ABOVE PHOTO: Soul legend Walter “Bunny” Sigler (pictured here with fellow legend Chubby Checker) passed away last Friday following a massive heart attack. The Philadelphia native and R&B pioneer was the force behind hits from the 1960s and ‘70s: Instant Funk’s “I Got My Mind Made Up,” Patti Labelle’s “Somebody Loves You Baby,” The Whispers’ “Bingo,” Jackie Moore’s “Sweet Charlie Babe,” and The O’Jays “Sunshine.” (Photo by Webster Riddick)
Funeral services for Walter “Bunny” Sigler was held on Friday, October 13, 2017 at Sharon Baptist Church, 3955 Conshohocken Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Interment followed at Rolling Green Memorial Park, West Chester, PA.
Sigler, a singer, songwriter and producer who helped create “The Sound of Philadelphia” in the 1970s, died on Friday, October 6, 2017. His longtime attorney, Lloyd Zane Remick, said he died of a heart attack at his home outside Philadelphia. He was 76.
Sigler worked with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in developing a genre that blended soul, funk and big band styles, and cemented the city in the country’s musical landscape with its lush horn ensembles and smooth vocals.
Gamble said Sigler was one of the most talented songwriters and producers he ever worked with, and “more importantly, he was like family to us.”
As a performer, Sigler was known for such hits as “Let the Good Times Roll & (Feel So Good).”
In a 2008 interview with National Public Radio, Gamble said he, Huff and Sigler also performed background vocals on some of their songs, including the chart-topping “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.
His career spanned decades and saw collaborations with acts as varied as Patti LaBelle and Jay-Z.
Sigler “spent his life using his talents to bring love and joy to others and for that we are all grateful!” LaBelle tweeted.
Remick said he worked right up to the end, posting songs and music videos on his YouTube channel as recently as August even as health issues kept him hospitalized for long stretches of time.
He is survived by his wife, Martha, and two children.
To share condolences for Bunny Sigler, go to http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/bunny-sigler-condolences/186878719.
Contributed by Associated Press
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