COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Michael Sumler, a longtime member of the legendary funk and R&B group Kool & the Gang, died in a car crash over the weekend in Georgia's Cobb County. He was 71.

What we know:

Known to many in the music industry as "Chicago Mike," Sumler was behind the wheel when his car collided with another vehicle just before midnight Saturday on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road.

He died at the scene.

What they're saying:

Friends and colleagues in the music world say the loss is devastating.

"It was a devastating blow," said Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group. "It's like, no, no, not Mike."

Sumler spent more than three decades with Kool & the Gang, where he was known for energizing crowds and connecting with fans.

"He was the hype guy out of the group, getting

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