The acclaimed pioneer of Philadelphia soul music died Thursday in Bellingham, Washington.
Thom Bell, the acclaimed songwriter, producer and music arranger, died on Thursday, in Bellingham, Washington. He was 79.
Bell's death was first reported by Philadelphia R&B radio station 105.3 WDAS-FM, in a eulogy from host Patty Jackson who credited Bell as one of the groundbreaking creators of "Philly soul."
"Thom Bell left an indelible and everlasting mark on the history of popular music," Bell's attorney shared in a statement confirming the artist's death to Billboard on Thursday. "But even more so, he will be remembered by all who knew him as a kind and loving friend and family man."
"The music world has truly lost one of the greats," the statement added.
Bell is best known for developing and pioneering the so-called Philadelphia soul sound, collaborating with the Delfonics, Stylistics, and Spinners.
Teaming up with Linda Creed in the early 1970s, Bell and Creed became a formidable songwriting duo and co-wrote a slew of hits including "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)," "You Make Me Feel Brand New," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "You Are Everything," and countless others.
Throughout his impressive career, Bell wrote songs for and produced records for numerous big-name artists including Dionne Warwick, James Ingram, Deniece Williams and Elton John.
Bell went on to win a GRAMMY Award in 1975 for Best Producer of the Year, and in 2006 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Then, in 2016, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
Bell is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and his six children -- Royal, Troy, Tia, Mark, Cybell and Christopher.
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