown, Gregory Brown, Jordan Xuan Clarence Brown, and Aaron Tien Joseph Brown.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
