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REICHHOLD CENTER CELEBRATES GOOD TIMES WITH KOOL AND THE GANG

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   Kool and the Gang brings more than 30 years in the music business to Reichhold Center for the Arts on Saturday, October 28, 2006 at 8 p.m.
    The sounds of Kool and the Gang have won the group world-wide recognition and numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 31 gold and platinum albums and almost 70 million albums sold.
    Kool and the Gang dominated the 1970s music scene, starting with their album Live at the Sex Machine, which produced three hit singles:  Funky Man, Who’s Gonna Take The Weight and I Want To Take You Higher. Kool and the Gang followed up with Wild & Peaceful, earning spots on Billboard’s R&B and pop charts. More successful albums followed, including Spirit of the Boogie and Love & Understanding.
    Kool and the Gang shined with hits such as Summer Madness, from the Grammy-winning movie soundtrack Rocky. Their mega hit Open Sesame, for which they also won a Grammy, was featured on the top-selling movie soundtrack of all time, Saturday Night Fever. Pulp Fiction, one of the biggest movies at the end of the 20th century, brought an expanded audience for Kool and the Gang when Jungle Boogie became the title track.
    Brothers Robert “Kool” Bell, who played bass, and Ronald Bell aka Khalis Bayann who played horns, joined friends from the projects in Jersey City, New Jersey, to create music that generations later, people are still moving to.
    Along with the brothers were drummer George Brown, alto saxophonist Dennis Thomas, and trombone player Clifford Adams who continue to perform with Kool and The Gang. Former members include Charles Smith, Woody Sparrow and Ricky West.
    James “J.T.” Taylor joined the band in the early 1980s and brought in the vocals that made such hits as Ladies Night and Celebration world-wide crowd favorites. Celebration became an R&B chart-topping hit and a number one pop single; and is the preferred anthem at sporting events and special occasions.
    Taylor stayed with the group throughout the decade and sang lead on hits such as Joanna, Cherish, and Take My Heart. Together with Taylor, Kool and the Gang ended the 1980s with seven gold and platinum albums and became one of the top touring bands. Taylor later left the group to pursue a solo career. He rejoined Kool and the Gang in 1995 for their State of Affairs album.
    In the hip-hop era, a new audience discovered Kool and The Gang’s groove through samplings by hip-hop artists. On their 2004 album The Hits: Reloaded, the band introduced the 21st century generation to their brilliant sounds by collaborating with musicians such as Ashanti, Lil’ Kim, Blackstreet and Sean Paul, to remake some of their biggest hits.
   In 2006, Kool and the Gang is back on the Billboard charts with the album Steppin’ Into Love.
   Kool and the Gang’s visit to Reichhold Center is sponsored by First Bank, First Insurance, Marriott Frenchman’s Reef Resort, Tropical Shipping, Theodore Tunick Insurance Company and the Virgin Islands Council for the Arts.
    Tickets are available at Modern Music, Parrot Fish, UVI Bookstore, V.I. Bridal & Tuxedo and the Reichhold Center Box Office at 693-1559.