‘Sound of Philadelphia’ Producer Thom Bell dies at 79: Know about his popular songs, career progression & more
Thom Bell, the Philadelphia soul pioneer passes away at 79. Have a look at the details of his memorable journey below.
Legendary singer-songwriter Thom Bell passed away on Saturday. The Grammy Award Winning artist is best known for his success with the Philadelphia sound in the 1970s, particularly with the Delfonics, Stylistics, and Spinners.
Have a glance at his memorable journey to date.
Cause of death
Thom Bell publicist informed the media persons on Friday that Bell had died at home in Bellingham, Washington. No cause of death was given.
Legendary artists pay tributes to Thom Bell
Popular Music producer Nile Rodgers extended his heartfelt tributes and called Bell "one of the greatest... of all time".
“#RIPThomBell He is one of the greatest writers and producers of all time. My condolences go out to his family and friends. He was the architect of the relationship between #BernardEdwards & me as we were the band for the group New York City (I'm Doing Fine Now) a Thom Bell smash,” tweeted Rogers.
Hip-hop star DJ Premier also paid tribute, and wrote that Bell was "one of the reasons why I wanted to have an enormous discography of classics that are timeless". Mike Mills of REM said: "This man contributed so much to my love of music and helped me get through the hell that is high school."
Thom Bell and his classical upbringing
Since childhood, Bell had a passion for singing and songwriting. As reported by BBC, Bell was born in Jamaica in 1943 and grew up in West Philadelphia with nine brothers and sisters. His parents were both musicians, and Bell studied classical piano as a child and dreamed of becoming a conductor.
His singing career began during his teenage years when he sang with Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame). Later, in 1967, he was introduced to a group called The Delfonics, producing two singles for them on the subsidiary label, Moonglow.
Thom Bell and his equation with songwriter Linda Creed
He shared a great bond with songwriter Linda Creed with whom he worked for a number of years on various soundtracks. "It's like you and your wife, your mate. You know when it fits. There are not too many people you can ride the ethers of life and love together with," he said, as reported by BBC.
Bell’s Personal Life
Bell is survived by his wife Vanessa and his children, Royal, Troy, Tia, Mark, Cybell, and Christopher.
Bell and his Grammy Award
In 1975, as reported by BBC, he became the first-ever recipient of the Grammy Award for producer of the year; and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.
"Thom Bell was my favorite musician, arranger, songwriter, and music producer of all time!" said Leon Huff, a popular songwriter in a statement. He added, "It was my esteemed honor and pleasure to work with him creatively and as a business partner. Rest in peace."
Some of his written and popular produced songs are:
"Pass Me By" – Hattie Winston
"La-La (Means I Love You)" – The Delfonics
"Brand New Me" - Dusty Springfield
"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" – The Delfonics
"Hey Love" – The Delfonics
"It's Gonna Take a Miracle" – Deniece Williams
"I Don't Have the Heart" – James Ingram
We hope and pray Thom Bell’s soul rests in peace.
For Mansi, creativity combined with hard work is the way forward in life. She studied broadcast journalism at the Asi...
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