(1979 - 1980)
When Kool & The Gang entered the second transistion everything changed and they added several pianists to play all the sythesizers they were about to incorporate into their tracks and vocalists to peform the songs on stage. Earl was a brilliant vocalist but never sung lead on either of the albums
on which he appeared yet he was immensly popular and seems to have a career outside the band.
He departed after Celebrate. The desperate nickname has been changed to this new more imaginative - but still quite desperate - one. The thinking behind it runs thus.
James Taylor has always been J.T. since he joined however I have decided that E.T. for Earl Toon doesn't work but together they could be called - but aren't to my knowledge- T n' T.So thus you have 1T or I.T. (I being the roman numeral for one) and 2T or J.T. as in 1,2 = I,J. I know it's still dodgy, but I think it's better then the last one.
Earley means "eagle wood" (Earl appeared before),
Eugene means "Aristocrat" and
Toon (nickname for Anton) means "priceless" (actually the meaning is unknown this is a likly possibility).