Kool & the Gang Co-founder Dennis Thomas Dead at Age 70

Dennis Thomas performs with the band "Kool and the Gang" in concert in Bethlehem, Pa., on Aug. 3, 2008. Joe Gill/The Express-Times via AP

NEW YORK—Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, a founding member of the long-running soul-funk band Kool & the Gang, has died. He was 70.

He died peacefully in his sleep Saturday in New Jersey, where he was a resident of Montclair, according to a statement from his representative.