T.J. Tindall obit

Friends, Colleagues Remember Guitarist TJ Tindall, Part Of The Musical Foundation Of The Sound Of Philadelphia

 He was not on the lit.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Friends and colleagues are remembering TJ Tindall, a beloved member of the Philadelphia music community whose name might not ring a bell, but whose guitar playing was an integral part of the Sound of Philadelphia.

TJ Tindall played on more than 30 hits produced by Gamble and Huff in the 70s and 80s, including Disco Inferno. But fellow MFSB member Bobby Eli says Tindall was much more than a solid soul guitarist -- he was inventive.

"If you listen to the song "Enjoy Yourself" by the Jacksons. It's got that iconic intro that he played, and a lot of that stuff, he just made it up," said Eli.

Hooters drummer David Uosikkinen knew Tindall as mentor and friend.

"Probably the most giving musician I've ever met. 'Never mind, it'll be ok. You know what to do.' That was his thing. 'You know what to do.' But he didn't always say that to me in the beginning. He would tell me what to do. Now I knew what to do because he told me. So, that was TJ. 'Don't play a lot of fills. Let the music do the talking,'" said Uosikkinen.

TJ Tindall died Tuesday. He was 65.

indall is considered one of the architects of the Philadelphia Sound. He was inducted twice into the Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame as a member of MFSB and the Salsoul Orchestra.

T. J. Tindall was born in 1950 in Trenton, New Jersey. During his career, Tindall played on hits produced by "Sound of Philadelphia" architects Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff for artists such as The O'Jays' Travelin' at the Speed of Thought, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, the Intruders, and The Three Degrees' album International. He also backed up and recorded with Bonnie Raitt (her album Give It Up), Lon & Derrek Van Eaton (their album Brother), the Jacksons, Robert Palmer's Double Fun, The Temptations, to name a few. He can be heard on The Trammps' 1976 hit "Disco Inferno" (US #46) and their album of the same name, Lou Rawls' "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" (US #2), The Jackson 5's 1976 hit "Enjoy Yourself" (US #6, US R&B #2), Eddie Kendricks's "He's a Friend" single (US #36) and album of the same name and album Goin' Up In Smoke, Phyllis Hyman's album Prime of My Life, Loleatta Holloway's album Loleatta, Double Exposure's album Ten Percent, First Choice's album Delusions.

In the 1980s, Tindall retired from music, running a company in Princeton founded by his father. In 2012, he went back to the studio to join David Uosikkinen's project In The Pocket: Essential Songs of Philadelphia.

Tindall died of cancer in 2016 at age 65.