Luke Bell, a country singer known for songs like “Where Ya Been?” and “The Bullfighter,” has passed away after going missing in Tucson, Arizona, according to The Times. He was 32.
Bell’s passing was also verified by a friend and fellow artist Matt Kinman to the country music blog Saving Country Music, which broke the news. Nine days after he was reported missing on August 20, Bell’s body was discovered on Monday close to where he vanished.
When The Times asked Tucson police and Bell representatives for comment, neither of them answered right away.
A representative for the Pima County Medical Examiner and Coroner declined to provide more information on Bell’s death when contacted by The Times on Tuesday.
According to Saving Country Music, Kinman and Bell reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder and recently worked together for performances and live streams. Bell fled from Tucson as Kinman went to get something to eat.
“We travelled to Arizona to work and perform music, but he just went. He was in the truck’s bed, the source was informed. “I entered to purchase a meal. When I emerged, he had already exited the car and was gone.
His style was described as “classic honky-tonk with a wink and a yodel” by Rolling Stone in 2015. He was able to share opening slots with Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., and Dwight Yoakam thanks to his distinctive sound.
Three albums by Bell were released: a self-published debut in 2012, Don’t Mind If I Do in 2014, and an eponymous album in 2016.
Bell was born on January 27, 1990, and is a native of Cody, Wyoming. He began his musical career in Austin, Texas, playing a number of shows in the state’s capital. For his music, he went to Nashville and New Orleans.
He appeared at the Stagecoach country music festival in Indio, California, the same year he published a self-titled, 10-song album. He already discussed his beginnings and musical philosophy with The Times.
He claimed, “I was listening to artists like John Prine, and after spending a few years in Austin, I got into the Texas Tornadoes and that culture. I next travelled to New Orleans. I barely spent around six months there. I was residing in a mouldy trailer in the Lower Ninth Ward that smelled like chlorine. It was difficult.
Bell claimed he was “sort of alone,” but he was also “just trying to get my songs better and better.” In 2021, he released his last song, an acoustic rendition of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.”
Bell’s fellow country performers paid him respect on social media after his passing.
Bell was single at the time of his passing. The performer explained to The Boot in a June 2016 interview how he was committed to developing his career in Music City.
“To be honest, I count smiles and live in the day. That’s all, he declared. Listen, I usually end up sharing a beer with my neighbours. Life isn’t all horrible. I don’t have a wife or children, which is a drawback in some ways, but it’s also really wonderful at the moment. I simply visit various cities and socialise with others.
“The man made an impression, as did his music. On that abandoned route, he was a genuine roaming troubadour, the band Mike and the Moonpies wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. “In honour of Luke Bell, do yourself a favour and listen to some music tonight. Peace be with you, friend.
Jamie Wyatt, a country musician, described Bell’s voice as “pure gold.”
She said on Tuesday: “We enjoyed one other’s music and would visit whenever we saw each other and meet up in Nashville. I wasn’t as close with him as many people who are struggling right now, but we did.” “We used to talk about life when he occasionally called. Those were chats I’ll never forget. My thoughts are with his family.