"Dr. Charles Eugster grew less and less active as he aged. The athletic glories of his youth gave way to sedentary married life. Summer days rowing and boxing slowly transitioned into couched evenings in front of the telly. For 40 years, Eugster put his athletic pursuits on the back burner as his children and dental practice grew."
"But idleness did not sit well with the British sprinting champion, so he began resharpening his athletic edge in his mid-60s. Eugster started skiing and pulling oars again, beginning a remarkable run in sports. For two decades, he went on to dominate senior rowing, winning 36 masters gold medals." READ MORE
"The group has lost two founding members — Ronald Bell and Dennis Thomas — in 15 months. But Robert "Kool" Bell, who co-founded the band more than 55 years ago, remains eternally optimistic."
Robert “Kool” Bell
Kool & the Gang, one of the world’s greatest living groove-based bands, have been playing more than 100 shows a year for longer than Robert “Kool” Bell cares to remember. He was already adjusting to the unfamiliar sensation of a long stint at home in 2020 when tragedy struck — his brother and longtime bandmate Ronald Bell, known as Khalis Bayyan, died that September. Less than a year later, the group lost another co-founder in saxophone player Dennis Thomas.
“It’s not been easy,” Bell says. “We’re trying to keep moving forward. But my brother and Dennis are key members over the years.”
“Of course, in the last 20 years, we lost other key members,” Bell continues, ticking off names: Charles Smith, longtime guitarist, who died in 2006, Robert “Spike” Mickens, a trumpeter who left the band in 1984 and died in 2010, Larry Gittens, another trumpet player (2013), and Clifford Adams, a trombonist (2015). It’s the cruel reality facing a band that started back in 1964.
As original players fall away, the group keeps incorporating fresh faces. “Some of the new members have been with me now for 25 years,” Bell says, brightening. “New members can be old members too. You got to keep movin.’ Keep it movin’, and keep it groovin.'”
Kool & the Gang in the 1970s. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
"It’s this period for which Kool & the Gang are most remembered. Sometimes even the hit parade from this era seems reduced to just two songs, “Celebration” and “Get Down on It,” which are the group’s most-streamed singles by a long shot."
My friend, Tray Dahl invited me to see her band last night. It wasn't a young crowd, but I was probably the only one with a cane. It was great fun. Check her out.
