William Bell (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Bell
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Bell in 1971
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Yarbrough |
| Born | July 16, 1939 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1957–present |
| Labels | Stax Records, Wilbe Records |
William Bell (born William Yarbrough on July 16, 1939) is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is famous for his smooth voice and heartfelt songs. Some of his best-known songs include "You Don't Miss Your Water" from 1961 and "Tryin' to Love Two" from 1976. The song "Tryin' to Love Two" even reached number one on the R&B music charts in the U.S.
William Bell also wrote many popular songs for other artists. He co-wrote "Born Under A Bad Sign", which was a big hit for Albert King and Cream. He also wrote "I Forgot to Be Your Lover", which later became Billy Idol's hit song "To Be a Lover". In 2017, William Bell won a Grammy for Best Americana Album for his album This Is Where I Live. He even performed at the Grammy Awards that year.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
William Bell was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He chose "Bell" as his stage name to honor his grandmother, whose first name was Belle.
As a child, William sang in church. He looked up to Sam Cooke, a famous gospel singer. When he was just ten years old, William started writing his own songs. One of his first songs was called "Alone on a Rainy Night".
By the age of 14, William Bell was already making a name for himself. He won a talent contest and began singing in clubs around Memphis. This helped him get noticed in the music world.
Joining Stax Records
William Bell first started in music by singing backup for Rufus Thomas. In 1957, he recorded his first songs with a teenage singing group called the Del Rios. This group caught the attention of Stax Records, a famous record label.
Stax Records signed William Bell early on, first as a songwriter. Other well-known artists on Stax Records included Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and Isaac Hayes. William Bell was the first male solo artist to sign with Stax Records. He released several songs before he joined the military. Even while in the military, he continued to record songs when he was on break. One of these songs was "Marching Off to War".
After his time in the military, William Bell released his first album in 1967. It was called The Soul of a Bell. This album included his popular song "Everybody Loves a Winner".
Friendship and Famous Songs
William Bell was good friends with Otis Redding, another singer from Stax Records. William was actually supposed to be on the same plane that crashed in 1967, which sadly led to Otis Redding's death. William later said that a snowstorm canceled his show, saving him from the flight.
After this tragedy, William Bell worked with Booker T. Jones from Booker T. & the M.G.'s. They wrote "A Tribute to a King" to honor Otis Redding. This song quickly became a hit.
In 1967, William Bell also co-wrote a Christmas song that became very popular. It was called "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday". This song is still a classic R&B Christmas song today. In 2017, Hot Press magazine even called it the "Greatest Christmas record of all time".
Later Career and Awards
In 1969, William Bell moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he started his own record company called Peachtree Record Company. He also took acting lessons and performed in a play called A Streetcar Named Desire.
Later, he signed with Mercury Records. In 1977, he released the song "Trying to Love Two". This song became a huge success, reaching number one on the R&B charts and selling a million copies.
In 1985, William Bell started another record label called Wilbe. He released his album Passion on this label. Two years later, he was honored by being added to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He also received the R&B Pioneer Award.
William Bell took a break from recording new music starting in 1992, but he still performed often. In 2000, he released a new album called A Portrait Is Forever. In 2003, he received the W.C. Handy Heritage Award. Six years later, he released another album called New Lease on Life.
Recent Achievements and Performances
In 2016, William Bell worked with Stax Records again to release a new album. The album, This Is Where I Live, featured new songs and a new recording of "Born Under a Bad Sign". In 2017, this album won a Grammy for Best Americana Album. This award brought William Bell even more fame. He performed at the BBC's 50 Years of Soul event in London. He also performed at BB King's Blues Club in New York City before it closed.
William Bell was also featured in a 2014 documentary film called Take Me to the River. This film explored the music scene in Memphis. He appeared alongside other famous artists like Mavis Staples. He is also involved in the sequel to this documentary.
His song "You Don't Miss Your Water" was featured in the TV series Quarry in 2016. In 2017, at 78 years old, William Bell performed live at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He joined Jools Holland and his band to celebrate 50 years of Stax Records.
William Bell toured in 2017 and 2018 with artists from the Take Me to the River film. This touring group was even named one of the "10 Bands to See This Year" by Parade magazine. He also performed twice on NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts.
In 2018, he released a new song called "In a Moment of Weakness". He performed at the Mempho Music Festival in Memphis in October 2018. In 2019, he worked with the band Southern Avenue on their song "We've Got the Music". He also performed at the 2019 Blues Music Awards.
Guitar legend Eric Clapton released a cover of Bell's holiday song "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday" in 2018. William Bell joined other soul legends for a tribute concert to B. B. King in 2020. The National Endowment for the Arts also named him one of their 2020 fellows. This is a very high honor for artists who keep cultural traditions alive.
In 2023, William Bell released a new album called One Day Closer to Home. Critics praised it, calling him "a master at work". In 2024, his 1961 hit song "You Don't Miss Your Water" was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame. This honor is given to recordings that are very important in music history.
Songs Covered by Other Artists
Many artists have covered William Bell's songs. Here are a few examples:
- Linda Ronstadt sang "Everybody Loves a Winner" on her 1973 album Don't Cry Now.
- Homer Simpson from The Simpsons sang "Born Under a Bad Sign" on the 1990 album The Simpsons Sing the Blues.
- Cream covered "Born Under a Bad Sign" on their 1968 album Wheels of Fire.
- Jimi Hendrix also covered "Born Under a Bad Sign" on his album Blues.
- Etta James covered "Born Under a Bad Sign" on her 1998 album Life, Love, and the Blues.
- 911 covered "Private Number" for their 1999 album There It Is.
- Carole King covered "Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday" on her 2011 album A Holiday Carole.
- The Byrds covered "You Don't Miss Your Water" on their 1968 album Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
- Bruce Springsteen covered "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" and "Any Other Way" on his 2022 album Only the Strong Survive.
- The Black Keys covered "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" on their 2024 album Ohio Players.
Awards and Honors
William Bell has received many awards for his music:
- 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 (2016)
- Inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (2016)
- Grammy Award win: Best Americana Album for This Is Where I Live (2017)
- Epitome of Soul Award presented by Stevie Wonder (2017)
- National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts (2020)
