Claydes Charles Smith (September 6, 1948 -- June 20, 2006) was a Jersey City-born guitarist and founding member of Kool & the Gang, the funk, soul, and R&B group that grew from Jersey City's Lincoln High School scene in 1964.
In the Record§
As the band's lead guitarist for more than four decades, he contributed to the distinctive riff-driven, horn-section sound that made Kool & the Gang one of the most sampled and commercially successful groups in American popular music.
Sources§
- Wikipedia — Claydes Charles Smith — link
- Archive research: The Jersey City Sound, 2026
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