Sir Earl Toon

According to Quincy Jones, “Celebration” is the biggest celebratory song that has ever been written by a composer or songwriter in America, or for that matter, in any other country on the planet! “YAHOO! Celebrate Good Times Come On!!! We’re Gonna Celebrate Your Party With You! Celebration!!!”
These are some of the lyrics and melodies he wrote in this song over 30 years ago and still, they’re being sung, danced to, and embraced when celebrating events treasured. Truly, he is so grateful and thankful to all around the world and so is everyone in Kool & The Gang, with whom he shares this wonderful place in music history. “A special thanks to The Recording Academy Grammy Hall Of Fame Committee and all of my fans globally for supporting us over the years. May God Bless all of you forevermore is”, a direct quote from Sir Earl Toon.He recorded and performed with the multi-platinum Funk, Jazz, R&B, Dance, and Pop group, Kool & the Gang, which sold over 70 million albums and singles worldwide and has influenced the music of three generations. The group has earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. In 2014, Kool & the Gang received the Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award. Sir Earl Toon was there at the Lifetime Achievement Award presentation, proud as ever for all of his Gang Members. Two days later, he performed with the Gang in Las Vegas for Centric’s Soul Train Award Show, which was recorded and videotaped live at the Orleans Arena in the Orleans Hotel & Casino. Sir Earl co-wrote, co-produced,co-arranged, and performed the American treasure and classic song, “Celebration,” as well as the classic hits “Ladies Night,” “Too Hot,” and “Get Down On It,” to name just a few.After world tours with Kool & the Gang, Sir Earl independently produced, arranged, and wrote music for Atlantic, Arista, Polygram Records, and Warner Bros. Communications. When asked whether he is still a part of the band “Kool & the Gang,” Sir Earl always replies without a doubt, “Once a Gang Member, Always a Gang Member”. All of Sir Earl’s recordings that received radio airplay charted on Billboard’s Top Forty. The entertainment industry as a whole has presented Sir Earl with over 30 awards. These awards include platinum and gold albums, gold and platinum singles, Golden Reel Awards, and the UK’s silver record awards. BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) has presented to Sir Earl's “Certificates of Recognition” for his top hits like “Celebration” and “Ladies Night”. These special citations of achievement recognize his “great national popularity as measured by broadcast performances.” One of the best and most wonderful things that happened early in Sir Earl Toon’s songwriting career was the discovery of his unique musical talents by the late, great Otis Blackwell. Mr. Blackwell wrote many well-known hits for “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Elvis Presley, including “Return to Sender”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, and “All Shook Up.” Otis Blackwell, who sometimes used the pseudonym John Davenport, wrote many other number one hits such as “Fever” sung by Peggy Lee and Madonna, Jerry Lee Lewis's hit “Great Balls of Fire”, and “Handyman,” recorded by Pat Boone and a hit for James Taylor. As Otis Blackwell’s one and only protégé, Sir Earl sat by Otis’s side as he sculpted, shaped, and molded Sir Earl’s writing skills. Mr. Blackwell told Sir Earl that he was passing on to him the techniques, fundamentals, and nuances of what it takes to craft a song, no matter what the style or genre. In other words, Mr. Blackwell passed on to Sir Earl “grandma’s secret sauce of songwriting.” Mr. Blackwell, an admirer of Tex Ritter and Charley Pride, even taught Sir Earl to produce and write Country Western songs. In fact, one of the first songs they wrote together was acountry-pop tune. Sir Earl wrote over 70 songs with him. Neither BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, nor other publishing companies have acquired or own the rights to these songs. Sir Earl Toon is the sole owner of these songs, which span genres from Rock ‘n’ Roll to Country & Western and everything in between. When Jamie Bernstein, daughter of the celebrated composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein, wrote a musical tribute to her father, she requested that Sir Earl Toon be one of the lead singers as part of the more than 20-member choir. In front of 10,000 people at St. John The Divine Church in New York City, on New Year’s Eve, Sir Earl sang lead vocals in memory of this legendary icon. Sir Earl’s music has found its way onto the soundtracks of over 50 movies and TV shows, (See IMDb – the Internet movie database for a complete listing. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1264272/