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

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