Biography:

Ronald Nathan Bell (November 1, 1951 – September 9, 2020), also known as Khalis Bayyan,^[1] 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“.^[2] The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.^[3]

Early life

Bell was born in Youngstown, Ohio,^[4][5] to Aminah Bayyan (1932–2014) and Robert “Bobby” Bell (1929–1985). His father was a professional boxer and Golden Gloves amateur boxing winner.^[6] Training in Elwood, New York, he hung out with jazz players and became friends with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk,^[7][8] who lived in the same apartment building as the elder Bell.^[7][9]

Ronald Bell and his brother, Robert “Kool” Bell, were introduced to jazz at around five or six.^[10] 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.^[11] 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.^[12]

Career

Ronald Bell composed, arranged, produced and performed some of the most popular music in Kool and the Gang’s body of work.^[13] 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“.^[14] He said his favorite song was “Celebration”, which he wrote after reading a passage in the Quran.^[15]

Personal life and death

Bell converted to Islam in 1972, joining The Nation of Islam. He was given the name Khalis Bayyan by Imam Warith Deen Mohammed.^[16] He was married to Tia Sinclair Bell and had 10 children.^[17] 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“.^[18][19]

Bell died at his home in the United States Virgin Islands on September 9, 2020, at age 68.^[20] No cause was given, but the death was described as sudden.^[21]

Credits: