Bobby Martin, 82, arranger and producer for Philadelphia International Records
His soul and R&B numbers became big hits as part of the Philadelphia Sound.
BOBBY MARTIN was known as the "Grandaddy of R&B and soul," which meant he was the grandaddy of the Philadelphia Sound.
Bobby worked with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, founders of Philadelphia International Records, to arrange and produce some of the greatest hits of the 1960s and '70s, as well as with some of the legendary musicians of that era.
Robert L. "Bobby" Martin died last Friday. He was 82 and had been living in Hollywood, Calif., since 1980.
"He was the greatest arranger," Gamble and Huff said in a statement. "We were able to work together with him to come up with a fantastic sound. Bobby was tireless. He used to work all night on arrangements for us.
"Remembering his work ethic, and what it was like to just be around him, reminds us what a great time it was to be in the music business."
Bobby was the key arranger for such Sound of Philadelphia hits as "Me and Mrs. Jones," "You'll Never Find a Love Like Mine," "Cowboys to Girls" and the Grammy Award-winning "TSOP" (the Sound of Philadelphia).
He also composed the theme song for the popular, long-running "Soul Train," the TV musical variety show that began in 1971 and ran until 2006.
Gamble and Huff noted that Bobby arranged major hits for such artists as Billy Paul, Lou Rawls, the Intruders, Dusty Springfield and Patti LaBelle. In fact, he was credited with being the first person to record Patti and creating her stage name. (She was born Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards in Philadelphia).
Bobby was also the arranger, conductor and composer for the MFSB (Mother Father Sister Brother) Orchestra, the Sound of Philadelphia's house band due to be inducted next month into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame.
In September 2010, Bobby made a surprise appearance at Soul Train's 40th anniversary celebration in Los Angeles.
Bobby came to Philadelphia from his native Ohio in 1951. He met Kenny Gamble and began to work with Philadelphia International Records in 1966. Bobby later was associated with Columbia Records, Warner Bros. Records and A&M Records.
He first worked in a recording studio in the basement of an auto dealership, which meant that the musicians had to duck around DeSotos and Plymouths to get to the studio.
In the '60s, the studio switched to larger quarters at Sigma Sound Studios. That was where the MFSB orchestra practiced some of its most popular numbers.
Bobby won many Grammy Awards - including one for his work on the Bee Gees' "Saturday Night Fever" album. And his work did not stop, or even pause, when he moved to California in the early '80s.
Belinda Foster, Bobby's publicist, said: "His warm smile, kind heart and passion for creating music shine on in our memories of Mr. Bobby Martin. He will forever be the maestro of the Philadelphia Sound to all who knew him well."
Information about survivors and funeral services was not immediately available.