Overview

• Michael Sumler, affectionately known as 'Chicago Mike,' died in a Cobb County, Georgia, car crash on May 25 at age 71.
• He began working with Kool & the Gang in 1985 after a Chicago club performance and served as their wardrobe valet, hype man and backing vocalist from 2000 to 2015.
• Kool & the Gang confirmed his passing in an X post on May 28 and highlighted the energy and dance moves that defined his stage presence.
• The Cobb County Police Department has launched an investigation into the Memorial Day weekend collision.
• Artists including Michael Cooper of Con Funk Shun have paid tribute online, celebrating Sumler’s decades-long impact on R&B and funk.