Art Bell (golfer)
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Arthur William Bell III (June 17, 1945 – April 13, 2018) was an American broadcaster and author. He was the founder and the original host of the
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
-themed radio program ''
Coast to Coast AM ''Coast to Coast AM'' is an American late-night radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics. Most frequently the topics relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was hosted by creator Art Bell from its inception in 198 ...
'', which is syndicated on hundreds of radio stations in the United States and Canada. He also created and hosted its companion show ''Dreamland''. ''Coast to Coast'' still airs nightly, now hosted weeknights by
George Noory George Ralph Noory (born June 4, 1950) is an American talk radio, radio talk show host. Since January 2003, Noory has been the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show ''Coast to Coast AM''. The program is radio syndication, syndicated to ...
. Bell's past shows from 1994 to 2002 are repeated on
Premiere Networks Premiere Networks, Inc. (formerly Premiere Radio Networks, shortened as PRN) is an American media company, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original radio content distribution and production arm. It is th ...
on Saturday evenings. They are retitled ''Somewhere in Time with Art Bell''. In 2003, Bell partially retired from ''Coast to Coast AM''. During the following four years, he hosted the show for many weekends on Premiere Networks. He announced his retirement from weekend hosting in 2007, but occasionally served as a
guest host A guest host (or guest presenter in the United Kingdom) is a host, usually of a talk show, that hosts the program in lieu of the regular host if they fall ill, have another project or commitment, or are unable to host for some other reason. Guest ...
through 2010. He started a new nightly show, '' Art Bell's Dark Matter'', on
Sirius XM Radio Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merger ...
, that aired for six weeks in 2013. In 2015, he returned to radio with a new show ''Midnight in the Desert'', which was available online via TuneIn as well as some terrestrial radio stations. He retired on December 11, 2015, citing security concerns at his home in
Pahrump, Nevada Pahrump ( ) is an Unincorporated towns in Nevada, unincorporated town located at the southernmost tip of Nye County, Nevada, United States, about west of Las Vegas (roughly an hour away by driving distance). Pahrump lies adjacent to the Nevada ...
, west of
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. Bell was the founder and original owner of Pahrump-based radio station
KNYE KNYE is an American radio station located in Pahrump, Nye County, Nevada. The station plays an eclectic mix of pop music most of the broadcast day. '' Coast to Coast AM'' is heard every night. The signals are received in Las Vegas 60 miles to t ...
95.1 FM. His broadcast studio and
transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...
were located near his home, where he also hosted ''Coast to Coast AM''.


Early life

Bell was born in
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. Sources differ on whether he was born in
Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
or
Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune ( or ) is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( ...
. Both of his parents served in the United States military. He had a
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
background. Bell was always interested in radio; at the age of 13, he became a licensed
amateur radio operator An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators ...
. Bell held an Amateur Extra Class license, which is in the top U.S.
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
license class. His
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was W6OBB. In the 1960s Bell underwent basic training at
Lackland Air Force Base Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of ...
and served in the
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...
for four years as a
medic A medic is a person trained to provide medical care, encompassing a wide range of individuals involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of health conditions. The term can refer to fully qualified medical practitioners, such as physic ...
during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. Although not involved in combat, he was stationed for a short time at a hospital in
Da Nang Da Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons (, ) is the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the Western Pacific Ocean of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one of Vietnam's most important p ...
. At this hospital and others, such as
Clark Air Base Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base in Luzon, located west of Angeles City, and about northwest of Metro Manila. It was previously operated by the U.S. Air Force and, before that, the U.S. Army, from 1903 to 1991. The base cov ...
in the Philippines, he witnessed the effects of the war first-hand, something he did not like to recall or talk about. While in the military, Bell, with a few friends on base, operated a
pirate radio Pirate radio is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license, whether an invalid license or no license at all. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are rec ...
station at
Amarillo Air Force Base Amarillo, yellow or golden in Spanish, may refer to: Places * Amarillo, Texas, city in the US * Amarillo, Western Australia, former name for Keralup, Western Australia People * Amarillo Slim (1928–2012), American poker player * Eric Amarill ...
. After receiving support from the base commander, they expanded the operation, playing music for the entire base; the signal was strong enough to be picked up in the city of Amarillo. When local radio stations learned of the pirate station's popularity after it appeared in the
Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings, it was forced to shut down after being on the air for a year. This was the start of Bell's radio career. After leaving military service in 1966, Bell worked at several radio stations in the States before moving to
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
, where he was a
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
for six years at KSBK, the only non-military English-language station in Japan. While there, he claimed to set two "world records", first by staying on the air without sleep for five days and nights (115 hours and 15 minutes). He later wrote that this extreme sleep deprivation was a strange experience and something he would never do again. He said that as he went about his normal routine, such as walking to the refrigerator during a break, it was as if he was "floating around in a different world", and things seemed "unreal". The second "world record" he claimed to set was for the longest continuous broadcast while seesawing, after seesawing for 57 hours while broadcasting. Bell soon returned to the United States, where he had a career in rock music radio for the next 20 years. While working at a rock music station in
Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...
, he learned about
Amerasian An Amerasian may refer to a person born in East or Southeast Asia to an East Asian or Southeast Asian mother and a U.S. military father. Other terms used include War babies or G.I. Babies. Several countries in East and Southeast Asia have sign ...
children stranded in
Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
in the final days before the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam in 1975. He spoke about it on-air and listeners in Alaska started to send in donations. The money raised allowed the chartering of a
Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is an early long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body jetliner designed and produced by the American Douglas Aircraft Company. Work began in 1952 towards the United States Air Force's (USA ...
to fly to
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and rescue approximately 120 orphans. They were brought to the United States and adopted by American families.


Broadcasting career

Bell was a rock music disc jockey before he moved into
talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...
. His original 1978 late-night Las Vegas program on
KDWN K268CS (101.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a Translator Radio broadcasting#Stations, radio station in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. The station pronounced its call sign, call letters as "K-Dawn". The station's stud ...
was a political call-in show under the name ''West Coast AM''. In 1988, Bell and Alan Corbeth renamed the show ''Coast to Coast AM'' and moved its broadcast from the
Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, ...
in Las Vegas to Bell's home in Pahrump. Bell abandoned conventional political talk in favor of topics such as
gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms and ammunition by civilians. Most countries allow civilians to own firearms, bu ...
and
conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...
, leading to a significant increase in his overnight ratings. The show's focus again shifted significantly after the
Oklahoma City bombing The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, United States, on April 19, 1995. The bombing remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Perpetr ...
in 1995. Many in the media did not want to be blamed for inciting anti-government or militia actions like the bombing. Subsequently, Bell discussed offbeat topics such as the
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
, the
occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...
,
UFOs An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...
,
protoscience In the philosophy of science, protoscience is a research field that has the characteristics of an undeveloped science that may ultimately develop into an established science. Philosophers use protoscience to understand the history of science and d ...
and
pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...
. During his tenure at KDWN Bell met and married his third wife, Ramona, who later handled production and management duties for the program. An article in the February 23, 1997, edition of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' said that Bell was currently America's highest-rated late-night radio talk show host, broadcast on 328 stations. According to ''
The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...
'' in its June 22, 1997, edition, ''Coast to Coast AM'' with Art Bell was on 460 stations. At its initial peak in popularity, ''Coast to Coast AM'' was syndicated on more than 500 radio stations and claimed 15 million listeners nightly. Bell's studios were located in his home in the town of Pahrump, located in
Nye County, Nevada Nye County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 51,591. Its county seat is Tonopah, Nevada, Tonopah. At , Nye is Nevada's largest county by area ...
; hence, the voice-over catchphrase, "from the Kingdom of Nye".


Critical reputation

Fans regarded Bell as a master showman, noting that he called his show "absolute entertainment" and expressly said he did not necessarily accept every guest or caller's claims, but only offered a forum where they would not be openly ridiculed. Bell was one of the few talk show hosts who did not screen incoming calls, but this changed in 2006. Ed Dames, Richard C. Hoagland,
Terence McKenna Terence Kemp McKenna (November 16, 1946–April 3, 2000) was an American ethnobotanist and mystic who advocated for the responsible use of naturally occurring psychedelic plants and mushrooms. He spoke and wrote about a variety of subjects, ...
, Dannion Brinkley,
David John Oates Reverse speech is a pseudoscientific topic first advocated by David John Oates which gained publicity when it was mentioned on Art Bell's nightly Coast to Coast AM radio talk show. It is based upon the theory that during spoken language productio ...
, and Robert Bigelow were all regular guests. Some of Bell's regular guests continue to appear on ''Coast to Coast AM'' now hosted by
George Noory George Ralph Noory (born June 4, 1950) is an American talk radio, radio talk show host. Since January 2003, Noory has been the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show ''Coast to Coast AM''. The program is radio syndication, syndicated to ...
. Bell's own interests, however, extended beyond the paranormal. He interviewed singers
Crystal Gayle Brenda Gail Webb (born January 9, 1951), known professionally as Crystal Gayle, is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit " Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Initially, Gayle's management and record label were the same ...
,
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
,
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...
,
Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer and songwriter. He was previously the lead vocalist of the rhythm and blues, R&B and Rock music, rock band The Animals and the funk band War (band), War. He is regarded as one of the Br ...
and
Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada's greatest songwriters, ...
, comedian
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
, writer
Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and sati ...
,
hard science fiction Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...
writer
Greg Bear Gregory Dale Bear (August 20, 1951 – November 19, 2022) was an American science fiction writer. His work covered themes of Interstellar_war, galactic conflict (''The Forge of God, Forge of God'' books), parallel universes (''The Way (Greg Bear ...
, ''
X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to May 19, 2002, on Fox, spanning nine seasons, with 202 episodes. A tenth season of six e ...
'' writer/creator Chris Carter, TV talk host
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin ( ; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest-working man in show business", he held th ...
, ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' actor
Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...
, actor
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Aykroyd was a writer and an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" cast on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Nigh ...
, former
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
pilot
Bruno Stolle Bruno Stolle (13 April 1915 – 22 January 2004) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield brave ...
, actress
Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...
, actress
Ellen Muth Ellen Muth (; born March 6, 1981) is a retired American actress best known for her role as Georgia "George" Lass in Showtime's series ''Dead Like Me'' (2003–2004 series, 2009 film). Early life Muth was born in Milford, Connecticut, to Eric ...
, actor and TV host
Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor and television host. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the America ...
, human rights lawyer John Loftus, legendary disc jockey
Casey Kasem Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio presenter who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably ''American Top 40'', as well as the weekly syndicated televi ...
,
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...
commentator
Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', which is o ...
and frequent guests
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
Michio Kaku Michio Kaku (; ; born January 24, 1947) is an American theoretical physicist, Science communication, science communicator, futurologist, and writer of popular-science. He is a professor of theoretical physics at the City College of New York and ...
and
SETI Seti or SETI may refer to: Astrobiology * SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. ** SETI Institute, an astronomical research organization *** SETIcon, a former convention organized by the SETI Institute ** Berkeley SETI Research Cent ...
astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...
s
Seth Shostak Seth Shostak (born July 20, 1943) is an American astronomer and author, and is currently the senior astronomer for the SETI Institute. Shostak co-hosts the weekly radio show/podcast '' Big Picture Science'', has played himself numerous times in ...
and
H. Paul Shuch H. Paul Shuch (born May 23, 1946) is an American scientist and engineer who has coordinated radio amateurs to help in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Shuch, an aerospace engineer, microwave technologist, and radio amateur ca ...
. Beginning in late 1996, Bell was criticized for reporting rumors that
Comet Hale–Bopp Comet Hale–Bopp (formally designated C/1995 O1) is a long-period comet that was one of the most widely observed of the 20th century and one of the brightest seen for many decades. Alan Hale (astronomer), Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp disc ...
was being trailed by a UFO. Some speculated that members of the Heaven's Gate group committed mass suicide based on rumors Bell aired. Others dismissed the idea, noting that the Heaven's Gate website stated: "Whether Hale-Bopp has a 'companion' or not is irrelevant from our perspective." Susan Wright reported that later, Bell was also "one of the first to publicize expert opinions refuting the 'alien' companion" said to have been shadowing Hale-Bopp, such as that published in 1998 from the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in La Cañada Flintridge, California, Crescenta Valley, United States. Founded in 1936 by Cali ...
suggesting that "the satellite's main diameter is ~30 km," (20 miles) and accordingly natural rather than artificial.


Notable callers and guests

Though best known for discussing conspiracy theories and paranormal topics, Bell's interests and interviews were wide-ranging. He interviewed musicians
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
,
Crystal Gayle Brenda Gail Webb (born January 9, 1951), known professionally as Crystal Gayle, is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit " Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Initially, Gayle's management and record label were the same ...
, and
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...
; science fiction author
Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and ergonomics, human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. ...
; and comedians
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
and
Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', which is o ...
. Author
Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and sati ...
was a fan of ''Coast to Coast AM'', being interviewed on January 22, 2002 to promote his horror-suspense novel '' One Door Away from Heaven'', which featured a brief reference to Bell. Koontz's 2002 novel '' By the Light of the Moon'' has a supporting character named Parish Lantern, described as the deep-voiced host of an overnight call-in show which discusses extraterrestrials. Bell had several semi-regular guests, including theoretical physicist
Michio Kaku Michio Kaku (; ; born January 24, 1947) is an American theoretical physicist, Science communication, science communicator, futurologist, and writer of popular-science. He is a professor of theoretical physics at the City College of New York and ...
; controversial Catholic priest
Malachi Martin Malachi Brendan Martin (23 July 1921 – 27 July 1999), also known under the pseudonym of Michael Serafian, was an Irish-born American Traditionalist Catholic priest, biblical archaeologist, exorcist, palaeographer, professor, and writer on ...
; journalists George Knapp and
Linda Moulton Howe Linda Moulton Howe (born January 20, 1942) is an American investigative journalist and Regional Emmy award-winning documentary film maker best known for her work as a ufologist and advocate of a variety of conspiracy theories, including her inv ...
; conspiracy theorist Richard C. Hoagland, and self-proclaimed remote viewer Ed Dames. On August 15, 1996, Bell interviewed
William Luther Pierce William Luther Pierce III (September 11, 1933 – July 23, 2002) was an American Neo-Nazism, neo-Nazi Activism, political activist. For more than 30 years, he was one of the highest-profile individuals of the white nationalist movement. A physic ...
, author of the novel ''
The Turner Diaries ''The Turner Diaries'' is a 1978 novel by William Luther Pierce, the founder and chairman of National Alliance, an American white nationalist group, published under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald. It was initially syndicated in the National All ...
''. Pierce, writing under the pseudonym "Andrew Macdonald", depicted a
race war An ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more ethnic groups. While the source of the conflict may be political, social, economic or religious, the individuals in conflict must expressly fight for their ethnic group's position within so ...
leading to the extermination of Jews, non-whites and homosexuals. Pierce denounced
interracial marriage Interracial marriage is a marriage involving spouses who belong to different "Race (classification of human beings), races" or Ethnic group#Ethnicity and race, racialized ethnicities. In the past, such marriages were outlawed in the United Sta ...
, calling white people who married non-whites "traitors to the white race". Bell agreed with Pierce on the dangers of politicians abusing their power, but rejected Pierce's racist views. Bell also interviewed neo-nazi
Tom Metzger Thomas Linton Metzger (April 9, 1938 – November 4, 2020) was an American white supremacist, neo-Nazi leader and Klansman. He founded White Aryan Resistance (WAR), a neo-Nazi organization, in 1983. He was a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan i ...
, and mentioned his Filipino wife: "'I am married to a brown-skinned Asian woman. What does that make me?' To which Metzger replied, 'A traitor to your race.'"Jesse Robertson (November 22, 2022)
The Truth Was Out There: On the Legacy of Art Bell
The LA Review of Books, accessed 13 October 2024
One of Bell's most famous ''Coast to Coast'' interviews occurred in 1997 with a man who identified himself as Mel Waters and discussed what is known as "
Mel's Hole Mel's Hole is, according to an urban legend, a "bottomless pit" near Ellensburg, Washington. Claims about it were first made on the radio show ''Coast to Coast AM'' in 1997 by a guest calling himself Mel Waters. Later investigation revealed no suc ...
" in rural Washington. The opening is said to be a fantastically deep vertical shaft which possesses bizarre properties. No such hole has ever been physically located by anyone attempting to verify this story. A caller in 2000 named "Daniel Murray" claimed he was a Majestic Agent from Downey, California. This call served as the inspiration for the
alternate reality game An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive networked narrative that uses the real world as a platform and employs transmedia storytelling to deliver a story that may be altered by players' ideas or actions. The form is defined by int ...
'' Majestic.'' A caller in September 1997 claimed he had discovered an unknown threat and conspiracy from
Area 51 Area 51 is the common name of a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range in southern Nevada, north-northwest of Las Vegas. A remote detachment administered by Edwards Air Force B ...
, and his life was in danger by even talking about it. For unknown reasons, Bell lost connection to his transmitter during the call and, just as the caller's voice became more and more agitated, the entire broadcast dramatically went silent. A confused Bell restored the signal about 20 minutes later. The caller (or someone sounding similar) called in on a subsequent show and admitted it had been an elaborate hoax, which fooled many. Audio from the call was used in the
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
song "Faaip De Oiad," on the album ''
Lateralus ''Lateralus'' () is the third studio album by the American rock band Tool. It was released on May 15, 2001, through Volcano Entertainment. The album was recorded at Cello Studios in Hollywood and The Hook, Big Empty Space, and The Lodge, in Nor ...
'' as well as on
The Faceless The Faceless are an American technical death metal band from the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. They released their debut album, ''Akeldama'', in November 2006, and a follow-up, '' Planetary Duality'', in November 2008. The band's third ...
song "Planetary Duality: I (Hideous Revelation)" on the album '' Planetary Duality''.


Retirements and comebacks

Bell retired and returned to ''Coast to Coast AM'' several times. On October 13, 1998, Bell announced his first retirement, which was highly unexpected by his listeners. He spoke of "an event, a threatening terrible event occurred to my family, which I could not tell you about. Because of that event, and a succession of other events, what you're listening to right now is my final broadcast on the air."
Hilly Rose Hilly Rose was an American radio personality and a pioneer of the talk radio format. His professional career has spanned seven decades. He was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame as a "Living Legend" pioneer broadcaster in 2016. Early ...
filled in after Bell's departure. Bell returned on October 28, 1998, asserting that the brief departure was brought on by threats made against his family. On May 29, 1999, Bell explained that this retirement was due to an allegation made by hosts of
WWCR WWCR is a shortwave radio, shortwave radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States. WWCR uses four 100 kW transmitters to broadcast on about a dozen frequencies. WWCR mainly leases out its four transmitters to religious o ...
shortwave Shortwave radio is radio transmission using radio frequencies in the shortwave bands (SW). There is no official definition of the band range, but it always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (app ...
radio that Bell had paid to cover up a criminal indictment. The facts of the matter became public knowledge in 2000, when the media revealed that an actual criminal indictment was filed against a person who had assaulted a member of Bell's family. Because of the nature of the crime, Bell had wanted to keep the matter private. Ted Gunderson, the former head of the Los Angeles FBI and the hosts at WWCR shortwave radio had accused Bell of the crime. Bell responded by taking legal action against Gunderson, as well as the hosts and stations. The action was resolved in a settlement in 2000. On April 1, 2000, Bell again announced his retirement. He said that the event would occur on April 26, 2000, but offered no details other than expressing intentions to "resolve a family crisis." On April 11, 2000,
Mike Siegel Mike Siegel (born March 16, 1945) is an American radio talk show host. Siegel is a native of New York. He has worked hosted the nationally syndicated radio program Coast to Coast AM, and worked at stations from Seattle's KVI to Boston's WRKO an ...
was introduced as the new host of ''Coast to Coast AM'', taking over on April 27, to an estimated audience of 22 million listeners. The media later explained that Bell had left to deal with the aftermath of the kidnap and sexual assault of his son. Brian Lepley, a substitute teacher, was convicted of sexual assault and attempted transmission of HIV and was sentenced to 10 to 25 years. Bell returned to ''Coast to Coast AM'' in February 2001. Bell noted that since his departure the show had lost a number of affiliates, commercial content had risen to an unbearable level, and Siegel had taken the program in a "different direction" of which Bell disapproved. Bell retained some authority over the program as its creator and felt his return was necessary. On October 23, 2002, Bell announced that he would retire again due to recurring back pain, which was the result of a fall from a telephone pole during his youth. Bell was replaced by
George Noory George Ralph Noory (born June 4, 1950) is an American talk radio, radio talk show host. Since January 2003, Noory has been the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show ''Coast to Coast AM''. The program is radio syndication, syndicated to ...
as weekday host of ''Coast to Coast AM'' on January 1, 2003. Those close to the matter also said that Barbara Simpson would host weekends and that Bell planned to be an occasional guest host for Noory. Bell returned in September 2003 as a weekend host, replacing Barbara Simpson and
Ian Punnett Case Ian Punnett (March 3, 1960 – December 22, 2023) was an American radio broadcaster, author, professor, and ordained Episcopal deacon. In the early to mid 1980s, Punnett hosted the WLRW morning show in his college town along with Val Wall ...
as host of the Saturday and Sunday evening broadcasts. In June 2005, he scaled this schedule back, calling it a "semiretirement," and hosted only the last two Sundays of every month. Bell went back to hosting every weekend show as his schedule permitted after his wife Ramona's death a few months later. On July 1, 2007, Bell announced his retirement, stating that he wished to spend more time with his new wife and daughter. He made it explicit that, unlike the circumstances surrounding previous retirements, this decision was entirely positive and joyful and that he would not disappear completely, announcing an intention to occasionally substitute for other hosts and host "special" shows. On December 11, 2015, Bell posted what would be his final retirement message via his
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
page. He cited safety concerns for his family by saying "if one of them were harmed because of what I love doing my life would be over." Throughout the fall, Bell reported several incidents where an unknown number of armed trespassers came onto his property, sometimes firing gunshots. These events have been said to occur during or around the time of his broadcasting. This announcement came a mere five months after the start of his most recent show, ''Midnight in the Desert''.


Events of 2006


Death of Ramona Bell

On January 5, 2006, Ramona Bell, his wife of 15 years, died unexpectedly at the age of 47 of what appeared to be an acute
asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...
attack in
Laughlin, Nevada Laughlin () is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States. Laughlin lies south of Las Vegas, in the far southern tip of Nevada. As a resort town, it is known for its gaming and water recreation. As of the 2020 census, t ...
, where the couple had been taking a short vacation. During the January 22 broadcast of ''Coast to Coast AM'', Bell described in great detail the events surrounding his wife's death. For weeks thereafter, callers to the station would speak to
George Noory George Ralph Noory (born June 4, 1950) is an American talk radio, radio talk show host. Since January 2003, Noory has been the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show ''Coast to Coast AM''. The program is radio syndication, syndicated to ...
and express their sadness and sympathy for Bell; Noory had taken Bell's place on weekdays beginning in 2002.


Change in schedule

On January 21, 2006, 16 days after the unexpected death of his wife Ramona, Bell announced he would host ''
Coast to Coast AM ''Coast to Coast AM'' is an American late-night radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics. Most frequently the topics relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was hosted by creator Art Bell from its inception in 198 ...
'' every Saturday and Sunday evening, and that former weekend host
Ian Punnett Case Ian Punnett (March 3, 1960 – December 22, 2023) was an American radio broadcaster, author, professor, and ordained Episcopal deacon. In the early to mid 1980s, Punnett hosted the WLRW morning show in his college town along with Val Wall ...
would work a new live prefeed program for the four hours preceding Bell's slot on Saturday nights (9:00 pm – 1:00 am ET).


Return to "the High Desert and the Great American Southwest"

Bell opened his December 28, 2006, program by disclosing that he had just relocated back from the Philippines to
Pahrump, Nevada Pahrump ( ) is an Unincorporated towns in Nevada, unincorporated town located at the southernmost tip of Nye County, Nevada, United States, about west of Las Vegas (roughly an hour away by driving distance). Pahrump lies adjacent to the Nevada ...
, with his wife Airyn.


Events of 2008

On May 29, 2008, Bell sold
KNYE KNYE is an American radio station located in Pahrump, Nye County, Nevada. The station plays an eclectic mix of pop music most of the broadcast day. '' Coast to Coast AM'' is heard every night. The signals are received in Las Vegas 60 miles to t ...
to station manager Karen Jackson. On September 8, 2008, Noory stated that he would be hosting the annual ''Ghost to Ghost AM'' Halloween call-in show rather than Bell, who normally returned to ''Coast to Coast'' to host it (along with the New Year's prediction shows). On November 30, 2008, Bell hosted ''Coast to Coast AM''.
Michio Kaku Michio Kaku (; ; born January 24, 1947) is an American theoretical physicist, Science communication, science communicator, futurologist, and writer of popular-science. He is a professor of theoretical physics at the City College of New York and ...
was the guest. This was the first time Bell had hosted the show since May 23, 2008. Bell was inducted into the
National Radio Hall of Fame The Radio Hall of Fame, formerly the National Radio Hall of Fame, is an American organization created by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. Three years later, Bruce DuMont, founder, president, and CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communicati ...
in 2008.


Events of 2009

Bell was scheduled to return to ''Coast to Coast AM'' on April 24, 2009, to host an evening of open lines, but because of engineering problems in Manila, Bell was rescheduled to a later date. On May 17, 2009, Bell returned to host ''Coast to Coast AM'' live from Manila. His guest was professor Peter Ward. Topics of discussion were mass extinctions, Earth's "self-destructive" phenomena, and life beyond planet Earth. While on the air, Bell answered an email question from a listener who asked why he was in the Philippines again and how long he would be there. Bell replied that he would address it on "Friday" and hinted that his move might be permanent. As of May 20, 2009, the ''Coast to Coast'' website listed that Bell would be filling in for George Noory on Friday, May 22, 2009, to interview Bob Koontz. However, Bell did not host that show. The ''Coast to Coast'' website, again, cited technical difficulties in Manila and that his interview would be postponed. Bell interviewed Koontz on Saturday, June 6, 2009. Friday June 26, 2009, Bell hosted ''Coast to Coast AM'' from Manila with guest
Dean Radin Dean Radin (; born February 29, 1952) is an american parapsychologist. Following a bachelor and master's degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in educational psychology Radin worked at Bell Labs, as a researcher at Princeton University and ...
. He also commented on the
death of Michael Jackson On June 25, 2009, the American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 50. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said that he found Jackson in his bedroom at his North Carolwood Dr ...
and how he had lived in Pahrump, Nevada, not far from Bell's residence. Friday November 20, 2009, Bell hosted ''Coast to Coast AM'' from Manila with guest Starfire Tor, psi researcher and experiencer who discussed time shifts and time slips, and other strange occurrences of time. During the first 90 minutes, they were joined by
Whitley Strieber Louis Whitley Strieber (; born June 13, 1945) is an American writer best known for his horror novels '' The Wolfen'' and '' The Hunger'' and for '' Communion'', a non-fiction account of his alleged experiences with non-human entities. He has mai ...
, who shared his take on Tor's research. On Wednesday, December 30, and Thursday, December 31, 2009, Bell once again hosted his annual New Year's predictions special of ''Coast to Coast'', noting that a number of the predictions this year were of an unusual and interesting nature and not mere repeats of many that had come before, though he also took several callers to task for seemingly veiling their obvious political agendas or wishes in the form of predictions, rather than offering something from their "psychic center," which is what he repeatedly asks for during the prediction show. He also suggested that perhaps ''Coast to Coast AM'' should institute some sort of prize or acknowledgment for listeners whose predictions are particularly accurate or astute.


Immigration controversy

In late 2008, Bell and his wife filed an I-751 petition with the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that administers the country's naturalization and Immigration to the United States, immigration system. History ...
as part of her marriage-based
green card A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...
process. In early 2009 the USCIS responded that they would need additional evidence to prove that Bell's marriage to a Philippine national and subsequent green card application was in good faith. Bell responded with evidence including their marriage license, their daughter's birth certificate, Bell's last will and testament, bank records, family photos, and Social Security forms. Bell sent the package to the USCIS by return receipt mail, and he subsequently received the return receipt stamped "USCIS RECEIVED JAN-15-09." On March 10, 2009, Bell and his wife and daughter left Nevada for Manila to deal with some family business, including the disposition of a condo they owned. Shortly thereafter, the USCIS denied the application on the grounds that the documentary evidence was never received, and further stipulated that Airyn Bell is not permitted to re-enter the United States, which is why Bell remained in the Philippines. Moreover, since the Bells were out of the country when the application was denied, they were required to start the process over.


Events of 2010–2015

Bell hosted ten episodes in 2010, five short of his publicly announced, contractually specified quota of 15 shows per year. The last episode he hosted that year was his annual ''Ghost to Ghost'' show on Halloween night. As of December 2010, Bell was no longer listed as a host on the ''Coast to Coast'' website, his shows were no longer searchable under his name, and the only references to Bell on the site were of a historical or archival nature. However, the weekly ''Somewhere in Time with Art Bell'' broadcasts of classic Bell-hosted episodes (which have aired before the live show on Saturday nights since 2006) were not discontinued. In email interactions with fans who wrote in to inquire about Bell's absence, Coast personnel confirmed that Bell had retired. "Art Bell decided he no longer wished to do live C2C shows, and asked that his name be removed from the host listings accordingly," said Coast webmaster Lex Lonehood. "Classics and Somewhere in Time shows will continue as is." Despite the remarks from Punnett, Noory, Lyon, Lonehood, and Bell, as of January 6, 2011, an official public statement formally confirming Bell's departure from ''Coast to Coast AM'' had not been made via press release, website announcement or on-air, by the show's producers, Premier Radio Networks, Clear Channel Communications, or Bell himself. On July 20, 2011, Bell announced via his Facebook page that he had relocated with his family to Pahrump, Nevada. On November 1, 2012, Bell updated his Facebook status with the following: "I wish my name was no longer associated with what ''Coast'' has become!"


Return to radio in 2013

Bell returned to the airwaves on September 16, 2013. His new show '' Art Bell's Dark Matter'' was broadcast on SiriusXM satellite radio's Indie Talk channel (channel #104), Monday through Thursday from 7 PM to 11 PM PT with repeats during the remainder of the night and "best of" shows airing on Fridays. On November 4, 2013, Bell left Dark Matter after only six weeks.


''Midnight in the Desert'' radio show

On July 20, 2015, Bell returned with his new show ''Midnight in the Desert''. The show aired on the internet Dark Matter Digital network and on 45 stations (20 of which signed on before the show started) from 9 p.m. to midnight PT. He also started transmitting on shortwave radio over
WTWW WTWW is a shortwave station located in Lebanon, Tennessee. It is officially licensed to Leap of Faith, Inc. and leased mostly to Scriptures for America, a service produced by LaPorte Church of Christ. The station has sporadically operated since ...
on 5.085 MHz as well. On December 11, 2015, Bell permanently stepped down as host of ''Midnight in the Desert'' due to concerns about his family's safety. He had reported multiple instances of someone shooting firearms at and near his property in the fall of 2015. The show ''Midnight in the Desert'' continued with new host Heather Wade, with Bell making the occasional guest host appearance. Shortly after Bell's death, Dave Schrader became the host.


Death

In July 2016, Bell posted via a blog that he was hospitalized for
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
and revealed that he suffered from
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...
. On April 13, 2018, at age 72, Art Bell died at his home in
Pahrump, Nevada Pahrump ( ) is an Unincorporated towns in Nevada, unincorporated town located at the southernmost tip of Nye County, Nevada, United States, about west of Las Vegas (roughly an hour away by driving distance). Pahrump lies adjacent to the Nevada ...
. On April 16, 2018, a few days later, George Noory, current host of ''Coast to Coast AM'', announced Bell's death, and while struggling to keep his composure stated: "Art and I were not that close. We had our differences, but he was one of those instrumental in me being where I am right now." On August 1, 2018, four months later, the ''
Las Vegas Review-Journal The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area. The ''Review-Journal' ...
'' reported the Clark County coroner's office findings. The coroner's office stated that Bell had died of an accidental overdose from a cocktail of prescription drugs. The coroner's office determined he had four prescription medications in his system: the opioid oxycodone, aka Roxicet; the opioid hydrocodone, aka
Vicodin Hydrocodone/paracetamol (also known as hydrocodone/acetaminophen) is the combination of the pain medications hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen). It is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is taken by mouth. Recreational use is ...
; diazepam aka
Valium Diazepam, sold under the brand name Valium among others, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spas ...
; and
carisoprodol Carisoprodol, sold under the brand name Soma among others, is an oral medication used for musculoskeletal pain. Effects generally begin within half an hour and last for up to six hours. Common side effects include headache, dizziness, and s ...
, aka Soma, a muscle-relaxant. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension also contributed to his death.


Amateur radio

Bell became a licensed
amateur radio operator An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators ...
at the age of 13. His first
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was KN3JOX, first listed in the Winter 1959 edition of the
Radio Amateur An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators ...
Callbook Broadcast call signs are call signs assigned as unique identifiers to radio stations and television stations. While broadcast radio stations will often brand themselves with plain-text names, identities such as " cool FM", "rock 105" or "the ABC ...
. He soon upgraded to K3JOX, and he later held W2CKS, first listed in the Spring 1967 Callbook. Bell held an Amateur Extra Class license, which is the highest U.S.
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
amateur license class. His
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was W6OBB. Bell passed the Philippines amateur radio exams and became a Philippine Class A amateur radio operator with the call sign of 4F1AB. While in the Philippines, Bell was active on 40–10 meters, as well as 144.6 MHz simplex in Manila.


Honors

In August 2006 Art was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. He did not attend the presentation. On March 10, 2007, Bell was honored with the ''News/Talk Radio Lifetime Achievement Award'' from the trade publication ''
Radio & Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
'' in Los Angeles. Bell was inducted into the
National Radio Hall of Fame The Radio Hall of Fame, formerly the National Radio Hall of Fame, is an American organization created by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. Three years later, Bruce DuMont, founder, president, and CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communicati ...
in 2008.


Marriages

* Sachiko Toguchi Bell Pontius, married 1965; divorced 1968. Children: Vincent Pontius and Lisa Pontius Minei. * Vickie L. Baker, married March 1, 1981; divorced July 3, 1991. Children: Arthur William Bell IV. * Ramona Lee Hayes, married August 4, 1991; died January 5, 2006 (see Death of Ramona Bell). * Airyn Ruiz, married April 5, 2006; remained married until Bell's death on April 13, 2018. Children: Asia Rayne Bell and Alexander William Bell.


Written works

Bell authored or co-authored several books: * – An autobiography * * * * – Warning of sudden climate change; the book inspired the 2004 film ''
The Day After Tomorrow ''The Day After Tomorrow'' is a 2004 American science fiction disaster film conceived, co-written, co-produced, and directed by Roland Emmerich, based on the 1999 book '' The Coming Global Superstorm'' by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber, and ...
''


Other work

In 1996, Bell appeared in an episode of the NBC science fiction series ''
Dark Skies ''Dark Skies'' is an American UFO conspiracy theory–based science fiction television series. It debuted on NBC on September 21, 1996, and ended on May 31, 1997, and was later rerun by the Sci-Fi Channel; 18 episodes and a two-hour pilot epis ...
'' as
William S. Paley William Samuel Paley (September 28, 1901 – October 26, 1990) was an American businessman, primarily involved in the media, and best known as the chief executive who built the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from a small radio network into o ...
, head of CBS. On September 30, 1998, NBC's ''
Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television ...
'' aired a taped segment of reporter Fred Francis interviewing Bell. Francis questioned Bell about Hale-Bopp, Area 51, eccentric callers claiming to be "six-fingered alien hybrids", and the UFO sighting experienced by Bell and his wife Ramona. In 1999, Bell appeared as himself on the series ''
Millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
''. The episode called "Collateral Damage" aired in the third season and dealt with a former U.S. soldier who claimed the government he fought for was indeed responsible for horrendous tests on soldiers and Iraqi civilians. (This episode was broadcast on January 22, 1999. The Washington Post, January 22, 1999.) In 1999 Bell was interviewed on ''
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' is an American television talk show broadcast by CNN from June 3, 1985 to December 16, 2010. Hosted by Larry King, it was the network's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Ma ...
''. (This was broadcast on March 5, 1999. The Washington Post, March 5, 1999.) Progressive rock band
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
's 2001 album, ''
Lateralus ''Lateralus'' () is the third studio album by the American rock band Tool. It was released on May 15, 2001, through Volcano Entertainment. The album was recorded at Cello Studios in Hollywood and The Hook, Big Empty Space, and The Lodge, in Nor ...
'', featured a track entitled "Faaip de Oiad" (
Enochian Enochian is an occult constructed language—said by its originators to have been received from angels—recorded in the private journals of John Dee and his colleague Edward Kelley in late 16th-century England. Kelley was a scryer who worked ...
for "The Voice of God"), which includes a clip of the "distraught and terrified" Area 51 employee call from September 11, 1997. In 2005, Bell and then-wife Ramona were featured on the ABC News special ''
Peter Jennings Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings (July 29, 1938August 7, 2005) was a Canadian-American television journalist. He was best known for serving as the sole anchor of ''ABC World News Tonight'' from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 200 ...
Reporting: UFOs – Seeing Is Believing,'' which reported on the entire scope of the
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...
experience, from the first sighting by
Kenneth Arnold Kenneth Albert Arnold (March 29, 1915 – January 16, 1984) was an American aviator, businessman, and politician. Arnold is known best for reporting what is generally considered the first widely publicized modern sighting of an unidentified fl ...
in 1947 to the present day. (This was broadcast on February 24, 2005. The Washington Post, 2–20–05.) In 2005, snippets of Bell and callers to his show were featured on the song "Conspiracy Radio" on
Sean Hogan Sean Hogan is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter. Biography Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Hogan attended Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, studying music. In 2003 he won the Roots Artist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards a ...
's album ''Catalina Sunrise'': Bell is credited for "voice-overs" on this track. In 2006, Bell was featured in the video game ''
Prey Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not ki ...
'' and played himself. He hosts, as in real life, ''Coast to Coast AM'', and the player is able to listen to the broadcast at several terminals throughout the game. The broadcasts describe what is happening on Earth as the game unfolds. The game plot centers on a massive spaceship and alien abductions. Bell receives a number of calls about people who have seen smaller craft as they abduct people. In 2007, Bell appeared as himself in the movie ''
I Know Who Killed Me ''I Know Who Killed Me'' is a 2007 American psychological thriller film directed by Chris Sivertson, from a screenplay by Jeff Hammond. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough, and Brian Geraghty. The film's story revolves ...
''. Bell appeared alongside Mark Arnold in the 2016 film titled ''Abduct'', directed by Ilyas Kaduji and produced by Mafalda Sa. Bell plays himself as he and a group of friends try to help protect a young woman from an alien threat.


Notes


References

* * * * *


Further reading

* Ronson, Jon. ''
The Men Who Stare at Goats ''The Men Who Stare at Goats'' (2004) is a non-fiction book by Jon Ronson concerning the U.S. Army's exploration of New Age concepts and the potential military applications of the paranormal. The title refers to attempts to kill goats by stari ...
,'' Picador, 2004 ; Simon & Schuster, 2006 . Chapter 6, "Privatization," pp. 93–114.


External links


Art Bell Files Radio Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Art 1945 births 2018 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople Accidental deaths in Nevada Amateur radio people American non-fiction environmental writers American radio DJs American radio executives American talk radio hosts Businesspeople from Nevada Coast to Coast AM Deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Drug-related deaths in Nevada Military personnel from North Carolina People from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina People from Jacksonville, North Carolina People from Pahrump, Nevada People from Watsonville, California Radio personalities from Nevada Respiratory disease deaths in Nevada Ufologists United States Air Force airmen University of Maryland, College Park alumni Writers from Nevada Writers from North Carolina