Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, co-founder of Kool and the Gang, has passed away

With his band and his hits, he made millions of people dance in nightclubs around the world.

Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, one of the co-founders of the legendary funk and disco band Kool and the Gang, died on Saturday at the age of 70.

“On August 7, 2021, Dennis Thomas (known as 'Dee Tee'), husband, beloved father and co-founder of Kool and the Gang, passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 70 in New York. Jersey, ”said the group on its Facebook page, which had already lost one of its leaders, Ronald Bell last year.

"The quintessence of the cool guy"

"Original member of Kool and the Gang, Dennis was known as the epitome of the cool guy, appreciated for his trendy clothes and hats, and his laid back demeanor," his partners pay homage to him. "Alto saxophonist, flautist, percussionist" and "master of ceremonies during concerts", he appeared for the last time with the group on July 4, during the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, they specify.

Founded in 1964 in New Jersey, first under the name of the Jazziacs by the brothers Robert and Ronald Bell, and in particular Dennis Thomas, Kool and the Gang has a rare longevity, especially on stage.

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, the group has many hits and has inspired many rap classics.

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