April 23, 2026 • 7 mins
Jeff and Kool and the Gang's Robert Kool Bell
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Robert cool Bell, How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Sir, I'm doing wonderful. How are you, Jeff the Rock and.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Roll Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
I mean, look at that, look at the shiny plaques
behind you, my friend. What an amazing, amazing career you've had.
It's so nice to meet you.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Well, thank you very much, and I thank all my
fans you know, for support and Cool the Gang for
so many years.
Speaker 5 (00:20):
Yet you know how the story started with the Jazzy Acts.
It was the sole town band. It was Cool in
the Flames, and.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Then we changed it to Cool in the Gang Espirst
where Kick came out third nineteen sixty nine.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
And now we plan for the two.
Speaker 6 (00:35):
Hundred and fifty years celebration in the United States of
America July third in Washington, which also fifty seventh celebration
on the Loop.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Started fifty seventh celebration. And you are still out there
doing it, man.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Still out there kicking.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So many great songs you you literally your band, You
and your band are the soundtrack for so many people's lives.
And of course, you know, celebration, the iconic celebration song,
but you guys have so many great songs before and
after that, and Uh, how do you guys put a
set list together when when you've got like fifty hits?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well, we got a good music director. Yeah yeah, my
brother pass I lost six of the members.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Uh my brother used to do a lot of than
George Brown and a lot of the other guys turned them.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Putting together the songs we have so many we try
to figure out we got songs. I heard that was
a long time people don't Yeah yeah, came out to me.
Is it aren't you gonna play country? Junkie said country you.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yes, you.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Do.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
And it's funny because you know you you you go
to celebration and then but it's like misled and uh
ooh la la la, let's go dancing.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
And then of course you got you know another one
kind of off the beaten path that I always loved
with stone Love from nineteen eighty seven.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
That was such a good one.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And then get down on it and tonight and just
on and on. Cherish of course is such a beautiful,
beautiful song that that how many how many weddings do
you think Cherishes played at?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Shoot? You know the Cherish they love and then they celebrate.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Your Yes, yeah, I was gonna say you could have,
you know, celebration when everybody's walking in and then you
have everybody slow dance to cherish.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I mean, you guys got it all covered. Uh. Talking
to Robert cool Bell here, it's so nice. Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
And I'm so glad you guys officially got in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
That had to feel like a nice exclamation point on
your career.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Oh, definitely. I mean we had been playing.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
We played with Downe Street, Elton John, a lot of
the rock and Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I was born in Ouxide, Ohio, and walk to Cleveland.
I said, isn't it called a rock and holes? Yes? Uh,
and all these rock groups were playing with said, well,
y'all gonna give us some love. Yeah, two years ago
we enjoyed it. You know.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah, that was long overdue. There's no question that that
should have happened a long time ago. But I'm glad
you're in there.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Uh. And And while while we've.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Got you here, I know you do so much great
stuff for the community too, and with your foundation, the
Cool Kids Foundation, Can you tell me a little bit
about that.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
The Cool Kids Foundation. I lost my wife almost nine
years ago. Yeah, And Uh. She came to me, I'll
come to not music in the schools anymore. I said, well,
I was coming up with music in the schools. Yeah,
grab was cool.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Uh, my music teacher. I took hold of the violin,
the mellophone. Imagine me trying to play a mellophone.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Mellophone that's like a French horn. I said, man, I'm
glad I didn't play that. Ye're right, I had the
basic uitar.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
But what happened was I came up with this name
called It's Cool to Stay in School. And we did
the tour with Cherry Cole. We went to about thirty
eight to forty cities. We get to Oklahoma City and
these four young guys come up to me and said, listen,
we're doing good in school or grades are good.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
We actually sing a song for you. So they did
an a cappella song of some of the stuff to
be here, and I said, wow, this is great. At
that time, my both.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Cousin Adele and my cousin Well back in Jersey.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
We sent them to Jersey and they started putting things together.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
That group became color.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Me Bad, Wow, nice nice. Oh man. They had some
great sounds. The in the nineties for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Oh yeah, we didn't really have a name for him.
We just said calling me back. They were yeah, look
get me name, color colored me back. It was a
mixed group.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Yeah, wow, I never I have never heard that story
before either.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
They had some great songs. They had had some like
you guys, some ballads, also some fun dance songs, a little.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Bit of both, right exactly.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
So that's uh, that's the origins of the Cool Kids Foundation.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yes, this is eight coming up, but we're doing doing
it on July fourth, so we're looking.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Forward to it. Yeah, if you did.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
July third, we're playing in Washington, DC for the twenty
fifty years celebration.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
How how cool is that?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
The fourth of the Big One g Rocks. I think
he's doing something there. We played with Kid, We did
ten Kid Nice.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Nice, What a great what a great band to represent
America on the two hundred and fiftieth celebration of our country.
That's pretty awesome. Cool and the Gang is going to
be doing it. So you guys are gonna have a
very problem. Oh you in Chicago, So that's so. So
the July third and fourth, are you guys are going
to be really busy. Oh yeah, yeah, tell me about
what's what's to the left of you there?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
That champagne? Yeah, put me quick.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Years ago the promol come to us. I said, listen,
I'm doing something with the late Berry white. And one
of the begis I said, would you like to have
Champagne on the tour?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
We have a twenty shoulder I said no.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
I said, they're gonna want T shirts capped all the
ground from pittens.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
I said, I want to get on the shelves. He
said you you want to get on the shelves.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
I said, yeah, like Donald Petty young b all the
champagnees coming out.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Of Yeah, I came with let who Champagne?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Nice?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I got the Murphy movie. Yeah, and we're doing quite
well right now.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Excellent look at that and they looked at the great
packaging there. It looks fantastic. So, man, you're not slowing
down at all, are you?
Speaker 2 (06:48):
No, not at all. You gotta stay in ship, you know.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yeah, I got let's get it fixed in twenty twenty six,
and let's stay in shape in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Excellent helped we got to well, let me just say,
Robert Cool Bell of Cool in the Gang Thank you
so much for the music for over fifty years, and
we'll look forward to all your great celebrations and seeing
you out there live here in twenty twenty six. And
thank you for celebrating America with us for our two
hundred and fiftieth birthday party too.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
We're going to have a plot excellent. Nice to beat you.
Thanks man, all right J
Robert cool Bell, How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Sir, I'm doing wonderful. How are you, Jeff the Rock and.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Roll Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
I mean, look at that, look at the shiny plaques
behind you, my friend. What an amazing, amazing career you've had.
It's so nice to meet you.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Well, thank you very much, and I thank all my
fans you know, for support and Cool the Gang for
so many years.
Speaker 5 (00:20):
Yet you know how the story started with the Jazzy Acts.
It was the sole town band. It was Cool in
the Flames, and.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Then we changed it to Cool in the Gang Espirst
where Kick came out third nineteen sixty nine.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
And now we plan for the two.
Speaker 6 (00:35):
Hundred and fifty years celebration in the United States of
America July third in Washington, which also fifty seventh celebration
on the Loop.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Started fifty seventh celebration. And you are still out there
doing it, man.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Still out there kicking.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So many great songs you you literally your band, You
and your band are the soundtrack for so many people's lives.
And of course, you know, celebration, the iconic celebration song,
but you guys have so many great songs before and
after that, and Uh, how do you guys put a
set list together when when you've got like fifty hits?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well, we got a good music director. Yeah yeah, my
brother pass I lost six of the members.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Uh my brother used to do a lot of than
George Brown and a lot of the other guys turned them.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Putting together the songs we have so many we try
to figure out we got songs. I heard that was
a long time people don't Yeah yeah, came out to me.
Is it aren't you gonna play country? Junkie said country you.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yes, you.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Do.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
And it's funny because you know you you you go
to celebration and then but it's like misled and uh
ooh la la la, let's go dancing.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
And then of course you got you know another one
kind of off the beaten path that I always loved
with stone Love from nineteen eighty seven.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
That was such a good one.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And then get down on it and tonight and just
on and on. Cherish of course is such a beautiful,
beautiful song that that how many how many weddings do
you think Cherishes played at?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Shoot? You know the Cherish they love and then they celebrate.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Your Yes, yeah, I was gonna say you could have,
you know, celebration when everybody's walking in and then you
have everybody slow dance to cherish.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I mean, you guys got it all covered. Uh. Talking
to Robert cool Bell here, it's so nice. Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
And I'm so glad you guys officially got in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
That had to feel like a nice exclamation point on
your career.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Oh, definitely. I mean we had been playing.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
We played with Downe Street, Elton John, a lot of
the rock and Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I was born in Ouxide, Ohio, and walk to Cleveland.
I said, isn't it called a rock and holes? Yes? Uh,
and all these rock groups were playing with said, well,
y'all gonna give us some love. Yeah, two years ago
we enjoyed it. You know.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah, that was long overdue. There's no question that that
should have happened a long time ago. But I'm glad
you're in there.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Uh. And And while while we've.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Got you here, I know you do so much great
stuff for the community too, and with your foundation, the
Cool Kids Foundation, Can you tell me a little bit
about that.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
The Cool Kids Foundation. I lost my wife almost nine
years ago. Yeah, And Uh. She came to me, I'll
come to not music in the schools anymore. I said, well,
I was coming up with music in the schools. Yeah,
grab was cool.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Uh, my music teacher. I took hold of the violin,
the mellophone. Imagine me trying to play a mellophone.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Mellophone that's like a French horn. I said, man, I'm
glad I didn't play that. Ye're right, I had the
basic uitar.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
But what happened was I came up with this name
called It's Cool to Stay in School. And we did
the tour with Cherry Cole. We went to about thirty
eight to forty cities. We get to Oklahoma City and
these four young guys come up to me and said, listen,
we're doing good in school or grades are good.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
We actually sing a song for you. So they did
an a cappella song of some of the stuff to
be here, and I said, wow, this is great. At
that time, my both.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Cousin Adele and my cousin Well back in Jersey.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
We sent them to Jersey and they started putting things together.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
That group became color.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Me Bad, Wow, nice nice. Oh man. They had some
great sounds. The in the nineties for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Oh yeah, we didn't really have a name for him.
We just said calling me back. They were yeah, look
get me name, color colored me back. It was a
mixed group.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Yeah, wow, I never I have never heard that story
before either.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
They had some great songs. They had had some like
you guys, some ballads, also some fun dance songs, a little.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Bit of both, right exactly.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
So that's uh, that's the origins of the Cool Kids Foundation.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yes, this is eight coming up, but we're doing doing
it on July fourth, so we're looking.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Forward to it. Yeah, if you did.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
July third, we're playing in Washington, DC for the twenty
fifty years celebration.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
How how cool is that?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
The fourth of the Big One g Rocks. I think
he's doing something there. We played with Kid, We did
ten Kid Nice.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Nice, What a great what a great band to represent
America on the two hundred and fiftieth celebration of our country.
That's pretty awesome. Cool and the Gang is going to
be doing it. So you guys are gonna have a
very problem. Oh you in Chicago, So that's so. So
the July third and fourth, are you guys are going
to be really busy. Oh yeah, yeah, tell me about
what's what's to the left of you there?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
That champagne? Yeah, put me quick.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Years ago the promol come to us. I said, listen,
I'm doing something with the late Berry white. And one
of the begis I said, would you like to have
Champagne on the tour?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
We have a twenty shoulder I said no.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
I said, they're gonna want T shirts capped all the
ground from pittens.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
I said, I want to get on the shelves. He
said you you want to get on the shelves.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
I said, yeah, like Donald Petty young b all the
champagnees coming out.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Of Yeah, I came with let who Champagne?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Nice?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I got the Murphy movie. Yeah, and we're doing quite
well right now.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Excellent look at that and they looked at the great
packaging there. It looks fantastic. So, man, you're not slowing
down at all, are you?
Speaker 2 (06:48):
No, not at all. You gotta stay in ship, you know.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yeah, I got let's get it fixed in twenty twenty six,
and let's stay in shape in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Excellent helped we got to well, let me just say,
Robert Cool Bell of Cool in the Gang Thank you
so much for the music for over fifty years, and
we'll look forward to all your great celebrations and seeing
you out there live here in twenty twenty six. And
thank you for celebrating America with us for our two
hundred and fiftieth birthday party too.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
We're going to have a plot excellent. Nice to beat you.
Thanks man, all right J
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