Alvertis Isbell
| Al Bell | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alvertis Isbell |
| Born |
March 15, 1940 Brinkley, Arkansas, United States |
| Genres | Soul, gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, songwriter, record executive, disc jockey |
| Years active | 1965 – present |
| Labels | Stax, Motown, Bellmark |
| Associated acts | The Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, Tag Team |
Al Bell (born Alvertis Isbell, March 15, 1940) is an American record producer, songwriter, and record executive. He is best known as having been an executive and co-owner of Stax Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee, during the latter half of the label's 19-year existence.
A former disc jockey in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, Bell was vital to the careers of Stax's soul stars such as the Staple SIngers and Isaac Hayes, the Emotions, the Dramatics, and Mel and Tim. Bell's promotional efforts drove the “Memphis sound” internationally and made Stax the second-largest African-American–owned business in the 1970s. In 2009, the BBC profiled Bell as "one of the icons of soul music" and "the driving force behind Stax Records".
Following his career at Stax, Bell became president of Motown Records Group during its restructuring for sale to MCA and Boston Ventures Group. He later started his own label, Bellmark, whose releases included Tag Team's single “Whoomp! (There It Is)” (1993). Today, Bell works in the independent music scene in Memphis and maintains an online music website and radio show at AlBellPresents.com.
Bell joined Stax in 1965 as director of promotions and was essential in aiding the growth of the company's revenue. Over the next three years, he rose through the ranks of the company, eventually becoming executive vice president and the most influential figure in the company after co-founder Jim Stewart. In addition to his administrative and promotional work, Bell was often directly involved in the production of the label's music, working as a songwriter and a producer for several acts on the label.
In 1968, following the plane crash that killed Stax's biggest star, Otis Redding, Stax severed its distribution deal with Atlantic Records, who retained the label's back catalog to that point. Bell launched an initiative designed to put out enough albums and singles in an effort to rebuild a catalog for Stax. New signees included gospel stars the Staple Singers as well as newcomers the Emotions and the Soul Children. Bell notably scheduled twenty-seven albums for near-simultaneous release in mid-1969 and produced much of the material himself. One of those albums, Hot Buttered Soul, by Stax songwriter and producer Isaac Hayes, was a significant success, establishing Hayes as a recording artist in his own right. Bell was directly involved in shaping the careers of the Staple Singers, creating for them a new sound which resulted in hits such as "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There," the latter of which he wrote.
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