Ronald Bell (November 1, 1951 – September 9, 2020) – Heaven At Once (1973)

The sadly departed co-founder of Kool & the Gang co-wrote this powerful call for peace and unity from their Wild and Peaceful LP.

View most updated version of this post on Substack.

The musical genius Ronald Bell aka Khalis Bayyan was a saxophonist, keyboardist, singer/songwriter, arranger, producer, and is best known as one of the founding members of Kool & the Gang.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Bell and his older brother Robert “Kool” Bell moved with their family to Jersey City, New Jersey in 1960, when the brothers were 9 and 10 years old. There, they and some high school friends formed a jazz group called the Jazziacs, which would later become Kool & the Gang. See our earlier post on drummer George Brown for more on the group’s history.

Bell co-wrote many of Kool & the Gang’s greatest songs like the powerful call for peace and unity “Heaven At Once” (1973), off their breakthrough fourth studio album Wild and Peaceful. Propelled by its three massive hits “Funky Stuff,” “Jungle Boogie,” and the #1 R&B jam “Hollywood Swinging,” the LP reached #6 on the R&B album charts and #33 on the Billboard 200.

For their seventh studio album Love & Understanding, released in March, 1976, Bell co-wrote the epic title track, a plea for global unity, along with lead guitarist Claydes “Charles” Smith and the rest of the group. On most of their songs, all members received a co-songwriting credit. Released as a shorter, edited single, it peaked at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 later that spring.

Also from the same album was the superb, upbeat cut “Cosmic Energy” which was again co-written by Bell, Smith, and the rest of the group. “It’s the joint, y’all!”

Rest in Power, Khalis Bayyan.

Further info:

“Ronald “Khalis” Bell, Main Songwriter and Co-Founder of Kool & The Gang, Tells How He Co-Wrote “Celebration,” “Cherish” And Their Other Hit Songs,” interview by Dale Kawashima, Songwriter Universe, June 13, 2016.

“Ronald Bell: Kool & The Gang founder dies aged 68,” by Mark Savage, BBC, September 10, 2020.

“Ronald Bell, Co-Founder, Songwriter And Producer Of Kool & The Gang, Dead At 68,” by Andrew Flanagan, NPR, September 10, 2020.

#soul #funk #jazz #KoolAndTheGang #RonaldBell