Bell sang in church as a child and considered himself a student of The Soul Stirrers, the popular gospel group led by Sam Cooke.

At the age of 14, Bell won a talent contest and began making a name for himself singing in Memphis-area clubs.

[2] Other notable Stax Records artists include Otis Redding,[3] Sam and Dave,[4] Isaac Hayes,[5] and The Staple Singers.

[6] Bell was the first male solo act to be signed to Stax Records and he was able to release several singles before joining the military.

[citation needed] During his time in Atlanta, he took acting lessons and played Stanley Kowalski in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Produced by John Leventhal, This Is Where I Live featured Bell performing a batch of new songs, along with a revived recording of "Born Under a Bad Sign".

[15] Additionally, Bell was one of the final performances at BB King's Blues Club in NYC before it closed in the spring of 2018.

[16] Bell was featured in the 2014 documentary film Take Me to the River that explored the heart of the enduring Memphis music scene.

[18] Bell was awarded a Grammy for Best Americana Album in 2017, which, in turn, had such a strong effect on his streaming data that Rolling Stone called him "the biggest winner of the night".

[19] His song "You Don't Miss Your Water" is featured in the trailer and the first episode of the Cinemax TV series Quarry, which debuted in 2016.

[20] On September 1, 2017, age 78, Bell performed live at the Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra in a tribute concert to 50 years of Stax Records synonymous with Southern Soul music.

[7] Bell performed at the Mempho Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee on October 6, 2018, as part of a tribute set dedicated to Royal Studios.

These lifetime honor awards of $25,000 are given in recognition of both artistic excellence and efforts to sustain cultural traditions for future generations.

"[27] In mid-2023, Bell released One Day Closer to Home on his own Wilbe Records label, cited by critics as "a master at work".