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Ronald Bell

Ronald Bell

Ronald Nathan Bell (November 1, 1951 – September 9, 2020), also known as Khalis Bayyan, was an American composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, saxophonist and co-founding member of Kool & the Gang. The band recorded nine No. 1 R&B singles in the 1970s and 1980s, including its No. 1 pop single "Celebration". The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bell was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Aminah Bayyan (1932–2014) and Robert "Bobby" Bell (1929–1985). His father was a professional boxer and Golden Gloves amateur boxing winner. Training in Elwood, New York, he hung out with jazz players and became friends with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, who lived in the same apartment building as the elder Bell. Ronald Bell and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, were introduced to jazz at around five or six. The family moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1960. In 1964, the brothers joined neighborhood friends Spike Mickens, Dennis Thomas, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith to create a distinctive musical blend of jazz, soul, and funk. At first calling themselves "The Jazziacs", the band went through various name changes—the New Dimensions, the Soul Town Band, and Kool & the Flames—before settling on Kool & the Gang in 1968. Ronald Bell composed, arranged, produced and performed some of the most popular music in Kool and the Gang's body of work. He was a self-taught musician, and his distinctive sound is on the group's horn lines, bass, synthesizer and vocals. He wrote and produced many of the Kool & the Gang's songs, including "Celebration", "Cherish", "Jungle Boogie", "Summer Madness", and "Open Sesame". He said his favorite song was "Celebration", which he wrote after reading a passage in the Quran. Bell converted to Islam in 1972, initially joining The Nation of Islam. He was given the name Khalis Bayyan by Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. He was married to Tia Sinclair Bell and had 10 children. His son, Rachid, released his debut album in 1998, and achieved a top 40 hit on the Dance Club Songs chart with his debut single, "Pride". Bell died at his home in the United States Virgin Islands on September 9, 2020, at age 68. No cause was given but the death was described as sudden. Source: Article "Ronald Bell (musician)" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Personal information

Birthday

1951-11-01

Birth Place

Youngstown, Ohio, USA

Movies and TV shows :

poster

Champs-Elysées

1982

6.2

TV
Dossier AST-555

Dossier AST-555

1960

0.0

Movie
Kool & The Gang - 40th Anniversary Concert

Kool & The Gang - 40th Anniversary Concert

2005

0.0

Movie
Kool & The Gang - Baloise Session 2017

Kool & The Gang - Baloise Session 2017

2018

7.0

Movie
Kool & the gang Live in Denver

Kool & the gang Live in Denver

2005

0.0

Movie
Kool & the Gang-decade singles collection

Kool & the Gang-decade singles collection

1987

8.7

Movie
Kool & the Gang: Live from House of Blues

Kool & the Gang: Live from House of Blues

2001

0.0

Movie
Kool And The Gang - Gold - The Videos

Kool And The Gang - Gold - The Videos

2007

9.0

Movie
Kool and the Gang: Live 40th Anniversary Greatest Hits

Kool and the Gang: Live 40th Anniversary Greatest Hits

2009

0.0

Movie
poster

Le monde est à vous

1987

0.0

TV
poster

Sacrée soirée

1987

6.2

TV
Stars 80 - Triomphe

Stars 80 - Triomphe

2017

5.8

Movie
Stars 80, la suite

Stars 80, la suite

2017

4.5

Movie
The Best of MusikLaden: Kool & the Gang

The Best of MusikLaden: Kool & the Gang

1999

0.0

Movie