Art Bell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Art Bell
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| Born |
Arthur William Bell III
June 17, 1945 |
| Died | April 13, 2018 (aged 72) Pahrump, Nevada, U.S.
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| Occupation | Broadcaster, author |
| Spouse(s) |
Sachiko Toguchi Pontius
(m. 1965; div. 1968)Vickie L. Baker
(m. 1981; div. 1991)Ramona Lee Hayes
(m. 1991; died 2006)Airyn Ruiz
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 5 |
| Call sign | W6OBB (U.S.) 4F1AB (Philippines) |
Arthur William Bell III (born June 17, 1945 – died April 13, 2018) was an American radio host and author. He was best known for creating and hosting Coast to Coast AM. This popular radio show focused on strange and unexplained topics like paranormal events, UFOs, and conspiracy theories.
Coast to Coast AM was broadcast across hundreds of radio stations in the United States and Canada. Art Bell also hosted a related show called Dreamland. Even today, Coast to Coast AM is still on the air every night.
In 2003, Bell started to slow down his work on Coast to Coast AM. For a few years, he hosted the show on weekends. He officially retired from weekend hosting in 2007 but sometimes returned as a guest host until 2010. You can still hear old episodes of his show called Somewhere in Time on some radio stations.
In 2013, he started a new nightly show called Art Bell's Dark Matter on Sirius XM Radio, but it only lasted for six weeks. He returned to radio in 2015 with Midnight in the Desert, which was available online and on some regular radio stations. He retired from this show in December 2015 due to safety worries at his home.
Art Bell also founded and owned a radio station in Pahrump, Nevada, called KNYE 95.1 FM. His radio studio and transmitter were located near his home, which is where he hosted Coast to Coast AM.
Contents
Early Life and Radio Beginnings
Arthur William Bell III was born in North Carolina on June 17, 1945. He was interested in radio from a young age. When he was just 13, he became a licensed amateur radio operator, which means he could use a radio to talk to other people around the world. He had a special license called an "Amateur Extra Class license," which is the highest level in the U.S. His radio call sign was W6OBB.
In the 1960s, Bell served in the United States Air Force for four years. He worked as a medic during the Vietnam War. While he wasn't in combat, he saw the effects of the war firsthand, which he rarely talked about later in life.
While in the military, Bell and some friends started a secret radio station on their base. With support from their commander, they grew the station, playing music for the whole base. The signal was so strong it could even be heard in the nearby city! This secret station was eventually shut down, but it was the real start of Bell's radio career.
After leaving the military in 1966, Bell worked at several radio stations in the U.S. before moving to Okinawa, Japan. There, he worked as a disc jockey for six years. While in Japan, he set a Guinness World Record by staying on the air for over five days without sleeping. He later said this was a very strange experience he would never repeat.
After his time in Japan, Bell spent the next 20 years working in rock music radio. In 1975, while working in Anchorage, Alaska, Bell learned about children stuck in Saigon during the end of the Vietnam War. He talked about it on his show, and listeners donated money. This money helped charter a plane to rescue about 120 orphans, who were then adopted by American families.
Bell studied engineering at the University of Maryland. He later returned to radio, working both behind the scenes and on the air. In 1986, he got a late-night show at KDWN in Las Vegas, Nevada. His show began to be broadcast on other stations in 1993.
Broadcasting Career Highlights
Art Bell started his career as a rock music disc jockey before moving into talk radio. His first late-night show in Las Vegas in 1978 was a political call-in show. In 1988, he and Alan Corbeth renamed it Coast to Coast AM.
Bell soon changed the show's focus from politics to topics like gun control and conspiracy theories. This made his show much more popular. After a major event in 1995, the show's focus shifted again. Bell began discussing unusual topics such as the paranormal, occult beliefs, UFOs, and pseudoscience. During this time, he met and married his third wife, Ramona, who helped manage the show.
By 1997, Art Bell was America's most popular late-night radio talk show host. Coast to Coast AM was broadcast on over 500 radio stations and had about 15 million listeners every night. Bell's studios were located in his home in Pahrump, Nevada, which led to his famous catchphrase, "from the Kingdom of Nye."
Why People Loved Art Bell
Fans saw Art Bell as a master entertainer. He often said his show was "absolute entertainment" and that he didn't necessarily believe everything his guests or callers said. Instead, he offered a place where people could share their strange stories without being made fun of. Bell was one of the few hosts who didn't screen calls, meaning he talked to callers directly, though this changed later.
Many people praised Bell for giving a serious platform to discussions about the paranormal. He also entertained those who simply enjoyed the parade of bizarre and unusual topics each night. Regular guests included experts on topics like remote viewing, UFOs, and strange phenomena.
Bell's interests weren't limited to the paranormal. He interviewed many famous people, including singers, comedians, writers, and actors. He also spoke with scientists like physicist Michio Kaku and SETI astronomers.
In the late 1990s, Bell was criticized for reporting rumors that a UFO was following Comet Hale–Bopp. However, he was also one of the first to share expert opinions that disproved these "alien" claims.
Memorable Callers and Guests
Art Bell's show was famous for its unique callers and guests.
- In 1997, a caller named Mel Waters talked about "Mel's Hole," a supposedly super deep hole in rural Washington State with strange properties. No one has ever found this hole.
- In September 1997, a caller claimed he had discovered a secret threat from Area 51 and that his life was in danger. During the call, Bell's broadcast signal mysteriously went silent. When the signal returned 20 minutes later, Bell was confused. The caller later admitted it was a prank, but it fooled many listeners.
Retirements and Comebacks
Art Bell retired and returned to Coast to Coast AM several times throughout his career.
His first retirement was in October 1998, which surprised his listeners. He said it was due to a "threatening terrible event" that happened to his family. He returned just two weeks later, explaining that threats against his family had caused his brief departure.
In April 2000, Bell announced another retirement to deal with a "family crisis." It was later revealed that he left to cope with a difficult situation involving his son. He returned to Coast to Coast AM in February 2001, feeling that the show had changed too much in his absence.
In October 2002, Bell announced he would retire again because of ongoing back pain from an old injury. George Noory took over as the main host of Coast to Coast AM in January 2003. Bell returned in September 2003 as a weekend host.
On July 1, 2007, Bell announced his retirement again, saying he wanted to spend more time with his new wife and daughter. He made it clear this was a happy decision and that he would still appear occasionally as a guest host.
His final retirement message came on December 11, 2015, on his Facebook page. He said he was worried about his family's safety after several incidents where armed people trespassed on his property, sometimes firing gunshots. These events often happened around the time he was broadcasting. This retirement came only five months after he started his show Midnight in the Desert.
Personal Life Events
Death of Ramona Bell
On January 5, 2006, Ramona Bell, Art's wife of 15 years, sadly died unexpectedly at age 47. It appeared she had a severe asthma attack.
On his show later that month, Bell shared the details of his wife's death. For weeks afterward, listeners called in to express their sympathy for him.
New Marriage
After a period of mourning, Art Bell surprised his listeners by announcing in April 2006 that he had traveled to the Philippines and married Airyn Ruiz. By the end of 2006, Bell announced he had moved back to Pahrump, Nevada, with Airyn, who had gotten her papers to move to the United States.
Later Years and Honors
In May 2008, Bell sold his radio station KNYE to his station manager.
In November 2008, Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM again, his first time since May of that year.
Art Bell was recognized for his contributions to radio. In August 2006, he was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. He also received the News/Talk Radio Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. In 2008, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
Bell continued to make occasional appearances on Coast to Coast AM and hosted special shows like his annual New Year's predictions. However, by December 2010, he was no longer listed as a regular host on the Coast to Coast website.
In 2011, Bell announced he had moved back to Pahrump, Nevada, with his family. In 2012, he expressed his disappointment with what Coast to Coast AM had become.
Return to Radio in 2013
Bell returned to the airwaves on September 16, 2013, with his new show Art Bell's Dark Matter on SiriusXM satellite radio. The show aired Monday through Thursday evenings. However, Bell left Dark Matter after only six weeks in November 2013.
Midnight in the Desert Radio Show
On July 20, 2015, Bell launched another new show called Midnight in the Desert. This show was available online and on some regular radio stations. He also broadcast it on shortwave radio.
On December 11, 2015, Bell permanently stepped down as host of Midnight in the Desert. He cited concerns about his family's safety, reporting multiple incidents of gunshots near his property. The show continued with new hosts after his departure.
Death
In July 2016, Art Bell shared on his website that he was hospitalized for pneumonia and suffered from a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Art Bell passed away on April 13, 2018, at his home in Pahrump, Nevada, at the age of 72.
George Noory, the current host of Coast To Coast AM, announced Bell's death on air. He shared that while they had their differences, Art Bell was very important in his own radio career.
Amateur Radio
Art Bell became a licensed amateur radio operator when he was 13. His first call sign was KN3JOX. He later upgraded his license to the highest level in the U.S., becoming an Amateur Extra Class operator with the call sign W6OBB.
While living in the Philippines, Bell also passed their amateur radio exams and became a Philippine Class A operator with the call sign 4F1AB. He was active on various radio frequencies, communicating with people around the world.
Books
Art Bell wrote or co-wrote several books. These include The Quickening: Today's Trends, Tomorrow's World; The Art of Talk (his autobiography); The Source: Journey Through the Unexplained; and The Edge: Man's Mysterious Past & Incredible Future.
He also co-authored The Coming Global Superstorm with Whitley Strieber. This book later became the basis for the popular movie, The Day After Tomorrow.
Other Work and Appearances
Art Bell also appeared in television shows and movies, often playing himself.
- In 1996, he appeared in an episode of the NBC science fiction series Dark Skies.
- In 1999, Bell appeared as himself on the TV series Millennium.
- He was interviewed on Larry King Live in 1999.
- The progressive rock band Tool used a clip from one of Bell's famous "Area 51 calls" in their 2001 song "Faaip De Oiad."
- In 2005, Bell and his wife Ramona were featured in an ABC News special about UFOs called Peter Jennings Reporting: UFOs – Seeing Is Believing.
- In 2006, Bell was featured in the video game Prey, playing himself as the host of Coast to Coast AM. Players could listen to his broadcasts in the game, which described events happening on Earth as the game's alien story unfolded.
- In 2007, Bell appeared as himself in the movie I Know Who Killed Me.
- He appeared alongside Mark Arnold in the 2016 film Abduct, where he played himself trying to help protect a young woman from an alien threat.
Marriages
- Airyn Ruiz: Married April 11, 2006, until his death on April 13, 2018. They had two children, Asia Rayne Bell and Alexander William Bell.
- Ramona Lee Hayes: Married August 4, 1991, until her death on January 5, 2006.
- Vickie L. Baker: Married March 1, 1981, divorced July 3, 1991. They had one child, Arthur William Bell IV.
- Sachiko Toguchi Bell Pontius: Married 1965, divorced 1968. They had two children, Vincent Pontius and Lisa Pontius Minei.
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See Also
In Spanish: Art Bell para niños
