Also known as William Yarborough Name William Bell Years active 1957–present | Instruments Vocals Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter Role Singer | |
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Born July 16, 1939 (age 85) ( 1939-07-16 ) Movies Only the Strong Survive, Soul Comes Home: A Celebration of Stax Records and Memphis Soul Music Genres Rhythm and blues, Soul music Albums The Soul of a Bell, Wow / Bound to Happen, Coming Back for More, The Very Best of William B, Bound to Happen | ||
William bell born under a bad sign hd
William Bell (born William Yarbrough; July 16, 1939) is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is probably best known for his debut single 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water" and 1968's top 10 hit in the UK "Private Number", a duet with Judy Clay. Bell's only US top 40 hit is 1976's "Tryin' to Love Two", which also hit No. 1 on the R&B charts. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King".
Contents
- William bell born under a bad sign hd
- William bell npr music tiny desk concert
- Career
- Covered by
- Honors
- Performances
- Recent activity
- Albums
- References
As a songwriter, Bell co-authored the Chuck Jackson hit "Any Other Way", which is 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.
Although he was a long-time recording artist for Stax Records, he is unrelated to the label's one-time president, Al Bell.
William bell npr music tiny desk concert
Career
Bell was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He took the last name "Bell" as a stage name in honor of his grandmother, whose first name was Belle.
He made his first leap into the music scene backing Rufus Thomas. In 1957, Bell recorded his first sides as a member of the Del Rios.
William Bell was an early signing on Stax Records initially as a songwriter. Other notable Stax Records artists include Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, and The Staple Singers.
It was only after Bell served a stint in the military that he was finally able to release his debut album, 1967's The Soul of a Bell, on Stax Records. Bell’s Top 20 single “Everybody Loves a Winner” was on this album. Bell moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1969 and started up Peachtree Record Company, his short-lived soul label.
In 1985, he founded another label, Wilbe, and issued Passion, which found its most receptive audiences in the UK.
Two years later, Bell was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's R&B Pioneer Award that same year. Starting in 1992, Bell took a hiatus from the recording studio, while still performing regularly. In 2000, he released an album of all-new material on Wilbe entitled A Portrait Is Forever. In 2003, he was honored with the W.C. Handy Heritage Award. It wasn't until six years after his previous album that he released the album New Lease on Life.
In 2016, Bell reactivated the Stax Record Label to release a new album. Produced by John Leventhal, This Is Where I Live featured Bell performing a batch of new songs, along with a revived recording of "Born Under a Bad Sign."
Covered by
Honors
In 2003 he was received both the W.C. Handy Heritage Award from the Memphis Music Foundation and the BMI Songwriter’s Award. He is featured in the Stax Museum of American Soul Music from his time with the label.
In 2016, Bell was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Americana Music Association. He was joined by other legendary Americana acts such as Bob Weir, Shawn Colvin, and Billy Bragg.
Bell was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame as part of the 2016 class. In 2016, Bell was nominated for two Grammy awards: Best Americana Album for This is Where I Live and Best Traditional R&B Performance for the track "The Three of Me". On February 12, 2017, Bell won the Best Americana Album Grammy award for This is Where I Live.
Performances
Bell performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC in 2011. He joined the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in 2012. He sang "You Don't Miss Your Water" at the White House for "In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul" in 2013. He performed at Billboard Live in Tokyo in 2015. In 2015 he also performed at the Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony alongside Justin Timberlake.
Recent activity
In 2016, Bell recorded his first major label album in over 30 years. His song “You Don’t Miss Your Water” is featured in the trailer and the first episode of the Cinemax TV series Quarry, which debuted in 2016.
On 1 September 2017, age 78, Bell performed live at the Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra in a tribute concert to 50 years of Stax Records synonymous with Southern Soul music.