Kool & The Gang are a highly successful jazz/ R&B/soul/funk/disco group. They originally formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964. Kool & The Gang has been a part of five decades of music transcending different genres. They have sold over 70 million albums worldwide and earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, twenty-five Top 10 R&B Hits, nine Top 10 Pop Hits, and 31 Gold and Platinum Albums.

Kool & The Gang went through several musical phases during their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then funk and R&B, progressing to a smooth pop-funk ensemble, and in the post-millennium creating music with a modern, electro-pop sound.

"Jungle Boogie" was featured on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and on the movie soundtrack of "Undercover Brother" along with the song "Ladies Night". The band released the album Still Kool in 2007. "Hollywood Swinging" was sampled by DJ Kool in his song "Let Me Clear My Throat," and by rappers Mase on "Feel So Good" and Too Short on "Money In The Ghetto".

Kool & the Gang's "Summer Madness" from their 1974 album Light of Worlds has been sampled numerous times. It was used by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince for their 1991 single "Summertime". "Summer Madness" was also featured in the 1976 Picture of the Year, Rocky. A live version of the track recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London was released in 1976 on the Love & Understanding album (De-Lite DEP 2018). Live at PJ's track "N.T" has been sampled extensively by artists such as Boogie Down Productions, Brand Nubian, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, N.W.A and Kris Kross. The song was also sampled by Jermaine Dupri featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg on the song, "We Just Wanna Party with You" from the soundtrack to the film in 1997, Men in Black: The Album starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

In 2013, they released their first Christmas album, Kool for the Holidays. In 2015, they were inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and New Jersey Hall of Fame, proof of their legendary status.

The group's main members over the years included brothers Robert Bell (Muhammad Bayyan) on bass and Ronald Bell (Khalis Bayyan) on tenor saxophone, lead vocalist James "J.T." Taylor, George Brown on drums, Larry Gittens on trumpet, Dennis Thomas on alto saxophone, Claydes Charles Smith on guitar, and Rick West (Westfield) on keyboards.

Come see them live in their 50 Years of Celebrating Tour, which will be a great night of good music which includes, Ladies Night, Jungle Boogie, Celebration and more.

EVENT: 50 Years of Celebrating Tour

DATE: Sunday, May 15 , 2016

TIME: 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood; 201-227-1030; http://www.bergenpac.org

TICKET PRICE: $149, $109, $89, $69 MORE INFO: http://koolandthegang.com