One of the co-founders of legendary funk and disco band Kool and the Gang, famous for hits like "Celebration," Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, died on Saturday at the age of 70, the band announced.

A new loss for the group which already lost one of its leaders last year. 

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

"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, which had already lost one of its leaders, Ronald Bell last year, on its Facebook page.

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"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 brothers Robert and Ronald Bell, and notably Dennis Thomas, Kool and the Gang has a rare longevity, both on stage and in nightclubs, where it dance again. "Celebration", "Jungle Boogie", "Get down on it", "Ladies' Night", the group has many hits and has inspired many rap classics.