Overview

• On May 25, Sumler’s 2014 Nissan 370Z crossed into eastbound lanes on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road in Mableton and collided with a 2025 Kia Sorento.
• Sumler was pronounced dead at the scene and the Kia driver was uninjured, according to Cobb County police.
• He joined Kool & the Gang in 1985 as a stylist and choreographer before serving as the band’s hypeman and backing vocalist for decades.
• Kool & the Gang released a statement mourning their longtime wardrobe valet and stage energizer, noting his work with the group from 2004 to 2015.
• Friends, bandmates and Mableton Mayor Michael Owens praised Sumler’s uplifting spirit, kindness and mentorship within the music community.