Al Bell | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alvertis Isbell |
| Born | March 15, 1940 Brinkley, Arkansas, United States |
| Genres | Soul, gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, songwriter, record executive, disc jockey |
| Years active | 1965 – present |
| Labels | Stax, Motown, Bellmark |
Al Bell (born Alvertis Isbell; March 15, 1940)[1] is an American record producer, songwriter, and record executive. He is best known as having been an executive and co-owner of Stax Records with Jim Stewart based in Memphis, Tennessee, during the latter half of the label's 19-year existence.
A former disc jockey in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas,[2] Bell was vital to the careers of Stax's soul stars such as the Staple Singers and Isaac Hayes, the Emotions, the Dramatics, and Mel and Tim. Bell's promotional efforts drove the "Memphis sound" internationally and made Stax the second-largest African-American–owned business in the 1970s.[3] In 2009, the BBC profiled Bell as "one of the icons of soul music" and "the driving force behind Stax Records".[4]
Following his career at Stax, Bell became president of Motown Records Group during its restructuring for sale to MCA and Boston Ventures Group.[3] He later started his own label, Bellmark, whose releases included Tag Team's single "Whoomp! (There It Is)" (1993).[1] Today, Bell works in the independent music scene in Memphis and maintains an online music website and radio show at AlBellPresents.com.[5]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
NYTwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Bowman, Rob (1997). Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records. New York: Schirmer Trade. ISBN 0-8256-7284-8
- ^ a b Gordon, Robert and Neville, Morgan (2007). Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story (Documentary film). New York: Concord Music Group.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
BBCwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Soul, R & B, Blues, Gospel Online Radio Station and Store". Al Bell Presents. 2013-04-16. Archived from the original on 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
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