Al Bell facts for kids

Al Bell, born Alvertis Isbell on March 15, 1940, is an American music expert. He is a record producer, songwriter, and a top music executive. He is most famous for being a leader and co-owner of Stax Records. Stax Records was a very important music company in Memphis, Tennessee.

Before working at Stax, Bell was a disc jockey in Little Rock, Arkansas. He helped many famous soul music artists. These included the Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, the Emotions, and the Dramatics. Bell's hard work helped the "Memphis sound" become popular worldwide. Stax Records grew to be the second-largest African-American-owned business in the 1970s. The BBC called him a "soul music icon" and the "driving force behind Stax Records."

After Stax, Al Bell became the president of Motown Records Group. He later started his own music label, Bellmark. This label released the huge hit song "Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team in 1993. Today, Bell still works in music in Memphis. He also runs an online music website and a radio show.

Al Bell's Journey in Music

Starting at Stax Records

Al Bell joined Stax Records in 1965. He started as the director of promotions. This means he helped make sure Stax's music was heard everywhere. His work greatly helped the company earn more money. Over the next three years, he moved up quickly in the company. He became the executive vice president. This made him one of the most important people at Stax, after its co-founder Jim Stewart.

Besides his leadership and promotion work, Bell also helped create the music. He wrote songs and produced music for many artists on the label.

Rebuilding Stax Records

In 1968, a sad event happened: Otis Redding, a huge star for Stax, died in a plane crash. After this, Stax ended its deal with Atlantic Records. Atlantic Records kept all the music Stax had made until that time. Al Bell then started a big plan to create new music for Stax. He wanted to release many new albums and singles quickly.

New artists joined Stax, including the gospel group Staple Singers. Other new groups like the Emotions and the Soul Children also signed on. Bell famously planned to release 27 albums almost at the same time in mid-1969. He produced much of this music himself. One of these albums was Hot Buttered Soul by Isaac Hayes. This album was a huge success and made Hayes a star. Bell also helped shape the sound of the Staple Singers. He created new hits for them like "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There," which he wrote.

Leading Stax in the 1970s

Al Bell became a co-owner of Stax in 1969. The other co-founder, Estelle Axton, sold her shares because she didn't agree with Bell's ideas for the company. This made Al Bell the first African-American to own a part of the label. Even though Stax focused on African-American music, its first founders were white.

In the 1970s, Jim Stewart gave Al Bell more and more control over Stax's daily work. Bell had big plans to make the company even larger. He wanted to do what Berry Gordy, Jr. was doing at Motown Records. Stax started to help distribute music from smaller labels in Memphis. They also produced music for movies like Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and Shaft in 1971.

In 1972, Al Bell helped organize the Wattstax festival. This was a huge concert in Los Angeles featuring Stax artists. It was held to help the community after the Watts riots. A movie about the concert, Wattstax, was made in 1973 by Stax's new film division.

After four years of Stax distributing its own music, Bell signed a new deal with CBS Records in 1972. However, the relationship with CBS was difficult. Stax borrowed a lot of money from a bank in Memphis. But CBS sometimes held back records from stores and kept profits from Stax. This caused Stax to lose money quickly. The company eventually went out of business in late 1975.

Al Bell's Later Career

After Stax Records closed, Al Bell returned to Little Rock. He stayed away from the music business for about ten years. In the 1980s, he became the head of the Motown Records Group. He worked closely with Berry Gordy Jr. to sell Motown to another company.

After Motown, he discovered the music group Tag Team. Through his own label, Bellmark Records, he released their hit song "Whoomp! (There It Is)" in 1993. This song became one of the fastest-selling singles ever. Bell also released Prince's hit song "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World". Prince's own label, Warner Bros. Records, had turned it down.

After Bellmark Records, Al Bell went back to Little Rock. He started a new online project called Al Bell Presents. He hosts a popular online radio show called Al Bell Presents: American Soul Music. In 2009, The New York Times and the BBC wrote about Bell. He returned to Memphis to help new independent music artists in the city.

Al Bell also gave interviews for the HBO documentary Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. in 2024.

Awards and Honors

Al Bell has received many awards for his work in music. Some of these include:

• Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Executive, 2022
• Induction into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame, 2015
• Induction into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, 2015
• Induction into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, 2014
• Grammy Trustees Award, 2011
• Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Black Chamber of Commerce
• Alex Haley "Roots Award," Greater Washington, DC Business Center
• National Award of Achievement, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Dare to Soar Award, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
• Achievement Award, Boy Scouts of America
• Listed in "1000 Most Successful Blacks" by Ebony Magazine
• Listed in "100 Most Influential Black Men" by Ebony Magazine
• Entered in "Who's Who in the World"
• Induction into America's Music and Entertainment of Fame
• Induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame
• Member of the Board of Directors, Memphis Chamber of Commerce
• Member of the Board of Directors, Central Arkansas Chapter of the March of Dimes
• Member of the Board of Trustees, Philander Smith College
• Memphis' Legendary Record Producers Award, 2005
• W.C. Handy Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002
• Record Executive of the Year, Impact Magazine, 1994
• Record Executive of the Year, BRE, 1994
• Chairman's Award, Southeast Music, 1994
• NARM Indie Best Seller Award ("Whoomp! There It Is", Tag Team), 1994
• Independent Label of the Year Award, The Urban Network, 1994
• The Spirit of Freedom Award, Freedom Magazine, 1994
• Russell Simmons Award for Executive Excellence, Young Black Programmers' Coalition, 1993
• Black Music Chief Executive of the Year, Impact, 1993
• Living Legend Award, Warner Bros., Reprise Records & Urban Network, 1972 Heroes and Legends Leadership Award, 1991
• Voted Number Five in the 30 All-Time Greatest Executives in Black Music, Impact Magazine Poll, 1985
• Best Documentary (Wattstax), nomination Golden Globe (1973)
• Executive of the Year, Bill Gavin Radio Program Conference, 1971