Robert “Kool” Bell Talks Legacy, Le Kool Champagne, and Why the Party Never Stops
By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 5/20/26 – As BottleRock Napa Valley prepares to uncork another unforgettable weekend of music, food, wine, and culture, one legendary band is ready to remind audiences exactly why their songs have become the soundtrack to celebrations around the world: Kool & The Gang.
Ahead of the festival, The Hollywood Times and Aspiring Magazine caught up with founding member Robert ‘Kool’ Bell for an upbeat conversation about music, longevity, Napa Valley vibes, and his expanding beverage empire that includes Le Kool Champagne and Kool King Coconut Water. See the interview at the end of this article.
For Bell, performing at BottleRock feels like the perfect pairing.
“My agent’s been trying to get BottleRock for a while,” Bell shared with a laugh. “I have Le Kool Champagne, I have Kool King Coconut Water… so it’s time to lock in the bottle. I’m on my way to BottleRock.”
The connection makes perfect sense. BottleRock has become known not only for its star-studded music lineup, but also for blending world-class culinary experiences and wine culture with live entertainment, a natural fit for Bell’s celebratory brand and timeless catalog of hits.
From “Celebration” and “Ladies’ Night” to “Get Down On It” and “Jungle Boogie,” Kool & The Gang’s music continues to transcend generations. Their songs have been sampled, streamed, danced to, and rediscovered by younger audiences through film, television, and hip-hop culture for decades.
Bell reflected on the band’s humble beginnings in Jersey City, where he started performing at just 14 years old alongside his brother and neighborhood friends.
“We had different name changes,” he recalled. “The Jazziacs, The Soul Town Band, Kool and the Flames… and then finally Kool & The Gang in 1969. We were young, having fun, and learning the record business.”
That evolution led to one of the most successful and enduring groups in music history. Bell noted how the band’s music has influenced artists across generations, pointing specifically to Will Smith sampling “Summer Madness” for “Summertime.”
“He went double platinum and became a movie star,” Bell said proudly.
Now more than five decades after the band’s first album release on July 3, 1969, Kool & The Gang are still packing venues worldwide. Bell also revealed the group will participate in America’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations in Washington, D.C., alongside fellow legendary band Chicago.
Yet behind the iconic grooves and sold-out tours is also a story of resilience and remembrance.
“Back in the day, we called ourselves the Magnificent Seven,” Bell said emotionally. “I lost all six of my members. I’m the last one standing.”
Even so, the mission remains unchanged: keep audiences dancing.
“Any way we do it, we’re here to rock BottleRock,” he said.
Beyond the music, Bell has successfully expanded into the luxury beverage world with Le Kool Champagne, a venture that began during a sold-out European tour more than a decade ago. After being approached about participating in a celebrity champagne promotion, Bell decided instead to create his own authentic brand.
“I said, ‘I’d like to get on the shelf,’” Bell explained. “We created Le Kool Champagne with vineyards in Northern France. It’s got that little French vibe to it.”
The champagne brand has since become an extension of Bell’s personality and philosophy, sophisticated, celebratory, and undeniably cool.
But perhaps Bell’s proudest accomplishment today is the Kool Kids Foundation, which he co-founded with his late wife to help restore music education programs in schools.
“When we were growing up, there was music in schools,” Bell said. “You could take instruments home. That inspired us.”
The foundation’s mission, “It’s Kool to Stay in School,” has helped support young musicians and school band programs while encouraging creativity and education through music.
Bell even shared the remarkable story of discovering future R&B group Color Me Badd after hearing them sing a cappella backstage during one of the foundation’s early outreach events.
Today, Bell’s son Muhammad Hakim and foundation executive Mark Colbert continue helping run the organization as it enters its eighth year.
After a difficult pandemic-era pause that sidelined live performances for nearly two years, Bell says returning to the stage reminded him exactly why he continues.
“My fans,” he said simply. “The people. They were so happy to see us, and we were so happy to see them again.”
And if there is one message Bell wants audiences to carry with them into BottleRock weekend, it’s this:
“Celebrate good times, come on!” he laughed. “Have a good time!”
With legendary hits, Le Kool Champagne flowing, and Napa Valley ready to dance, Kool & The Gang may very well deliver one of BottleRock’s most joyful and nostalgic sets of the weekend.
For Valerie Milano and The Hollywood Times, the countdown to Napa has officially begun.
