Bell's Top 20 single "Everybody Loves a Winner" was on this album. It was only after Bell finished his stint in the military that he was finally able to release his debut album, 1967's The Soul of a Bell, on Stax Records. He continued to record singles while on break from deployment, including the song "Marching Off to War". īell was the first male solo act to be signed to Stax Records and he was able to release several singles before joining the military. Other notable Stax Records artists include Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, and The Staple Singers. īell was an early signing on Stax Records initially as a songwriter. In 1957, Bell recorded his first sides as a member of the Del Rios, a teenage vocal group that caught the eye of Stax Records. He made his first leap into the music scene backing Rufus Thomas. At the age of 14, Bell won a talent contest and began making a name for himself singing in Memphis area clubs. At age ten, he began songwriting with the original composition, "Alone On A Rainy Night". He took the last name "Bell" as a stage name in honor of his grandmother, whose first name was Belle.īell sang in church as a child and considered himself a student of The Soul Stirrers, the popular gospel group led by Sam Cooke. His music has been sampled by artists such as Kanye West, Ludacris, and Jaheim. Bell was also featured on Rolling Stone's "Best of the Grammys" for that year. He performed his hit "Born Under a Bad Sign" alongside Gary Clark Jr.
In 2017, Bell was awarded a Grammy for Best Americana Album for his record This Is Where I Live.
Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King".Īs a songwriter, Bell co-authored the Chuck Jackson hit "Any Other Way" (which was a cover since Bell issued it first) as a follow-up to "You Don't Miss Your Water" Billy Idol's 1986 hit " To Be a Lover", which was first a hit for Bell under its original title "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" and the blues classic " Born Under A Bad Sign", popularized by both Albert King and Cream.Īlthough he was a long-time recording artist for Stax Records, he is unrelated to the label's one-time president, Al Bell. As a performer, he is probably best known for his debut single, 1961's " You Don't Miss Your Water" 1968's top 10 hit in the UK " Private Number", a duet with Judy Clay and his only US top 40 hit, 1976's " Tryin' to Love Two", which also hit No. William Bell ( né Yarbrough born July 16, 1939) is an American soul singer and songwriter.
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