Ronald Bell

Composer

Popular As Khalis Bayyan

Birthday November 1, 1951

Birth Sign Scorpio

Birthplace Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.

DEATH DATE 2020-9-9, United States Virgin Islands (68 years old)

Nationality United States

#36676 Most Popular

1932

Bell was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Aminah Bayyan (1932–2014) and Robert "Bobby" Bell (1929–1985).

His father was a professional boxer and Golden Gloves amateur boxing winner.

Training in Elwood, New York, he hung out with jazz players and became friends with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, who lived in the same apartment building as the elder Bell.

Ronald Bell and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, were introduced to jazz at around five or six.

1951

Ronald Nathan Bell (November 1, 1951 – September 9, 2020), also known as Khalis Bayyan, was an American composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, saxophonist and co-founding member of Kool & the Gang.

1960

The family moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1960.

1964

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.

1968

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.

Ronald Bell composed, arranged, produced and performed some of the most popular music in Kool and the Gang's body of work.

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".

He said his favorite song was "Celebration", which he wrote after reading a passage in the Quran.

1970

The band recorded nine No. 1 R&B singles in the 1970s and 1980s, including its No. 1 pop single "Celebration".

The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

1972

Bell converted to Islam in 1972, joining The Nation of Islam.

He was given the name Khalis Bayyan by Imam Warith Deen Mohammed.

He was married to Tia Sinclair Bell and had 10 children.

1998

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".

2020

Bell died at his home in the United States Virgin Islands on September 9, 2020, at age 68.

No cause was given but the death was described as sudden.