What happened to Michael Sumler? Tributes pour in as Kool & The Gang member dies in crash

Michael Sumler, aka Chicago Mike, is no more. The longtime member of Kool & the Gang died in a car crash in Cobb County, Georgia, on Sunday, May 25, 2025, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. After Mike's unexpected passing, Mableton Mayor, Michael Owens, released a statement via Facebook that said,

"This Memorial Day weekend the world lost a music legend. Michael Sumler, known as ‘Chicago Mike’ of Kool and the Gang died in a crash Sunday night on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road. He was 71."

Mayor Owens added,

"The City of Mableton, City Council and I join his friends, family and fans in mourning his loss."

According to Cobb County Courier, Sgt. Eric Smith of Cobb County Police Department is investigating the car crash that claimed Michael Sumler's life. Per the official release from the authorities, the Kool & the Gang member was driving a black 2014 Nissan 370Z. Per the local news outlet, Sumler's vehicle was westbound coming from Chicago.

The other car involved in the crash was a black 2025 Kia Sorento, which was being driven by a 33-year-old driver, per Cobb County PD's initial investigations. It reportedly was eastbound from Mableton. A collision between the Kia and Nissan vehicles happened on Veterans Memorial Highway, west of Buckner Road, around 11:35 PM on Sunday.

Per Cobb County Courier, the local authorities revealed after preliminary investigations that

"The Nissan entered the eastbound lanes and into the path of the Kia."

The collision was head-on, fatally injuring Michael Sumler, while the other driver was not injured. Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office pronounced Sumler dead after the car crash.

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Tributes pour in after the death of Michael Sumler, aka Chicago Mike

Many reacted and sent their condolence messages after the untimely death of the Kool & the Gang member on Sunday night. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group said,

"It was a devastating blow. It's like, no, no, not Mike."

Meeks also said,

"He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he'd been around most of all of his life. He was the bridge, you know, for inspiring artists and songwriters and producers and musicians to the legends."

Meeks further described Chicago Mike as someone who was,

"always jovial, always just kind, always wanting to make sure everybody else around him was good," and said, "he’ll be dearly missed."

Greg Williams of Switch Entertainment said, per Fox 5 Atlanta:

"He was the hype guy out of the group, getting the audience going."

He further called Michael Sumler,

"One of these people God put on a planet to teach people how to act because he was kind, he was thoughtful, he was intelligent, he was articulate and he was the life of the party."

Many on X also paid their tributes to Michael Sumler while reacting to the news of the Cobb County crash.

"Damn, that’s a real loss, bruv. Rest easy Michael. legend forever," a user wrote.

"Nah this gunna be a hard one to shake off," another user said.

"Rest in power king 🙏🏽🕊️," an X user added.

"damn this one hits different RIP to the legend," another user posted.

For those unaware, Michael was a part of Kool & The Gang since the mid-'80s. During an appearance on Kelly Talk Show (based in Georgia), Sumler recalled having a Chicago-based band before he was noticed by:

"one of the Kool and the Gang security guys."

After meeting the R&B band in Minneapolis, with the help of a security guard, Chicago Mike became a stylist-choreographer and later transitioned into an opener/hypeman before becoming an official member, per People.