267:
In the 1970s
Stewart began turning over more and more of Stax's daily operations to Bell, who began ambitious plans to expand the company's operations, similar to what Berry Gordy, Jr. had been doing at Motown Records. Stax began distributing music from several smaller Memphis labels and produced and
202:
Bell joined Stax in 1965 as director of promotions and was essential in aiding the growth of the company's revenue. Over the next three years, he rose through the ranks of the company, eventually becoming executive vice president and the most influential figure in the company after co-founder
312:
After Stax folded, Bell returned to Little Rock. He voluntarily stayed away from the music industry for a decade, save for periodic participation in local recordings. In the 1980s, he became head of the Motown
Records Group and worked closely with Berry Gordy Jr. in the sale of Motown to the
303:
but CBS withholding records from stores and profits from Stax, the label's fortunes sharply declined until it slid into bankruptcy and was closed by court order in late 1975. Bell was indicted for, and later acquitted of, bank fraud during the Stax bankruptcy proceedings.
260:, unhappy with Bell's visions for the company, sold her shares and departed from the label. He therefore became the first African-American to have equity in the label; although Stax specialized in African-American music, both of its founders, Stewart and Axton, were
240:, was a significant success, establishing Hayes as a recording artist in his own right. Bell was directly involved in shaping the careers of the Staple Singers, creating for them a new sound which resulted in hits such as "
218:, who retained the label's back catalog to that point. Bell launched an initiative designed to put out enough albums and singles in an effort to rebuild a catalog for Stax. New signees included gospel stars the
207:. In addition to his administrative and promotional work, Bell was often directly involved in the production of the label's music, working as a songwriter and a producer for several acts on the label.
709:
170:. Bell's promotional efforts drove the "Memphis sound" internationally and made Stax the second-largest African-American–owned business in the 1970s. In 2009, the
340:
After
Bellmark Records, Bell returned to Little Rock to begin work on a new web-based venture, Al Bell Presents, for which he hosts a successful online
330:
230:. Bell notably scheduled twenty-seven albums for near-simultaneous release in mid-1969 and produced much of the material himself. One of those albums,
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189:" (1993). Today, Bell works in the independent music scene in Memphis and maintains an online music website and radio show at AlBellPresents.com.
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in 1972. Stax's relationship with CBS was tumultuous at best; with Bell and the Stax staff borrowing heavily from
Memphis'
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969:
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685:
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Living Legend Award, Warner Bros., Reprise
Records & Urban Network, 1972 Heroes and Legends Leadership Award, 1991
580:
185:
and Boston
Ventures Group. He later started his own label, Bellmark, whose releases included Tag Team's single "
879:
204:
132:
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325:" (1993), which became one of the fastest-selling singles in the music industry history. Bell also released
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182:
389:
Induction into the
Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Clarksdale, Mississippi, June 6, 2015
804:
630:
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After four years of the label distributing its own records, Bell signed a new distribution deal with
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festival, a day-long concert featuring Stax artists which was held in Los
Angeles in response to the
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Voted Number Five in the 30 All-Time
Greatest Executives in Black Music, Impact Magazine Poll, 1985
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367:
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profiled Bell as "one of the icons of soul music" and "the driving force behind Stax
Records".
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Bowman, Rob (1997). Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records. New York: Schirmer Trade.
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686:"A Great New Documentary Corrects the Record About One of Music's Most Important Chapters"
8:
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Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Black Chamber of Commerce
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Russell Simmons Award for Executive Excellence, Young Black Programmers' Coalition, 1993
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Member of the Board of Directors, Central Arkansas Chapter of the March of Dimes
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as he returned to Memphis to help develop the city's independent music scene.
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MCA/Boston Ventures Group. After Motown, he discovered the music group
147:
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NARM Indie Best Seller Award ("Whoomp! There It Is", Tag Team), 1994
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Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Executive
210:
In 1968, following the plane crash that killed Stax's biggest star,
932:
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Inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, February 13, 2015
281:
123:; March 15, 1940) is an American record producer, songwriter, and
663:
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Executive of the Year, Bill Gavin Radio Program Conference, 1971
408:
Alex Haley "Roots Award," Greater Washington, DC Business Center
660:"Soul, R & B, Blues, Gospel Online Radio Station and Store"
127:. He is best known as having been an executive and co-owner of
445:
Member of the Board of Directors, Memphis Chamber of Commerce
475:
Independent Label of the Year Award, The Urban Network, 1994
139:, during the latter half of the label's 19-year existence.
411:
National Award of Achievement, U.S. Department of Commerce
362:
355:
171:
451:
Member of the Board of Trustees, Philander Smith College
439:
Induction into America's Music and Entertainment of Fame
177:
Following his career at Stax, Bell became president of
484:
Black Music Chief Executive of the Year, Impact, 1993
256:
Bell became co-owner of Stax in 1969 when co-founder
478:
The Spirit of Freedom Award, Freedom Magazine, 1994
463:
Record Executive of the Year, Impact Magazine, 1994
414:
Dare to Soar Award, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
268:released the soundtracks for feature films such as
654:
652:
615:(Documentary film). New York: Concord Music Group.
946:
649:
454:Memphis' Legendary Record Producers Award, 2005
292:was produced by the label's new film division.
662:. Al Bell Presents. 2013-04-16. Archived from
442:Induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame
429:100 Most Influential Black Men, Ebony Magazine
379:Bell has received numerous awards, including:
280:(both 1971). In 1972, Al Bell supervised the
805:
611:Gordon, Robert and Neville, Morgan (2007).
812:
798:
758:. Al Bell official website. Archived from
214:, Stax severed its distribution deal with
146:, Bell was vital to the careers of Stax's
683:
613:Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story
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142:A former disc jockey in his hometown of
1005:20th-century African-American musicians
1000:21st-century African-American musicians
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469:Chairman's Award, Southeast Music, 1994
466:Record Executive of the Year, BRE, 1994
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346:Al Bell Presents: American Soul Music.
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736:. Recording Academy. December 2, 2014
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181:during its restructuring for sale to
16:American musical artist and executive
629:Maher, Michael (23 September 2009).
331:The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
251:
585:
13:
980:Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas
901:Stax Museum of American Soul Music
619:
535:"Out of Exile, Back in Soulsville"
513:
236:, by Stax songwriter and producer
14:
1016:
985:Philander Smith University alumni
777:
499:), nomination Golden Globe (1973)
321:label released their hit single "
271:Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
248:," the latter of which he wrote.
786:NAMM Oral History Library (2018)
460:Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002
307:
990:People from Brinkley, Arkansas
975:Record producers from Arkansas
756:"Black American History Month"
748:
722:
702:
533:Sontag, Deborah (2009-08-14).
348:In 2009, Bell was profiled in
1:
684:Hamilton, Jack (2024-05-20).
506:
423:1000 Most Successful Blacks,
361:Bell gave interviews for the
82:Record producer, songwriter,
965:African-American songwriters
288:. The 1973 documentary film
192:
7:
402:Grammy Trustees Award, 2011
10:
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397:Memphis Music Hall of Fame
970:Songwriters from Arkansas
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730:"Trustees Award: Al Bell"
710:"Al Bell with Rob Bowman"
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222:as well as newcomers the
100:
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38:
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21:
333:", after Prince's label
919:Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.
635:BBC World News: America
368:Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.
434:Who's Who in the World
419:Boy Scouts of America
323:Whoomp! (There It Is)
187:Whoomp! (There It Is)
144:Little Rock, Arkansas
631:"Soul icon: Al Bell"
386:, September 14, 2022
335:Warner Bros. Records
198:Early career at Stax
179:Motown Records Group
906:Walt Disney Records
417:Achievement Award,
395:Induction into the
301:Union Planters Bank
246:I'll Take You There
860:Donald "Duck" Dunn
539:The New York Times
493:Best Documentary (
351:The New York Times
150:stars such as the
137:Memphis, Tennessee
107:, Motown, Bellmark
55:Brinkley, Arkansas
942:
941:
912:Pebble to a Pearl
821:Stax/Volt Records
784:Al Bell Interview
337:turned him down.
252:Stax in the 1970s
233:Hot Buttered Soul
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59:United States
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51:(age 84)
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896:Memphis soul
875:David Porter
839:
764:. Retrieved
760:the original
750:
738:. Retrieved
733:
724:
713:
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693:. Retrieved
689:
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668:. Retrieved
664:the original
639:. Retrieved
634:
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542:. Retrieved
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432:Entered in "
378:
366:
365:documentary
360:
349:
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311:
308:Later career
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269:
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255:
231:
212:Otis Redding
209:
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176:
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129:Stax Records
120:
116:
115:
92:Years active
955:1940 births
880:Jim Stewart
870:Isaac Hayes
855:Nikka Costa
354:and on the
297:CBS Records
286:Watts riots
238:Isaac Hayes
205:Jim Stewart
168:Mel and Tim
156:Isaac Hayes
133:Jim Stewart
949:Categories
926:Soulsville
766:2011-11-06
740:October 9,
734:grammy.com
695:2024-06-11
670:2013-05-31
507:References
458:W.C. Handy
45:1940-03-15
30:Birth name
344:program,
193:Biography
164:Dramatics
135:based in
933:Wattstax
715:Facebook
496:Wattstax
371:(2024).
315:Tag Team
290:Wattstax
282:Wattstax
226:and the
224:Emotions
160:Emotions
840:Al Bell
244:" and "
117:Al Bell
23:Al Bell
641:18 May
579:
544:18 May
399:, 2014
375:Awards
327:Prince
166:, and
162:, the
158:, the
119:(born
101:Labels
73:gospel
65:Genres
690:Slate
637:. BBC
342:radio
277:Shaft
262:white
131:with
742:2019
643:2010
577:ISBN
546:2010
274:and
154:and
148:soul
105:Stax
69:Soul
39:Born
363:HBO
356:BBC
183:MCA
172:BBC
951::
732:.
712:.
688:.
651:^
633:.
621:^
587:^
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537:.
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264:.
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47:)
813:e
806:t
799:v
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673:.
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436:"
43:(
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