According to his attorney Michael Silver, Bell passed suddenly on Thursday at 79 in Bellingham, Washington.

The demise of legendary producer and songwriter Thom Bell just before Christmas deeply saddens the music industry.

The Grammy-winning music producer and composer of Jamaican descent, best known as one of the creators of “The Sound of Philadelphia” soul music of the 1960s and 1970s, passed away on Thursday in Bellingham, Washington, at the age of 79.

Michael Silver, the musician’s lawyer, confirmed the musician’s passing but did not provide a cause of death.

Thom Bell children: Meet Royal, Troy, Tia, Mark, Cybell, and Christopher

Bell’s children’s details are unclear at the moment. Expect details about them as our research team is doing its best to discover more about them. Bell was raised in West Philadelphia after his family relocated from Kingston, Jamaica, where he immediately developed his musical talents.

He met his future partners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff when he was barely 4 years old, and they performed together as teenagers alongside Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates.

Before working as a session player and arranger at Cameo Records in Philadelphia, he was a staff writer and tour manager for Chubby Checker.