Born in Memphis, Tennessee, William Bell is one of the principal architects of the Stax-Volt sound alongside 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 Stax Records' 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, the great blues Albert King recorded what would become his signature song "Born Under a Bad Sign", also written by Bell 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 international album. acclaimed duet with Judy Clay, "Private Number" and the perennial holiday favorite, "Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday."
In 1970, William moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and finally hit the mark in 1977 with "Tryin' to Love Two" for Mercury Records, which topped the R&B charts and spent over six months there.
In 1985, William launched Wilbe Records and created the album "Passion" which produced three singles in the US and was a major success in the UK.
After 1992, he took a break from recording, but continued to perform around the world. Some of his highlights during this period include the famous Montreux Jazz Festival in 1995 and three memorable evenings during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
In 1997, William received accolades from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, winning the 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 over the years include the prestigious WC 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 the artist Jaheim's hit "Put That Woman First.”
In 2004, Bell received the Joe Pope Pioneer Award, presented at the Carolina Beach Music Awards. Additionally, Wilbe Records was voted 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. At the international level, he had the honor of receiving the Paris Jazz Academy prize as a singer.
William Bell went on to have a distinguished career as a singer, songwriter and producer and his songs have been recorded and sampled by a wide range of artists.
William's recent highlights include the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC, which attracted nearly a million people in three days, with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra where he was joined by Booker T. Jones, alumnus of Stax, at Lincoln Center in New York, 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 administration of President Barack Obama.
In 2014, William Bell appeared in the award-winning and critically acclaimed film.
"Take Me to the River", a Martin Shore production. As part of the film, he traveled the world attending film festivals and giving concerts.
On New Year's 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 television series “Quarry,” which premiered in 2016.
William Bell returned to Stax Records for the recording and release of the aptly titled album "This Is Where I Live," his first major release in some time which earned him a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.
William was heavily involved with the Stax Museum based in Memphis, Tennessee, where he played an integral role in the creation of the Stax Music Academy as well as the "Take Me to The River" educational initiative in partnership with the Berklee School of Music.
He is also a member of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
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