George “Funky” Brown was the founding and longtime drummer of Kool & the Gang, as well as one of the band’s primary songwriters.
- Died: November 16, 2023 (Who else died on November 16?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles after fighting lung cancer at the age of 74.
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George “Funky” Brown’s legacy
Brown cofounded Kool & the Gang in 1964 in Jersey City, New Jersey, alongside Robert “Kool” Bell, Ronald Bell (1951–2020), Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas (1951–2021), Robert “Spike” Mickens, Ricky West, Woodrow “Woody” Sparrow, and Charles Smith. Brown had trained as a jazz drummer, but his style began to evolve as the band found their signature funk and R&B sound.
Kool & the Gang began seeing moderate success in the late ‘60s and scored their first major hit with 1973’s “Jungle Boogie,” cowritten by Brown. He would continue to cowrite hits for the band, including “Ladies’ Night,” “Get Down on It,” “Joanna,” “Fresh,” “Cherish,” and their enduring No. 1 hit “Celebration.” Brown was the main songwriter on some of the band’s songs, including the 1979 No. 5 hit “Too Hot.”
With Kool & the Gang, Brown won two Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards. His drumming was one of the hallmarks of the band’s funky sound, and it has been sampled by such artists as the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, and Cypress Hill. Earlier this year, Brown published the memoir “Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me.”
Notable quote
“[W]hen I get on the set, I like to play jazz. It’s expressive. To this day, I like to swing.” —from a 2015 interview for Red Bull Music Academy
Tributes to George “Funky” Brown
Full obituary: Deadline
