William Bell

William Bell (né Yarbrough; born July 16, 1939) is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is probably 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.
His music has been sampled by artists such as Kanye West, Ludacris, and Jaheim.
==Links to Peel== 
Peel was a fan of many of the artists signed to Stax Records including William Bell, although according to available tracklistings on this site, he seemed to have first played William Bell on his show in the 80's. He would often play some of William Bell's music on his programmes including his 1968's top 10 hit in the UK "Private Number".
==Shows Played==
;thumb|220x220px1981
*Peel July 1981 (& Judy Clay): Private Number (7") Stax
;1984
*11 June 1984: Crying All By Myself (album - Do Right Man) Charly
;1985
*25 June 1985: (& Judy Clay): Private Number (7") Stax
;1987
*16 June 1987 (& Judy Clay): Private Number (7") Stax
;1988
*23 November 1988: Marching Off To War (v/a LP - Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die) New Musical Express
;1991
*12 October 1991: 'Forever Wouldn't Be Too Long (CD-A Little Something Extra)' (Stax)
*20 October 1991: Never Let Me Go (album - A Little Something Extra) Stax
*27 October 1991: 'Forever Wouldn't Be Too Long (CD-A Little Something Extra)' (Stax) 
*10 November 1991: You Got Me Where You Want Me (album - A Little Something Extra) Stax 
;1992
*12 January 1992: Quittin' Time (CD - A Little Something Extra) Stax
;1993
*19 February 1993: Share What You Got (But Keep What You Need) (v/a 9xCD The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968) Atlantic
*20 November 1993: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (album - Stax A Soul) Stax
;2001
*November 2001 (FSK): Easy Comin' Out (Hard Goin' In)
;2002
*03 January 2002: Easy Comin’ Out (single – Your Love Keeps me Goin’ b-side) Mercury
*03 January 2002 (Radio Eins): Easy Comin’ Out (single – Your Love Keeps me Goin’ b-side) Mercury
;2003
*06 November 2003: Marching Off To War (Various LP - A Soldier's Sad Story) Kent
*20 November 2003 (Radio Eins): Marching Off To War (Various LP - A Soldier's Sad Story) Kent
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Official Website
Category:Artists