NEW YORK - Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, one of the musicians who founded the popular soul-funk band Kool & the Gang has died at the age of 70.

The band announced, via its Facebook page, that Thomas passed away in his sleep in New Jersey on Saturday.

Thomas was the band's sax player, flutist, percussionist and master of ceremonies at shows.

Kool & the Gang is known for a number of hits, some of its most popular are 'Celebration' and 'Get Down On It.'

Thomas helped found the group in 1964 along with Robert "Kool" Bell, his late brother Ronald, and four other schoolfriends: Robert Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown and Ricky Westfield.

The band was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015 and three years later, in 2018, inducted into the Songwriters' Hall Of Fame.