Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, a long-time saxophonist and co-founder of the iconic funk band Kool & The Gang, passed away at the age of 70.
Thomas died quietly in his sleep in New Jersey, according to the band, who confirmed his death on Saturday. There was no mention of a cause of death.
Thomas’ involvement with Kool & The Gang dates back approximately 60 years, when seven Jersey City, New Jersey teenagers — brothers Ronald “Khalis” Bell and Robert “Kool” Bell, as well as their friends “Dee Tee,” Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith — formed the Jazziacs, a funk, soul, and R&B-influenced band that would later become known as Kool & The Gang.
From the band’s inception until their forthcoming 25th studio album, Perfect Union, Thomas has been on every Kool & The Gang record; Dee Tee’s alto saxophone can be heard on singles like “Ladies Night,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Too Hot,” and “Celebration,” among others. Thomas also sang backup vocals and lead vocals on occasion, such as on Light of Worlds’ “Rhyme Tyme People.”
The Bells praised Thomas as playing a vital role in the band’s hit “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight” in a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone.
