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Dear Grammy voting members of the Recording Academy, for your consideration 

Dear Grammy voting members of the Recording Academy, for your consideration:

BEST AMERICANA ROOTS SONG
"One Day Closer To Home"
William Bell
William Bell & Scott Bomar, songwriters

BEST AMERICANA ROOTS PERFORMANCE
"One Day Closer To Home"
William Bell

William Bell and Emmy Award-winning film composer Scott Bomar have crafted the title track from Bell's latest album  fused with elements of Blues and Americana....thanks for your support!

Sunday evening July 23, 2023, 8pm, C.T./9pm, E.T. (U.S.) a very special evening with Mr. William Bell!  

Announcement:
Sunday evening July 23, 2023, 8pm, C.T./9pm, E.T. (U.S.) a very special evening with Mr. William Bell! Award winning Record Producer, Singer-Songwriter and Entertainer William Bell will join host Ric Chetter & co-host Natalie live via phone from Atlanta, GA. William will talk about his music career and premier songs from his latest album “One Step Closer To Home”!

Listen live to the Radio-Memphis “Booze & Blues” show every Sunday 8-11pm, C.T. (U.S.) and the Radio-Memphis worldwide webcast 24/7 at:
• Website: http://www.Radio-Memphis.com/ (click on: Watch Live Now)
• On your mobile device, use the TuneIn Radio #FREEAPP (search for Radio Memphis)
• On your TV with ROKU & Apple TV, use the Livestream #FREEAPP (search for Radio Memphis)

Interview with soul legend William Bell 

Read  the in-depth interview article by “Heikki Suosalo” for Soul Express Magazine

Every song reviewed "I WILL REMEMBER TONIGHT

EXCERPT 1: "I Will Remember Tonight is a smooth, melodic and gently flowing mid-tempo song with a bit of country to it, too. William co-wrote the song with Greg Humphries. “Greg is a wonderful musician and a session player. He has a band of his own and he resides between Nashville and New York. He was brought to me by my management, Charles Driebe from Blind Ambition. He said that here’s a young guy you should consider writing something with. Greg came to my studio in Atlanta, stayed almost a week and we came up with four really good songs and two of them I got on this CD.”

Excerpt 2: “William: “When you win a Grammy, everybody wants you. ‘Everybody loves a winner’ (laughing). I got busy. I was travelling and touring with the Take Me to the River organization. We had a movie out. It’s a wonderful organization of teaching the kids about the origin of music. We were doing the screening and touring for two years. When I finally came off the road, I had to take it a little lighter, to get rested. I wanted to really take my time to write some songs that were telling about the times that we’re living now.”… READ THE FULL INTERVIEW https://www.soulexpress.net/williambell_2023.htm

The Rocking Magpie REVIEW of One Day Closer To Home 

The Rocking Magpie
Americana, Blues, Folk, Alt Country, Country and a Whole Lot More!

Review of "One Day Closer To Home"

EXCERPT: William Bell
One Day Closer To Home
Wilbe Records

Timeless Silky Smooth Soul Music With Sharp Edges and Effortless Cool.

The Soul Cognoscenti will always have a special place for William Bell in their hears; but sadly he’s something of a ‘forgotten man’ these days; and the timeless ‘smokey’ Soul that he’s famous for has pretty much gone out of fashion; especially among the younger generation who tend to want an ‘edge’ to their music; while William still produces silky smooth and often beautiful music.
The opening track; I Still Go to Parties is a defiant argument for ‘being old’; but not and never being ‘old people’!… READ ALL ABOUT IT CLICK HERE

William Bell Interview with BMI about the new CD and a potential 2nd Grammy 

A fantastic long interview with BMI

Catching Up with William Bell

The soul music legend aims for another GRAMMY with his latest album

Posted in News on April 17, 2023

EXCERPT: Legendary soul singer and songwriter William Bell released his 15th album, One Day Closer To Home, on April 14 via his Wilbe Records label. The album, his first since his GRAMMY-winning 2016 project This is Where I Live, explores a cross of musical genres, true to Bell’s form.

Born in Memphis in 1939, Bell started singing in church, becoming an early star in his choir. As a teenager, he played live gigs with Rufus Thomas and Phineas Newborn, getting an immersive education in the music business, and Bell paid attention at every turn. He started writing songs, having early hits with “You Don’t Miss Your Water” and blues classic “Born Under a Bad Sign,” the latter penned with Booker T. Jones. Bell became known for his poignant lyrics and soulful melodies and enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Stax Records until he relocated to Atlanta in 1969.

BMI caught up with Bell, who was working on album art in his studio in Atlanta in preparation for the vinyl release of One Day Closer to Home. Bell shared some of his most memorable moments from his long career, how his songwriting has evolved over the years, and the advice he’d share for anyone starting their career in the music industry … READ ALL ABOUT IT CLICK  HERE for full article / Interview

The Southern Soul Video Network made William's video # 1 this week  

A shout out to the The Southern Soul Video Network for making William Bell's video  "Let's Make Loving Great Again # 1 this week. We really appreciate it, it's such a wonderful surprise! If you have not seen the video and listened to the great soul music voice of William Bell, go ahead and do it now. Give us as much love on YouTube as you can. THUMBS UP… COMMENTS and SUBSCRIBE & SHARE All that will help us rank higher on YouTube. 

 

William Bell On STAX Records. This Is Where I Live in Vinyl 

William Bell On Stax Records

 

Purchase "This Is Where I Live" as a vinyl


CLICK IMAGE

 

Stax records has a wonderful William Bell page with interesting information and anecdotes

EXCERPT: Early in life, William Bell had thought to become a doctor. Singing was just a relaxing pastime reserved for social gatherings. But friends convinced him to try his hand at entertaining and he and his group won second prize at the annual Mid-South Talent Contest of Memphis, Tennessee. The prize was a recording contract with Stax Records.

As a sideline to his music career, William Bell is also an actor. A graduate of the two-year program at the Theatre Academy of Dramatic Arts in Atlanta, , where he now resides, he has played a variety of acting roles in stage plays while enrolled at the school. He is probably the only Black actor to play the role of Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. END OF EXCERPT

READ MORE

https://staxrecords.com/artist/william-bell/

Update on new song releases for 2023 

William Bell In The StudioHello friends and fans, here is a quick update on the upcoming release of 12 new songs "One Day Closer To Home". 

We had originally planned a February release but due to publicity scheduling, we are pushing the release forward to April. While you are patiently waiting for the full album release, we do have a little surprise. We will drop a single very soon. It's a track from the new album. Which one? That will be a surprise!  We know everyone is hungry for the new songs but we count on you to hold on for a little while longer! We appreciate you very much! Hang in there, it's coming!

William Bell & Crew