Born to African-American parents Langston and Ruthie Bell in Henderson, Texas, United States, Archie is the second oldest of seven brothers, including USC and NFL football player Ricky Bell and Jerry Bell, a former world karate champion and singer in the bands New Birth and the Dazz Band.

[1] Bell was singing in Houston night clubs at age ten, and credits seeing the performances of Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke as influencing him to become a singer.

Bell later released one solo album (I Never Had It So Good – 1981) on Beckett Records and continued to perform with The Drells off and on for the next twenty years.

He has also recorded some country music, having professed a love for that genre.

[3] Tommy Allsup, country producer and former member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, recruited Bell to sing "Warm Red Wine", which appeared on an album with songs from Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker and Roy Clark.