As a member of the R&B and funk group Kool & the Gang, Michael Sumler’s music made him famous.
But it was his compassion for others that will be his legacy, according to close friend Adrian Meeks.
Sumler, known as “Chicago Mike,” was killed late Sunday in a Cobb County crash, according to investigators. He was 71.
“Mike was just a great guy. Not just to the music industry, but personally,” Meeks, president of Song Source Music Group, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. “He was a very great guy. Consistent in that his spirit was always for uplifting others. He was always kind and always concerned for others.”
Though small in stature, Sumler’s presence was a large one, Meeks said.
“He looked good for 71,” Meeks said. “Mike was a small guy, but he was big in the room. And it didn’t matter who was in the room. When Mike walked in, his presence just radiated something special.”
Credit: Ariana Cubillos/AP
Credit: Ariana Cubillos/AP
According to Cobb investigators, Sumler was driving a 2014 Nissan 370Z westbound on Veterans Memorial Highway, west of Buckner Road, in Mableton at 11:35 p.m. Sunday.
At the same time, a 2025 Kia Sorento driven by a Mableton man was traveling eastbound, police said. Investigators believe Sumler’s Nissan entered the eastbound lanes and drove into the path of the Kia.
Sumler died at the scene. The driver of the Kia was not injured, according to police. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Cobb police at 770-499-3987.
Mableton Mayor Michael Owens released a statement, mourning the loss of Sumler.
“We are saddened by the death of musician Michael Sumler. ‘Chicago Mike’ contributed so much to the music and entertainment communities,” Owens said. “His style and energy added flare and excitement to Kool & the Gang for decades. The city of Mableton, council members and I join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss.”
A Chicago native, Sumler sometimes made his home in the Atlanta area, address records show. It was the music industry that made Atlanta appealing to him, Meeks said.
Kool & the Gang formed in 1969 and rose to popularity through songs such as “Celebration,” “Jungle Boogie” and “Cherish.” Sumler joined the group in 1985, according to Newsweek. A stylist and choreographer, he soon took on a bigger role in the band, singing backup vocals.
In 2024, Kool & the Gang was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. On June 13, the band is scheduled to begin its next tour in Germany, according to the group’s website. An Atlanta stop is not listed on the schedule.
A spokesperson for the band’s management group, Pyramid Entertainment Group in New York, told the AJC he had no information to share about future plans for Kool & the Gang.
“I’m absolutely sure that the group will carry on and do what they do,” Meeks said. “We definitely will miss him. But his personal legacy outside of Kool & the Gang will live on forever.”
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