Too Hot : Kool & the Gang & Me

Growing up around music, young George was inspired to piece together a makeshift drum set and teach himself to play as he practiced in the dark, dank basement of his run-down New Jersey row house.

He soon joined forces with his friends to form a group called the Jazziacs which then evolved into Kool & The Gang, a band that began playing clubs and charting hits while its members were still teenagers. By evolving their sound as musical tastes changed, the band was able to stay on the charts for decades, scoring twelve top-ten hits in funk, R&B, pop, and rock, and selling over seventy million albums while navigating the highs and lows of their career.

In Too Hot, drummer, keyboardist, and primary songwriter George Brown describes life in and out of the band, including a raucous life on the road as the band’s popularity grew. He weathered the ups and downs of his musical career and navigated many challenges including prescription drug addiction, depression, and health issues.

George shares how his recent cancer scare, and subsequent treatment, compelled him to share his story, warts and all, to give readers a glimpse into a band whose reputation was considered relatively tame, but in reality, it was exactly the opposite.

George hopes to help others realize their own professional and personal dreams—life is a symphony, and we must all be our own conductor.
 

In addition to being a founding member of Kool & the Gang, George Brown was one of the primary songwriters of the group, producing hits like “Ladies’ Night,” “Get Down on It,” “Joanna,” “Cherish,” “Emergency,” “Celebration,” and of course “Too Hot.” The group has won two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Kool & The Gang has been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, received the Soul Train Legend Award, and been granted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. George Brown was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and continues to tour around the world with the band. In addition, he has his own recording and production company, Astana Music, and has contributed to music and TV projects along with producing new artists. He lives in Los Angeles, California. Dave Smitherman is a seasoned writer, collaborator, and editor with a focus on nonfiction projects to include celebrity biographies, business topics, and social justice issues.