George “Funky†Brown, drummer and founding member of Kool & The Gang, died on Thursday at age 74. A band publicist confirmed to the New York Times that Brown died at a hospital in Long Beach, California. The cause of death was cancer. Kool & The Gang’s Facebook page also posted a tribute confirming the news, writing, “In loving memory of our dear brother, co-founder and the funkiest drummer the world has ever seen. His beautiful soul is now at rest. We love you, George. Thank you for giving us the sound of happiness.â€
A self-taught musician who grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, Brown co-founded Kool & The Gang with Robert “Kool†Bell, Ronald Bell, Robert “Spike†Mickens, Dennis “Dee Tee†Thomas, Ricky Westfield, and Charles Smith. Brown was a drummer, keyboardist, and songwriter for the band, which gave us irresistibly catchy hits like “Get Down on It†and “Celebration.†Brown also produced the group’s most recent release, People Just Wanna Have Fun, which dropped this July as the band’s twenty-sixth studio album. That same month, he recounted his decades-long career in his memoir, Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me. Brown told KCAL News last month that, after finishing a cancer clinical trial, he planned to join Kool & the Gang back on stage in their new Las Vegas residency.