In its statement, Kool & The Gang described Michael Sumler (far left) as 'our longtime wardrobe valet' and said he worked with the band from 2000 to 2015. Photos: Facebook
Michael Sumler, who spent years working with the venerable soul-funk group Kool & The Gang as both an onstage hype man and a behind-the-scenes stylist, died Sunday in a car crash in Georgia. He was 71.
His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the band. 11Alive, a TV station in Atlanta, reported that Sumler was killed after his car collided with another vehicle as he was travelling on Veterans Memorial Highway in Georgia's Cobb County. Sumler, who was known as Chicago Mike, had performed Sunday evening in Mableton, Georgia, with the group Con Funk Shun, whose Michael Cooper paid tribute to Sumler on social media.
