William Bell ( ''né'' Yarbrough; born July 16, 1939) is an American

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is probably best known for his debut single, 1961's "

You Don't Miss Your Water "You Don't Miss Your Water" is a soul song and the debut single written and recorded by American singer William Bell. It was released by Stax Records in 1961. It is Bell's signature song and best known recording. Overview The song was written ...

"; 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. 1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King". As 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 "To Be a Lover" is a song written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones originally as "I Forgot to Be Your Lover", but best known as a cover by Billy Idol on his 1986 album '' Whiplash Smile''. As the album's lead single, it became Idol's second t ...

", 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 Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

. Although he was a longtime recording artist for Stax Records, he is unrelated to the label's onetime president, Al Bell. In 2017, Bell was awarded a Grammy for Best Americana Album for his record ''This Is Where I Live''. He performed his hit "Born Under a Bad Sign" alongside Gary Clark Jr. at the 2017

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s. Bell was also featured on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

''s "Best of the Grammys" for that year. His music has been sampled by artists such as

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

, Ludacris, and Jaheim.

Career

Bell was born in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...

. He took the last name "Bell" as a stage name in honor of his grandmother, whose first name was Belle. Bell sang in church as a child and considered himself a student of The Soul Stirrers, the popular gospel group led by

Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is common ...

. At age ten, he began songwriting with the original composition "Alone on a Rainy Night". At the age of 14, Bell won a talent contest and began making a name for himself singing in Memphis-area clubs. He made his first leap into the music scene backing

Rufus Thomas Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was an American rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded for several labels, including Chess R ...

. 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. 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. Bell was the first male solo act to be signed to Stax Records and he was able to release several singles before joining the military. He continued to record singles while on break from deployment, including the song "Marching Off to War". 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. Bell's top 20 single "Everybody Loves a Winner" was on this album. Bell was a close friend of fellow Stax recording artist Otis Redding. Bell was supposed to be on the same tragic 1967 flight that led to Redding's death. "It started snowing so bad in Chicago, the promoter up there canceled my show," recalls Bell. The tragedy led to a collaboration between Bell and Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the M.G.'s) who Bell knew from high school and church. Bell and Jones released "A Tribute to a King" in honor of Redding and it quickly became a hit. In 1967, Bell co-wrote an unintended Christmas hit, "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday". The song remains one of Bell's most-recorded hits and serves as a classic R&B

Christmas song Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject m ...

. In 2017, '' Hot Press'' magazine named the hit the "Greatest Christmas record of all time". Bell moved to

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

, in 1969 and started Peachtree Record Company, his short-lived soul label. During his time in Atlanta, he took acting lessons and played Stanley Kowalski in a production of ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of per ...

''. Bell later signed a two-year deal with

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it ...

, where he released the 1977 single "Trying to Love Two", which hit No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 10 on the pop charts, and sold a million copies. 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''.

2010s to present

In 2016, Bell reactivated the Stax Records 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". In 2017, the album was awarded a Grammy for Best Americana Album, which took Bell's career to new heights including a featured performance alongside other legendary Stax acts at BBC's ''50 Years of Soul'' event at

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London, UK. Additionally, Bell was one of the final performances at BB King's Blues Club in NYC before it closed in the spring of 2018. Bell was featured in the 2014 documentary film '' Take Me to the River'' that explored the heart of the enduring Memphis music scene. He was featured alongside other artists including Bobby Bland,

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Duri ...

, and

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

. Bell is currently involved in the sequel to the popular documentary, and he calls it "a powerful little film". In 2016, Bell recorded ''This Is Where I Live'', his first major label album in over 30 years. Bell was awarded a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for Best Americana Album in 2017, which, in turn, had such a strong effect on his streaming data that ''

'' called him "the biggest winner of the night". 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

BBC Proms with

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...

and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra in a tribute concert to 50 years of Stax Records synonymous with Southern Soul music. Bell spent time in 2017 and 2018 touring with a group of featured artists from ''Take Me to the River''. The touring group was named one of the "10 Bands to See This Year" by ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...

'' magazine. In 2017, Bell performed twice on NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts. He performed with his own band and again with the touring ''Take Me to the River'' group. Bell released the single "In a Moment of Weakness" in 2018 as part of the

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Original ''Produced By'' series. His song was produced by the Grammy Award-winning Matt Ross-Spang. Bell performed at the Mempho Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee on October 6, 2018 as part of a tribute set dedicated to Royal Studios. In 2019, Bell collaborated with Southern Avenue on their single "We've Got the Music". Bell performed at the 2019

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Hand ...

s, where he was nominated for Best Soul Blues Male Artist. Guitar legend

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

released a video for his 2018 cover of Bell's holiday song "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday". Bell joined several other soul legends for BB King's tribute concert at the Capitol Theatre on February 16, 2020. A few months later, the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

named Bell one of their 2020

fellows Fellows may refer to Fellow, in plural form. Fellows or Fellowes may also refer to: Places *Fellows, California, USA *Fellows, Wisconsin, ghost town, USA Other uses *Fellows Auctioneers, established in 1876. * Fellowes, Inc., manufacturer of wor ...

, the "nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. These lifetime honor awards of $25,000 are given in recognition of both artistic excellence and efforts to sustain cultural traditions for future generations."

Covered by

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

covered "Everybody Loves a Winner" on her 1973 album '' Don't Cry Now''. *

Homer Simpson Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' short ...

of ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' sang "Born Under a Bad Sign" on the 1990 album '' The Simpsons Sing the Blues''. *

covered "Born Under a Bad Sign" on their 1968 album '' Wheels of Fire''. *

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

covered "Born Under a Bad Sign" on his album ''Blues'', released posthumously in 1994. *

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

covered "Born Under a Bad Sign" on her album ''Life, Love, and the Blues'' released in 1998. *

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covered " Private Number" for their 1999 album '' There It Is.'' * Warren Haynes covered "Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday" on his 2011 album '' Man In Motion''. *

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...

covered "Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday" on her 2011 album ''

A Holiday Carole ''A Holiday Carole'' (titled ''A Christmas Carole'' in the UK and Australia) is a holiday album, released on November 1, 2011, by American singer-songwriter Carole King. It is King's 17th studio album and her first studio album in 10 years since s ...

''. * Hall & Oates covered "Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday" on their 2006 album '' Home for Christmas.'' *

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

covered "You Don't Miss Your Water" on their 1968 album '' Sweetheart of the Rodeo''. *

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and

Tre Williams Tre Williams is an American singer, formerly affiliated with Nas' label, Ill Will Records. Biography Williams was born October 1971 and raised in the projects of Daytona Beach, Florida. He enrolled in Bethune-Cookman College, but dropped ou ...

covered "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" on the 2012 soundtrack of the film ''The Man with the Iron Fists''. * Robert Cray covered "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" on his 2005 album ''

Twenty Twenty or 20 may refer to: * 20 (number), the natural number following 19 and preceding 21 * one of the years 20 BC, AD 20, 1920, 2020 Music Albums * ''20'' (2nd Chapter of Acts album), 1992 * ''20'' (Cunter album), 2011 * ''20'' (Drag ...

''. * Melissa Etheridge covered "I Forgot to Be Your Lover", "Any Other Way", and "Born Under a Bad Sign" on her 2016 album ''Memphis Rock and Soul''. *

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop a ...

covered "You Don't Miss Your Water" on the soundtrack to the

Jonathan Demme Robert Jonathan Demme ( ; February 22, 1944 – April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker. Beginning his career under B-movie producer Roger Corman, Demme made his directorial debut with the 1974 women-in-prison film '' Caged Heat'', befo ...

film '' Married to the Mob''. *

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

covered "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" and "Any Other Way" on his 2022 album '' Only the Strong Survive''.

Awards and honors

* W.C. Handy Heritage Award from the Memphis Music Foundation (2003) * BMI Songwriters Award (2003) * Featured in the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (2003) * Lifetime Achievement Award from

Americana Music Association The Americana Music Association is a not-for-profit trade organization advocating for American Roots Music around the world. It is a network for Americana artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others with the goal of develo ...

(2016) * Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductee (2016) *

win: Best Americana Album for ''This Is Where I Live'' (2017) *

nomination: Best Traditional R&B Performance for "The Three of Me" (2017) * Four

nominations: Album (''This Is Where I Live''), Soul Blues Album (''This Is Where I Live''), Soul Blues Male Artist (2017) (The Blues Foundation, 2018), Best Soul Blues Male Artist (2019) * Epitome of Soul Award presented to Bell by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

at The Consortium MMT event at the Horseshoe Tunica (2017) * National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the

(2020)

Notable performances

* Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. (2011) * Memphis Symphony Orchestra (2012) * "You Don't Miss Your Water" at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

for "In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul" (2013) * Billboard Live in Tokyo (2015) * Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony alongside

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

(2015) *

The Cutting Room The Cutting Room is a music venue in New York City that was open at 19 West 24th Street from late 1999 through January 2009 for music of all varieties and reopened at the beginning of 2013 in a new location at 44 East 32nd Street. It was co-owned ...

and MetroTech Commons as part of the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

’s Rhythm and Blues Festival Series (2016) *

in London (2017) * "Born Under a Bad Sign" with guitarist Gary Clark Jr. at the

s (2017) * Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2018) * Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth, Minnesota (2018) * Mempho Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee (2018) *

s (2019)

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

* ''The Best of William Bell'' (1988) * ''The Very Best of William Bell'' (2007)

Singles

References

External links

William Bell official website
* ttp://www.soulexpress.net/williambell_part2.htm William Bell feature, part 2 (1970–2008), with a complete discography at Soul Expressbr>Amny.comWilliam Bell Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2016)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, William African-American male singer-songwriters American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American soul singers Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee 1939 births Grammy Award winners Living people Stax Records artists Singer-songwriters from Tennessee National Heritage Fellowship winners 21st-century African-American male singers 20th-century African-American male singers