Kool & the Gang co-founder Dennis Thomas dies at 70

Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, a founding member of the long-running soul-funk band Kool & the Gang known for such hits as “Celebration” and “Get Down On It,” has died. He was 70.He died peacefully in his sleep Saturday in New Jersey, where he was a resident of Montclair, according to a statement from his representative. Thomas was the alto sax player, flutist and percussionist. He served as master of ceremonies at the band’s shows. His last appearance with the group was July Fourth at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. A longtime resident of Montclair, N.J., Thomas was born Feb. 9, 1951 in Orlando, Florida, and was one of the seven Jersey 

City teens who got together in 1964 to form the instrumental soul-jazz group the Jazziacs.The band, which included brothers Ronald Bell and Robert “Kool” Bell, and friends Dennis Thomas, Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith, was impressive enough to occasionally play with jazz legends McCoy Tyner and Pharoah Sanders. After honing their craft while trying different names, the friends officially launched Kool & the Gang in 1969.He acted as the group’s wardrobe stylist and master of ceremonies and made his final appearance with the band July 4th at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Kool & the Gang’s hook-heavy, infectious songs have been heavily sampled and spun by DJs and featured on film sound tracks, including those for “Rocky” (1976), “Saturday Night Fever” (1977) and “Pulp Fiction” (1994.) The group has earned multiple gold and platinum records, two Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards, and they were honored in 2014 with a Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award.