George “Funky” Brown, Kool & the Gang Drummer and Co-Founder, Dies at 74

George “Funky” Brown, the drummer, keyboardist, and co-founder of R&B greats Kool & the Gang, died yesterday (November 16), his household mentioned in a press release. He died at Lengthy Seashore Memorial Hospital of an undisclosed sickness, although TMZ reviews that he had been dwelling with most cancers. George Brown was 74 years outdated.

Brown co-founded Kool & the Gang in 1964, once they began enjoying jazz golf equipment in New Jersey. They broke out in 1973, honing their ever-shifting fusion of jazz, soul, funk, rock, and pop on the album Wild and Peaceable. Brown went on to co-write hits together with “Women Evening,” “Celebration,” and “Cherish.” Brown and the band received a Grammy Award in 1979. They had been inducted into the New Jersey Corridor of Fame in 2015 and the Songwriters Corridor of Fame in 2018.

Brown’s household mentioned in a press release: “We misplaced our beloved husband and father, Kool & The Gang founding member George Brown final night time. He handed away peacefully at Lengthy Seashore Memorial Hospital surrounded by household. His unbelievable expertise and presence shall be tremendously missed and by no means forgotten.”