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Al Bell is an American record producer, songwriter, and record executive. Bell is best known as one of the key figures and co-owner of Memphis, Tennessee-based Stax Records, during the later 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 Staples 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, and later started his own label, Bellmark, whose releases included Tag Team's single “Whoomp! â€. Today, Bell works in the independent music scene in Memphis, as well as maintaining an online music website and radio show at AlBellPresents.com.
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