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] and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[4]
Ronald Bell and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, were introduced to jazz at around five or six.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]
Career
Ronald Bell composed, arranged, produced and performed some of the most popular music in Kool and the Gang's body of work.[14] 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".[15] He said his favorite song was "Celebration", which he wrote after reading a passage in the Quran.[16]
Personal life and death
Bell converted to Islam in 1972, initially joining The Nation of Islam. He was given the name Khalis Bayyan by Imam Warith Deen Mohammed.[17] He was married to Tia Sinclair Bell and had 10 children.[18] 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".[19][20]
Bell died at his home in the United States Virgin Islands on September 9, 2020, at age 68.[21] No cause was given but the death was described as sudden.[22]
^McFaul, Lauren. "Kool's gang freshens rock with funk", The Spokesman-Review, June 3, 1985. Retrieved October 25, 2015. "Ronald Bell has a studio in his West Orange, N.J., home and from there has worked on production for Kool & the Gang's last six albums."
^"J.T. TAYLOR – KOOL & THE GANG". Iconartistagency.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019. Ronald Five X is given the name Khalis (intelligent) by Imam Wallace D. Mohammed
