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Michael Sumler better known as Kool & The Gang member Chicago Mike has passed away at 71 years old.
Kool & The Gang Member ‘Chicago Mike’ Dead at 71
Sumler was involved in a tragic car crash in Georgia over the Memorial Day Weekend.
Per a report from Fox 5, Sumler was driving when his car collided with another vehicle. Just before midnight Saturday on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road.
Following Sumler’s tragic passing, his peers and cohorts in the music, such as Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group spoke glowingly of the late Kool & The Gang member, calling his passing a “devastating blow.”
“It was a devastating blow,” Meeks said “It’s like, no, no, not Mike.”
The music executive also added that being a mentor to his juniors in the music industry was one of the things that made Sumler so special.
“He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he’d been around most of all of his life,” Meeks added. “He was the bridge, you know, for inspiring artists and songwriters and producers and musicians to the legends.”
Sumler was lovingly called “Chicago Mike” by many due to his Midwest roots. But in his latter years, he became one of Georgia’s adopted sons. Shortly before the fatal car crash, Sumler had just performed at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre in Mableton, Georgia.
Following his passing, Mableton Mayor Michael Owens thanked Chicago Mike for his contributions to the music industry.
“We are saddened by the death of musician Michael Sumler. ‘Chicago Mike’ contributed so much to the music and entertainment communities,” Owens said in a statement via Fox 5.
“His style and energy added flare and excitement to Kool and the Gang for decades. The city of Mableton, council members, and I join his family, friends, and fans in mourning his loss.”
May Michael “Chicago Mike” Sumler rest in peace.
