Ronald Nathan Bell (November 1, 1951 – September 9, 2020), also known as Khalis Bayyan, was an American composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, saxophonist and co-founding member of Kool & the Gang. The band recorded nine No. 1 R&B singles in the 1970s and 1980s, including its No. 1 pop single "Celebration". The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Bell was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Aminah Bayyan (1932–2014) and Robert "Bobby" Bell (1929–1985). His father was a professional boxer and Golden Gloves amateur boxing winner. Training in Elwood, New York, he hung out with jazz players and became friends with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, who lived in the same apartment building as the elder Bell.

Ronald Bell and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, were introduced to jazz at around five or six. The family moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1960. In 1964, the brothers joined neighborhood friends Spike Mickens, Dennis Thomas, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith to create a distinctive musical blend of jazz, soul, and funk. At first calling themselves "The Jazziacs", the band went through various name changes—the New Dimensions, the Soul Town Band, and Kool & the Flames—before settling on Kool & the Gang in 1968.

Ronald Bell composed, arranged, produced and performed some of the most popular music in Kool and the Gang's body of work. He was a self-taught musician, and his distinctive sound is on the group's horn lines, bass, synthesizer and vocals. He wrote and produced many of the Kool & the Gang's songs, including "Celebration", "Cherish", "Jungle Boogie", "Summer Madness", and "Open Sesame". He said his favorite song was "Celebration", which he wrote after reading a passage in the Quran.

Bell converted to Islam in 1972, initially joining The Nation of Islam. He was given the name Khalis Bayyan by Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. He was married to Tia Sinclair Bell and had 10 children. His son, Rachid, released his debut album in 1998, and achieved a top 40 hit on the Dance Club Songs chart with his debut single, "Pride".

Bell died at his home in the United States Virgin Islands on September 9, 2020, at age 68. No cause was given but the death was described as sudden.

Source: Article "Ronald Bell (musician)" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Ronald Nathan Bell, dit Khalis Bayyan, né le 1er novembre 1951 à Youngstown (Ohio) et mort le 9 septembre 2020 dans les Îles Vierges des États-Unis, est un chanteur et producteur américain.

Il a cofondé le groupe Kool & the Gang.

Ronald Nathan Bell est né à Youngstown dans l'Ohio en 1951, d'Aminah Bayyan (1932-2014) et de Robert "Bobby" Bell (1929-1985). Son père, boxeur, voyageait beaucoup dans le sud des Etats-Unis, souvent aux mêmes dates que Miles Davis avec qui il devint ami. C'est en écoutant les disques du trompettiste et de Thelonious Monk, un autre ami de son père, que Ronald Bell apprit le saxophone en autodidacte. Son jeu fut aussi influencé par les disques d'Art Blakey, de Wayne Shorter, de Cannonball Adderley ou encore de John Coltrane.

Dans les années 60, Ronald Bell et son frère Robert décident de former un groupe de musique avec cinq copains. Leur musique alterne entre jazz, soul, et funk. Après avoir essayé plusieurs noms, dont The Jazziacs ou The New Dimensions, le septet se renomme Kool and the Gang en 1969. Il devient ensuite un groupe phare des années 70 et 80, notamment grâce à des morceaux comme Celebration, Cherish, ou Open Sesame, tous écrits et produits par Ronald Bell.

Renommé mondialement, Kool and the Gang obtint de nombreuses récompenses et notamment une étoile sur le Walk Of Fame d'Hollywood. Parallèlement à son groupe, Ronald Bell découvrit de nombreux artistes dont The Fugees, lorsque le groupe se nommait encore The Rap Translators. Il avait également créé un groupe de jazz-funk nommé Kool Baby Brotha Band pour lequel il était en train de composer un nouvel album. Robert Bell est mort à l'âge de 68 ans, chez lui, dans sa maison des îles Vierges.

Il a fréquenté Miles Davis et Thélenious Monk.

Source: Article "Ronald Bell" de Wikipédia en français, soumis à la licence CC-BY-SA 3.0.