KD BELL

Instruments: Vocals
Date of Birth: June 15, 1943
Place of Birth: Union Springs , Alabama
Date of Death: September 8, 2004

KD Bell, "Mr. Alabama Blues", has been a musician since he was a child in Alabama. As soon as he was old enough, he hit the road and wound up in Miami, playing with people like James Brown, LaVerne Baker and The Coasters. Over the years, KD has had the honor of performing with a great many talents, including Clyde McFadden, Might Sam McLain, Sam & Dave, The Marvalettes, Earl King, Shirley Lewis, Boston Baked Blues, Johnny Nash, Little Willie John, Toni-Lynn Washington and many more. He studied drums with Sonny Payne of the Count Basie Band and Dave Akins of the Dave Akins Trio. KD has shared the stage, behind a drum kit, with Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, Wilson Pickett, Benny Lettimore, The Drifters, Ben E. King and Wayne Cochran.

KD worked for three years with the Amara Television and Sound Productions to host and star in the television music show "BLUES ON FIRE", which was broadcast for 16 weeks on WGOT, reaching over 3.2 million viewers.

He has completed "DRIVEN TO THE BLUES" a collection of original material released as part of the Blooze Hat label "Raw and Live" collection.

KD performs at many blues functions including the "Hot August Night" blues festival in Maryland and the Portsmouth Blues Festival in Portsmouth N.H.. He was also selected to compete in the Battle of the Boston Blues Bands at Harper's Ferry in Allston, MA.. In addition, KD was selected to represent New England in the Northeast Semi-Finals at the WKLN National Blues Contest, held at Manny's Car Wash in New York City. KD was recently nominated for Best Blues Artist by JAM Magazine.

KD performs with his band at clubs all over the Northeast.

KD Bell speaks his life in the language of the blues. He is a pure blues singer. He takes the thinnest thread of a song and transforms it into vast reservoirs of feeling. At home with every blues style, KD's full bodied shouters voice is ideal for jagged and free gut-bucket songs. But he's also a passionate deep voiced singer. Singing way down low, he can rise to high-pitched tones with great delicacy, then end with a eloquent moan.

KD wraps his voice around the lyrics. He's a brilliant composer with a flair for melody and inventive lyrics.