Alvertis Isbell
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Al Bell (born Alvertis Isbell; March 15, 1940) is an American record producer, songwriter, and
record executive A music executive or record executive is a person within a music company, in particular, a record label who works in senior management and makes executive decisions over the label's artists. Their role varies greatly but in essence, they can over ...
. He is best known as having been an executive and co-owner of
Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in September 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. ...
with Jim Stewart based in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
, during the latter half of the label's 19-year existence. A former disc jockey in his hometown of
Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...
,Bowman, Rob (1997). Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records. New York: Schirmer Trade. Bell was vital to the careers of Stax's
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
stars such as the
Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February 2 ...
and
Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...
, the
Emotions Emotions are physical and mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavior, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is ...
, 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. In 2009, the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
profiled Bell as "one of the icons of soul music" and "the driving force behind Stax Records". Following his career at Stax, Bell became president of Motown Records Group during its restructuring for sale to MCA and Boston Ventures Group. He later started his own label, Bellmark, whose releases included Tag Team's single " Whoomp! (There It Is)" (1993). Today, Bell works in the independent music scene in Memphis and maintains an online music website and radio show at AlBellPresents.com.


Biography


Early career at Stax

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 Jim Stewart. 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. In 1968, following the plane crash that killed Stax's biggest star,
Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
, Stax severed its distribution deal with
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
, 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
Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February 2 ...
as well as newcomers the
Emotions Emotions are physical and mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavior, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is ...
and the Soul Children. Bell notably scheduled twenty-seven albums for near-simultaneous release in mid-1969 and produced much of the material himself. One of those albums, ''
Hot Buttered Soul ''Hot Buttered Soul'' is the second studio album by American Soul music, soul musician Isaac Hayes. Released in June 1969, it is recognized as a landmark recording in soul music. Recorded with The Bar-Kays, the album features four lengthy tracks ...
'', by Stax songwriter and producer
Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...
, 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 " Respect Yourself" and "
I'll Take You There "I'll Take You There" is a song written by Al Bell (using his real name Alvertis Isbell), and originally performed by soul music, soul/gospel music, gospel family band the Staple Singers. The Staple Singers version, produced by Bell, was releas ...
," the latter of which he wrote.


Stax in the 1970s

Bell became co-owner of Stax in 1969 when co-founder
Estelle Axton Estelle Axton (''née'' Stewart; September 11, 1918 – February 24, 2004) was an American record executive and co-founder of Stax Records, along with her brother Jim Stewart. Biography Born in Middleton, Tennessee, Estelle Stewart grew up o ...
, 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
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
. 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 released the soundtracks for feature films such as ''
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song ''Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song'' is a 1971 American independent blaxploitation action thriller film written, co-produced, scored, edited, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles. His son Mario Van Peebles also appears in a small ro ...
'' and '' Shaft'' (both 1971). In 1972, Al Bell supervised the
Wattstax ''Wattstax'' was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Augus ...
festival, a day-long concert featuring Stax artists which was held in Los Angeles in response to the
Watts riots The Watts riots, sometimes referred to as the Watts Rebellion or Watts Uprising, took place in the Watts neighborhood and its surrounding areas of Los Angeles from August 11 to 16, 1965. The riots were motivated by anger at the racist and abus ...
. The 1973 documentary film ''Wattstax'' was produced by the label's new film division. After four years of the label distributing its own records, Bell signed a new distribution deal with CBS Records in 1972. Stax's relationship with CBS was tumultuous at best; with Bell and the Stax staff borrowing heavily from Memphis'
Union Planters Bank Union Planters Bank was a United States financial institution and multi-state bank holding corporation headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee prior to being acquired by Regions Financial Corporation. With over $34 billion in assets, Union Planter ...
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.


Later career

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 MCA/Boston Ventures Group. After Motown, he discovered the music group
Tag Team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
and through his Bellmark Records label released their hit single " Whoomp! (There It Is)" (1993), which became one of the fastest-selling singles in the music industry history. Bell also released
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
's hit single " The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", after Prince's label
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
turned him down. 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
radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
program, ''Al Bell Presents: American Soul Music.'' In 2009, Bell was profiled in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and on the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
as he returned to Memphis to help develop the city's independent music scene. Bell gave interviews for the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
documentary '' Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.'' (2024).


Awards

Bell has received numerous awards, including: * Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Executive, September 14, 2022 * Induction into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Clarksdale, Mississippi, June 6, 2015 * Inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, February 13, 2015 * Induction into the
Memphis Music Hall of Fame The Memphis Music Hall of Fame, located in Memphis, Tennessee, honors Memphis musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert is held each year in Memphis. Since its establishment in 2012, the Hall of Fame has ...
, 2014 * Grammy Trustees Award, 2011 *Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Black Chamber of Commerce *Alex Haley "Roots Award," Greater Washington, DC Business Center *National Award of Achievement, U.S. Department of Commerce *Dare to Soar Award, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center *Achievement Award,
Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
*1000 Most Successful Blacks,
Ebony Magazine ''Ebony'' is a monthly magazine that focuses on news, culture, and entertainment. Its target audience is the Black-American community, and its coverage includes the lifestyles and accomplishments of influential black people, fashion, beauty, and ...
*100 Most Influential Black Men, Ebony Magazine *Entered in "
Who's Who in the World Marquis Who's Who, also known as A.N. Marquis Company ( or ), is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in A ...
" *Induction into America's Music and Entertainment of Fame *Induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame *Member of the Board of Directors, Memphis Chamber of Commerce *Member of the Board of Directors, Central Arkansas Chapter of the March of Dimes *Member of the Board of Trustees, Philander Smith College *Memphis' Legendary Record Producers Award, 2005 * W.C. Handy Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002 *Record Executive of the Year, Impact Magazine, 1994 *Record Executive of the Year, BRE, 1994 *Chairman's Award, Southeast Music, 1994 *NARM Indie Best Seller Award ("Whoomp! There It Is", Tag Team), 1994 *Independent Label of the Year Award, The Urban Network, 1994 *The Spirit of Freedom Award, Freedom Magazine, 1994 *Russell Simmons Award for Executive Excellence, Young Black Programmers' Coalition, 1993 *Black Music Chief Executive of the Year, Impact, 1993 *Living Legend Award, Warner Bros., Reprise Records & Urban Network, 1972 Heroes and Legends Leadership Award, 1991 *Voted Number Five in the 30 All-Time Greatest Executives in Black Music, Impact Magazine Poll, 1985 *Best Documentary (''
Wattstax ''Wattstax'' was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Augus ...
''), nomination Golden Globe (1973) *Executive of the Year, Bill Gavin Radio Program Conference, 1971


References


External links


Al Bell Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2018) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Al 1940 births Living people African-American songwriters Songwriters from Arkansas Record producers from Arkansas Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas Philander Smith University alumni People from Brinkley, Arkansas Stax Records 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians