Philadelphia R&B legend Dexter Wansel dead at 75
Dexter Wansel, a music legend pivotal to the Philadelphia scene, has died aged 75.
Wansel was a pioneering figure in the fusion scenes of R&B and jazz, and enjoyed an illustrious career as a musician as well as serving as a producer for other artists.
The news of his passing was announced in an Instagram post by his son, the producer Pop Wansel, on June 1st, which said: “The space man finally made it to Mars early yesterday morning, May 31st, 2026,” referencing his father’s 1976 album Life on Mars, inspired by David Bowie.
The post added: “He put up one hell of a fight for 17 long years and is now able to rest. This guy loved EVERYONE and he taught me to do the same. I love you all! KEEP SAMPLING HIS MUSIC! He absolutely loved that!”
No cause of death has been made public at this time.
Wansel’s innovative approach to sound was hailed as pivotal to many varied aspects across the course of the sonic canon, with Jamiroquai citing the song ‘Life on Mars’ as the inspiration for him becoming interested in music.
Moreover, in a production capacity, Wansel was responsible for working on the 1978 album Unmistakably Lou by Lou Rawls, which won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Male R&B Vocal Performance’ that year.
However, the music legend’s most influential moment arguably arrived in 1975 with the drum beat introduction from his song ‘Theme of the Planets’ being regularly hailed as one of the foundational beats of hip-hop.
Subsequently, the song has been sampled by some of the genre’s greatest stars at various times over the years, including by the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Drake, and many others.
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