William Bell

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 16, 1939, William Bell is a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter whose music encompasses R&B, soul, blues, and Americana. He made his studio debut in 1957 as a member of The Del Rios, a short-lived vocal group, and joined Stax Records' legendary roster as a songwriter. He soon began recording his own songs for the label and released his debut album, The Soul of a Bell, in 1967. The album's lead single, "Everybody Loves a Winner," climbed to Number 18 on the Billboard R&B chart later that year. Meanwhile, Albert King scored a major hit with "Born Under a Bad Sign," an enduring blues classic composed by William Bell and Booker T. Jones. William Bell released five additional singles that all cracked the R&B Top 40, including the Number 10 hit "I Forgot to Be Your Lover," before the '60s drew to a close. He later scored the biggest hit of his career with "Tryin' to Love Two," a crossover success that topped the R&B chart and peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. William Bell's prolific output of recorded material began to slow during the 1990s and early 21st century, although he enjoyed a resurgence in popularity with 2016's This Is Where I Live. Produced by John Leventhal and released by the newly-reactivated Stax Records, This Is Where I Live won a Grammy Award in 2017 for Best Americana Album, reintroducing William Bell's music to a new generation of soul and blues fans.