Composer
William Bell
American soul singer and songwriter (b. 1939)
b. 1939
6 works in the index
- Born
- 1939
- Birthplace
- Memphis
- Citizenship / historical state
- United States
- Period (estimated from birth year)
- Contemporary
Biography
William Bell (né Yarbrough; born July 16, 1939) is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is best known for his debut single, 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water"; 1968's top 10 hit in the UK "Private Number", a duet with Judy Clay; and his only US top 40 hit, 1976's "Tryin' to Love Two", which also hit No. 1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King".
As a songwriter, Bell co-authored the Chuck Jackson hit "Any Other Way" (which was a cover since Bell issued it first) as a follow-up to "You Don't Miss Your Water"; Billy Idol's 1986 hit "To Be a Lover", which was first a hit for Bell under its original title "I Forgot to Be Your Lover"; and the blues classic "Born Under A Bad Sign", popularized by both Albert King and Cream.
Although he was a longtime recording artist for Stax Records, he is unrelated to the label's onetime president, Al Bell.
In 2017, Bell was awarded a Grammy for Best Americana Album for his record This Is Where I Live. He performed his hit "Born Under a Bad Sign" alongside Gary Clark Jr. at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Bell was also featured on Rolling Stone's "Best of the Grammys" for that year.
Biography excerpt from Wikipedia contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting and reference markers have been removed; the introduction may be shortened. View contributors and article history.
Life and musical career
- Occupations
- singer; singer-songwriter; recording artist; composer; musician
- Instruments played
- voice
- Notable works
- Born Under a Bad Sign
- Official website
- https://www.williambell.com/
- Birth name
- William Yarbrough
- Pseudonym
- William Bell
- Languages used
- English
- VIAF ID
- 61738960
- ISNI
- 0000000079764548
- GND ID
- 134325400
- Library of Congress ID
- n92115662
- MusicBrainz ID
- d9c9cfb7-f751-4fb0-97c0-b3ddd768bc78
Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.
In this catalogue
- Common listed instruments
- Guitar, Piano, Vocal, Voice
- Genres represented
- R&B
- Works with composition dates
- 0 of 6
These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.
Catalogue
Works
Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.
| Work | Year composed | Catalogue / opus | Key in title | Listed instruments | Genre | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| You Don't Miss Your Water (Until Your Well Has Run Dry) | — | — | — | Guitar | — | 4 |
| I Forgot To Be Your Lover | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | R&B | 3 |
| I Got A Sure Thing | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | R&B | 3 |
| To Be A Lover | — | — | — | Voice | — | 1 |
| Put That Woman First | — | — | — | Guitar, Voice | — | 1 |
| Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday | — | — | — | Guitar | — | 1 |
Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 61738960. Portrait: Stax Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.