Michael Sumler, who spent years working with the venerable soul-funk group Kool & the Gang as both an onstage hype man and a behind-the-scenes stylist, died Sunday in a car crash in Georgia. He was 71 ...

Michael Sumler, in a red jersey, performs with Kool & the Gang in Atlantic City, N.J., in 2005. (Donald Kravitz / Getty Images) Michael Sumler, who spent years working with the venerable soul-funk ...