After the service, he joined a theater group and then returned to his hometown of Flint, Mich., where he went to work for a local radio station. [2], In 1972, Bell agreed to produce The Spinners for Atlantic Records. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous English actor on stage, film and television (1933-2006). Bell was the consummate professional and he never It was there, in the building where he had worked with Mr. Bell for so many years, that he heard his old friend had died. [20] Producing and Copyright 2023 /The Celebrity Deaths.com/All Rights Reserved. [19] He died at his home in Bellingham, Washington after what was described as a "lengthy illness". 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now. Tommy Tiny Lister, the actor best known for his role as Deebo in Friday, died from heart disease, according to the results of a recently released autopsy. Bell revitalized the group, producing five gold albums that included chart success with singles such as "I'll Be Around", "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", "Games People Play", and "The Rubberband Man". In 1991 the television critics unanimously applauded Bell's powerful characterisation in Prime Suspect, which was shot to look like an edgy documentary and dealt with entrenched male prejudice in the police; cast opposite Helen Mirren, Bell turned in a corrosive performance as her arch-enemy Otley, prompting The Daily Telegraph's Richard Last to exclaim: "I didn't know he could be so evil.". Rest in peace, buddy!, Huff told the outlet: Thom Bell was my favorite musician, arranger, songwriter and music producer of all time! His ex-wife was actress Lois Dane, with whom he had a son. WebTom Bell died on October 5, 2006, in Brighton, East Sussex, England, of unspecified causes, just two months after his seventy-third birthday. Our longtime fans and new fans will get a unique look into the creation of the Sound of Philadelphia with the themes of empowerment and love, to people all over the world as weve always had a Message in our Music!!!. The Mighty Three gave interviews for an a Sam Pollard-directed documentary about Philadelphia International Records, showcasing the trios work in spreading the music of Philly with the world. [16], A December 2008 interview with Bell featured on the Philly Soul box set, Love Train, stated he would soon compose a piece for the Philadelphia Orchestra. [19] He died at his home in Bellingham, Washington after what was described as a "lengthy illness". By Elisha Fieldstadt and Diana Dasrath. "From 1962 till about 1975 or so, it was just absolutely a huge thing," said Allen Hall, longtime producer of the show. Jamaican/American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, pianist and composer (19432022). Thom Bell, - Praise, Comments, Music, Social Topics", "Thom Bell: Philadelphia soul pioneer dies at 79", "Iconic Philadelphia Soul pioneer Thom Bell dies at 79", "Thom Bell, an architect of 1970s Philadelphia soul, dies", Exclusive Thom Bell Interview published January 2012, 2006 Interview with Terry Gross on "Fresh Air", An interview with Soul Express in February 2018, Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thom_Bell&oldid=1150534135, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from December 2022, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 April 2023, at 18:25. And from the things that I learned from doing the sessions with him, its lasted me my whole career. Producer Thom Bell, who co-created The Sound of Philadelphia alongside Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff as the Mighty Three, has died at age 79. He also worked with acts such as Johnny Mathis (two albums),[2] Billy Paul, Ronnie Dyson, Little Anthony & The Imperials, and New York City in the mid to late 1970s, but generally with less commercial appeal. He also appeared with Billie Whitelaw in The Krays (1990) as the seedy, criminal loser Jack "The Hat" McVitie. Early in his career there, Mr. Bell played a variety of characters on the "Wally Phillips Show" before debuting as Bozo in 1959 in a 30-minute show consisting of one-man sketches and cartoons. BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Prime Suspect actor Tom Bell dies fashionable in the 1960s and floods of angry young men emerged onto the His partner from 1976 until his death was the costume designer Frances Tempest, with whom he had a step-daughter, Nellie, and a daughter, Polly. Tom McKee Bell played Detective Sergeant Bill Otley in Prime Suspect, a sexist officer who clashed with Dame Helen's character Jane Tennison. Russell Thompkins, Jr. of the Stylistics honored Bell in a Grammy interview for their Salute to Music Legends back in 2017, calling Bell the major influence of my career., Thats when I first started learning my craft, he said. Roger E. Mosley, Magnum, P.I. star, dies at 83 after a car crash The program went off the air in 1960 then returned as "Bozo's Circus" after WGN moved its studios from the Tribune Tower to its current facility in 1961. WebBell died on December 22, 2022, at the age of 79. Exhibitors in Las Vegas for CinemaCon hoping to see Tom Cruise regal them with stories of his latest death-defying stunt may have been disappointed. was reported that Leslie Caron, who starred with Bell in "The L-Shaped At least one other version appeared as a record-album character in 1946, and longtime weatherman Willard Scott of "Today" show fame played him in Washington in 1959. Other television roles followed over the years. Mr. Bell's career began before World War II, in movies such as Clarence Buddington Kelland's "Arizona." "It was the hardest ticket to get in Chicago in the days of Bob Bell," according to Brodien. When the kitchen sink dramas became Sound of Philadelphia Producer Thom Bell Dies at 79 Evacuated as a child during the Second World War, he lived with three different families in Morecambe, Lancashire. [13], In 1975, Bell produced an album with Dionne Warwick called Track of the Cat, one year after he had teamed her with the Spinners on the song, "Then Came You", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #2 on the R&B chart. Brodien, who spent almost 20 years working with Mr. Bell, visited the studio Monday for the first time this year to attend the taping of the current "Bozo" Christmas show with his wife, Mary Doyle Brodien. Phillip handled the problem well by replying, "If you want jokes, you Dustin Diamond, Actor on Saved by the Bell, Dies at 44 His younger brother Keith also became an actor. [2] These releases included "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)",[2] the latter of which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1970. Leroy his father who owned a fish market and a restaurant also played the accordion and Hawaiian guitar. From the able seaman ordered to be flogged by a sadistic officer, He died in hospital following a short illness, the actor's agent said. James Bell's Death - Cause and Date Feb. 1, 2021, 11:08 AM PST. Most Popular Now | 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now. maker followed him for several years. His lawyer, Michael Silver, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bell passed away at his home in Bellingham, Washington. Robert L. Kaiser and Tribune Staff Writer. Despite his acclaimed performance on stage, Bell achieved his greatest fame during the 70s and 80s as a TV actor. He brought the character to national prominence when WGN-TV began broadcasting via satellite in 1978. A stepmother accused of killing her boyfriends young daughter could face the death penalty over her alleged murder as DailyMail.com picture her with her [2] He arranged some of the early big hits, including the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers", on Gamble & Huff's own record label, Philadelphia International Records, which they launched in 1971. The name of Gamble, Huff and Bell will last forever. Another critic referred to "his Cherokee profile and face which is expressive even when it's frozen". Bell worked until the end of his life, having recorded the last-ever Prime Suspect, due to be screened next week on ITV, and appearing as Nasica in Ancient Rome, currently on BBC1. Thom Bell, the Grammy-winning producer who heavily influenced Philadelphia soul music, died Thursday. The son of a merchant seaman he hardly knew, he was a child evacuee Actor Tom Bell dies at 73 as play in which he starred is revived On 4 October 2006, Tom Bell (actor) died of non-communicable disease. The audience had just watched a revival of the groundbreaking 1979 play Bent - which had featured Bell alongside Ian McKellen - when playwright Martin Sherman broke the news. Anna his mother who worked as a stenographer was also a pianist. He did collaborate with Elton John, Teddy Pendergrass, Deniece Williams and Johnny Mathis throughout his career. The well-refreshed Bell heckled Prince Philip as he reached the end of his presidential speech, twice shouting: "Tell us a funny story." Bob Bell, the 75-year-old actor who played the raucous, shoe-slapping character of Bozo the Clown for 25 years on Chicago's WGN-TV, died quietly Monday in a California hospital.