OBITUARY: Thom Bell (1943-2022)

Thom Bell, a producer, arranger and songwriter who was one of the architects of the Philly Sound in the late 1960s and early 1970s and had hits with soft soul vocal groups backed by his engaging orchestrations, died on December 22. He was 79. Thom pioneered a movement that ushered in a new soul style that featured mostly male vocal groups singing lush, romantic songs…