Overview

• Michael Sumler’s 2014 Nissan 370Z veered into eastbound lanes near Buckner Road in Mableton, Georgia, around 11:35 p.m. on May 25 and collided head-on with a Kia Sorento.
• The Kia’s driver, 33-year-old Khary Weaver, escaped without injury while Sumler was pronounced dead at the scene by Cobb County responders.
• Sumler joined Kool & the Gang in 1985 as a stylist and choreographer before becoming the band’s hype man and backing vocalist, roles he maintained through their 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.
• Friends and peers—including Con Funk Shun’s Michael Cooper and founding bassist Robert ‘Kool’ Bell—hailed Sumler’s electrifying stage presence and mentorship of emerging artists.
• The Cobb County Police Department has opened a formal investigation into the collision and is urging witnesses to come forward as the music community continues to mourn.