Michael Sumler was best known for bringing his high energy to Kool & The Gang's live performances over the years.

Kool & The Gang's Michael Sumler died over the weekend in a car crash in Georgia’s Cobb County. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, he collided with another vehicle on Veterans Memorial Highway. He was 71 years old.

Sumler was best known with Kool & The Gang for bringing an infectiously high energy to live shows, according to Billboard. With the group, he was known by the nickname, "Chicago Mike."

The group reflected on Sumler's passing in a statement on Facebook, Wednesday. They wrote: "We’re deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our longtime wardrobe valet, Mike Sumler. Mike worked alongside Kool & the Gang from 2000-2015, making sure the guys looked their best on stage every night. He also hyped the crowd with his energy and dance moves at the top of the show. Most recently, Mike helped Kool with LeKool champagne events. Everyone here at Kool & the Gang has fond memories of Mike and will miss him. May he rest in peace."

Fans joined in with supportive messages in the comments. "So sorry for your loss. He sure did keep you guys looking sharp. Love your work. Forever such talent is hard to come by. Carry on," one user wrote. Another added: "Such a shock. Mike was such a sweet man. So kind. All my deepest condolences to the Kool family and Mike's loved ones."

Kool & The Gang's Michael Sumler

Mableton’s Mayor, Michael Owens, released a statement addressing Sumler's passing. “We are saddened by the death of musician Michael Sumler,” he wrote. “‘Chicago Mike’ contributed so much to the music and entertainment communities. 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.”

Additionally, Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group told Fox 5: “He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he’d been around most of all of his life. He was the bridge, you know, for inspiring artists and songwriters and producers and musicians to the legends.”

Kool & The Gang previously lost drummer George Brown to cancer in 2023. Before that, sax player Dennis Thomas died in 2021 at the age of 70.

Addison Rae invited Charli XCX to join her on stage during her show at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles last night. Charli appeared alongside Rae for two of their previous collaborations, performing “Von Dutch Remix,” from Charli’s 2024 project Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat, as well as Rae’s 2023 single “2 Die 4.”

For the closing number, Rae came back on stage for a surprise encore of “Nothing On (But the Radio),” a song that usually isn’t part of her set list. The performance began with Rae appearing on the big screens backstage while removing her clothes, and as the lights went down, she reemerged to deliver the fan-favorite track. Many saw the moment as a nod to Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball, where Gaga ends each show with “How Bad Do U Want Me.” Gaga originally recorded “Nothing On” as a demo in 2010.

“2 Die 4” was featured on Rae’s EP AR and marked the pair’s first collaboration. They went on to work together again for “Von Dutch” with A. G. Cook, as well as on Cook’s “Lucifer.” Earlier this year, Charli expressed her admiration for Rae in an interview with Rolling Stone, saying, “It’s been fun to watch her evolve. Everything she does relates back to her art — every item of clothing she wears, everything she says in a red-carpet interview, everything she tweets — it all is a part of the world-building.”

Rae released her latest album, Addison, in June and has spent the late summer and fall performing across multiple cities. Her next shows are set for Australia in November, followed by appearances at music festivals in South America next year, including Lollapalooza Chile and Lollapalooza Brazil. She will also perform at Coachella in April and Primavera Sound in Barcelona in June.

Charli XCX has been dividing her time between music and acting, as her film career continues to grow. She joined Lorde on stage at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles last year to perform their version of “Girl, So Confusing.” The two also performed the remix during Charli’s Sweat Tour with Troye Sivan in 2024, and again at Coachella earlier this year.

It was revealed earlier this week that Dakota Johnson is considering Charli XCX for a role in her directorial debut, A Tree Is Blue. Charli’s upcoming acting projects include Cathy Yan’s The Gallerist, Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, Julia Jackson’s 100 Nights of Hero, and The Moment, a film directed by Aidan Zamiri based on her original story.

“I am really enjoying my acting journey,” Charli told Variety earlier this year. “I feel very, very inspired at the moment in that field, I feel unbelievably creative, and I only ever want to do things that inspire me and make me feel energized.”

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