Official Biography (courtesy of Wilbe Records)
In a distinguished career as a singer, songwriter and producer, William Bell has come to define the essence of Soul music.
Born in Memphis and based in Atlanta since 1970, he is one the chief architects of the Stax-Volt sound along with other luminaries such as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the MG’s, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, Carla and Rufus Thomas, The Staple Singers and Bar-Kays.
William recorded his first sides as a member of the Del Rios. In 1961, he made his solo recording debut with the classic single “You Dont Miss Your Water”, which became one of the label’s first major hits.
After a two-year stint in the Armed Forces, William released his first full-length album in 1967. “The Soul of a Bell” included the Top 20 hit single “Everybody Loves a Winner.” That same year, blues great Albert King recorded what came to be his signature tune “Born Under a Bad Sign”, also written by Bell along with Booker T. Jones, which has since become one of the most-recorded songs in pop music history.
Other classic William Bell hits at Stax were “Any Other Way”, “Never Like This Before”, “A Tribute to a King” (William’s personal tribute to Stax legend Otis Redding), “I Forgot to be Your Lover”, his internationally acclaimed duet with Judy Clay, “Private Number” and the perennial Christmas favorite, “Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday”.
In 1970 William moved to Atlanta and eventually struck pay dirt in 1977 with “Tryin’ to Love Two” for Mercury Records, which topped the R&B charts and spent more than six months there.
In 1985, William launched Wilbe Records and crafted the album “Passion” which produced three chart singles in the U.S. and was a major hit in the U.K. “I Don’t Want to Wake Up Feeling Guilty”, a duet with Janice Bullock, stayed on the American charts for close to nine months. “Headline News” was released as a single in England and was later voted one of the top ten records in 1987 by the readers of “Blues & Soul” magazine.
In addition to releasing more of his own albums in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, William began to produce and develop other artists for his Wilbe label.
After 1992, he took a break from recording, but continued to perform around the world. Some of his performing highlights during that period include the renowned Montreux Jazz Festival in 1995 and three memorable nights during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta that saw him paired with fellow Memphis music legends Rufus Thomas and Ann Peebles.
1997 turned out to be a very rewarding year as well for William as he reaped accolades from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, winning their R&B Pioneer Award; and The State of Georgia, which inducted him into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame by then-governor Zell Miller.
In 2000, he returned to the recording studio and released “A Portrait Is Forever”, an album of all original songs on his Wilbe label.
Other awards received thru the years include the prestigious W.C. Handy Heritage Award in 2003 and the BMI Songwriter’s Award for “I Forgot To Be Your Lover”, elements of which laid the foundation for recording artist Jaheim’s smash hit “Put That Woman First”.
In 2004, Bell received the Joe Pope Pioneer Award, presented at the Carolina Beach Music Awards.
In addition, Wilbe Records was voted Record Label of the Year in 2004 at the Southern Konnection Radio and DJ Conference and multiple awards in the same category at the Jus’ Blues Music Awards.
Internationally he was honored to receive the L’académie Du Jazz Paris award as a vocalist.
William Bell has continued to enjoy a distinguished career as a singer, songwriter and producer and his songs have been recorded by a diverse array of artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Koko Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Idol, Melissa Etheridge, Rod Stewart, Etta James, and many, many more. Additionally, his recordings have been sampled by an impressive list of hip-hop and R&B artists including Kanye West, Ludacris, the aforementioned Jaheim and the late Tupac Shakur among others.
Some of William’s live performance highlights include the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC which drew almost a million people in three days, with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra where he was joined by Stax Alumnus Booker T. Jones, Lincoln Center in New York City, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, Porretta Soul Festival in Italy, Billboard Live in Tokyo, and at The White House for the PBS broadcast of ‘In Performance At The White House: Memphis Soul” during the Obama Administration.
In 2014 William Bell appeared in the critically acclaimed and award winning movie
“Take Me To The River”, a Martin Shore Production. In connection with the film he traveled the world attending film festivals and performing concerts.
On New Years Eve 2015, William sang three of his songs on Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny for the BBC in London, including a duet with Joss Stone. He also filmed a segment for the Cinemax TV series “Quarry” which premiered in 2016.
In February 2017, William received a Grammy Award in the Americana Album of the Year category for his album on the STAX/Concord Records imprint
“This Is Where I Live” and performed on the telecast with Gary Clark, Jr.!
William has been heavily involved with the Memphis, TN based Stax Museum in which he played an integral role in establishing and the Stax Music Academy as well as the “Take Me to The River” education initiative in partnership with the Berklee School of Music.
He is also a member of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
In 2020 William was honored with the National Endowment of the Arts “NEA” lifetime award, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.
In April 2023, William Bell released the album “One Step Closer To Home” with 12 NEW songs and continues to be a major force in the music industry!
