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A Kool memory: Bell recalls Ali’s ’72 visit to Valley
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
Robert “Kool” Bell, leader of R&B-funk band Kool and the Gang and a Youngstown native, remembers when Muhammad Ali came to his hometown in October 1972 for a fundraiser for his father.
Bell is the son of the late Bobby Bell, who was a top-ranked boxer before he was stricken with multiple sclerosis and had to use a wheelchair. Bobby Bell was 43 at the time of Ali’s visit, and the fundraiser also was designed to honor him and show they had not forgotten his contributions to boxing.
“Muhammad Ali was a great person,” Bell said in a phone interview from Honolulu, where his band performed Tuesday night.
“We knew him, and I had been up to his training camp in Pennsylvania before,” he continued. “But it was great for him to come out to Youngstown. We were very thankful. It was a great feeling to know that Ali paid his respect.”
The champ was joined by other boxing greats from across the country at the Youngstown event, including former featherweight champion Sandy Saddler, Fritzie Zivic and Willie Pep.
But Ali got most of the attention, according to Vindicator files. He began the day with a morning autograph session at McGuffey Mall on the East Side.
The fundraiser was put together by then-Sen. Harry Meshel, with Burl Charity and Hyland Burton.
Bell said the event was highlighted by a dinner, which Ali attended. His band also played at Stambaugh Auditorium as part of the fundraiser.
“[Ali] joked around [during his visit],” recalled Bell. “And he was also very supportive of our band.”
Kool and the Gang would later return the favor by playing at a fundraiser for Ali’s foundation in Phoenix about 10 years ago, Bell said.
Bobby Bell was born in Youngstown in 1929, and participated in the city’s Golden Gloves tournament. He turned pro in 1948. After serving in the Army in Korea, he resumed his career in 1953, eventually becoming the world’s seventh-ranked featherweight.
Robert “Kool” Bell, 65, was born in Youngstown but grew up in Jersey City, N.J. He formed a band with his brother, Ronald, in the early 1960s, and played clubs in the New York City area, settling on the name Kool and the Gang in 1968.
Among their famous hits are “Get Down on It,” “Celebrate,” “Jungle Boogie” and “Ladies Night.”