Luke Bell’s time in the music world lasted just a few years, but he became a leader and inspiration in the country-western genre. He grew up on a Wyoming cattle ranch before heading off to Austin and then Nashville to pursue his true passion. “He was a wild man from the West, and he made country music through that lens,” said Stephen Daly, who played guitar in Bell’s band. “If you told him what to do, he would do the opposite. If you tried to rein him in, he’d push away. He always did what he wanted to do.” In time, it was revealed that Luke was dealing with more than just a Wild West impulsiveness. In and out of hospitals and with some time spent in jails, Bell was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar II with psychotic episodes. His mother, Carol Bell, who provided a great deal of information and direction for this double album, has written about how challenging Luke’s final few years were as his condition progressed. Before her son’s death by accidental fentanyl poisoning in 2022, in Arizona, she's thankful that she and other members of the family had come to better understand him and show him “acceptance and love” in a way he understood. Proceeds from Luke’s official sophomore album, The King Is Back, will go to the Luke Bell Memorial Affordable Counseling Program that offers mental health counseling to those who can’t afford it in the Big Horn region. The 28 studio tracks are mostly unreleased songs that were recorded between 2013 and 2016.
Tuesday 11/18: Luke Bell – The King is Back
