One Man's Music

VINCE BELL: Biography "His inner drive is Herculean, his tale-spinning gifts are hypnotic, and he’s got more soul than a Muscle Shoals church picnic. Bell’s vocal instrument is fairly reeking of the intense effort and passion with which it is charged. Bell’s music, while hauntingly beautiful, nevertheless creates an inescapable tension with his audience; there is an ever-present fear of falling which makes the listener lean into his songs, to urge them on while holding one’s breath . . . . This is truly a magical thing–it is show business, and it is dangerous." –JIM MUSSER Vince Bell spent the Seventies working the national coffeehouse circuit, playing “edge to edge” in the Lone Star state and sharing the stage with fellow travelers Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Lucinda Williams. The early Eighties found this native Texan’s star on a rapid rise. A nimble guitarist with a one-of-a-kind voice, his songwriting had drawn favorable comparisons to such disparate-but-remarkable tunesmiths as Randy Newman, Bruce Cockburn, and Tom Waits. A ballet, Bermuda Triangle, had been set to his work. And according to Nanci Griffith, who covered Bell’s “Woman of the Phoenix” on her Grammy-winning album Other Voices/Other Rooms: “From all of us who were beating the paths around Texas in the Seventies, I always felt Vince was the best of us.” The night of December 21, 1982, found Bell in the recording studio with hired guns Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Johnson. Driving home from the session, Bell was broadsided by a drunk driver. Thrown over 60 feet from his car, Bell suffered multiple lacerations to his liver, embedded glass, broken ribs, a mangled right forearm and a severe traumatic brain injury. Awakening from a coma a month later, Bell embarked on a courageous, decade-long journey to reclaim his identity, his music, and his career. He would eventually document the whole terrifying but ultimately uplifting saga—with extraordinary candor and insight— in his gripping autobiography, One Man’s Music: The Life and Times of Texas Songwriter Vince Bell. In 1994, with the aid of producer Bob Neuwirth and a gathering of musical luminaries and friends, Vince Bell punctuated his “second comeback” with the critically-acclaimed album Phoenix. Texas Plates, released in 1999, located Bell where he should have been all along—comfortably ensconced in the upper echelon of the songwriting guild and signed to a major record label (Warner Bros.). Live in Texas was released independently in 2001. With 2007 came the release of the critically-praised Recado, produced by Cam King. His songs have been performed and recorded by such diverse talents as Little Feat, Lyle Lovett, and Nanci Griffith, to name just a few. “Vince is a poet,” declared the late Townes Van Zandt. Bell, who plays extensively in the U.S. and Europe, has appeared on such nationally broadcast television and radio programs as Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, World Café, In the Prime, Morning Edition, and several other NPR programs. In 2009, the University of North Texas Press will publish One Man’s Music: The Life and Times of Texas Songwriter Vince Bell, chronicling his 30-year career and documenting his amazing comeback after the accident. Bell is currently at work on a one-man play based on the book, a filmed version of the production, and a CD of new material. Next year is definitely the year for One Man’s Music—Vince Bell’s. Album Reviews: [Phoenix] 'As a songwriter he can easily take his place in that hallowed area occupied by the likes of Randy Newman, Bruce Cockburn and Tom Waits.' (Musician Magazine). [Phoenix] 'A haunting, spare set of recollections that recall Robert Johnson in their stark intensity and Hank William in their country simplicity.' [Texas Plates] "Vince Bell is not your typical Texas singer-songwriter. His music is more art song than folk song, more Jacques Brel than Woody Guthrie...He's easier to compare to David Crosby or Joni Mitchell than to Willie or Waylon." Acoustic Guitar Magazine [Live in Texas] "Highly recommended private release." http://cockburnproject.net/albums/coversbyothers.html 'You know what? This guy is a major talent.' Michael Corcoran, Austin American Statesman Performance Reviews: 'Bell's performance is as classic as his album.' Bert van de Kamp, Oor Magazine, The Netherlands 'The most ebullient soul to grace a stage at this SXSW conference.' Austin Chronicle 'A gruff voice that occasionally hints of Eric Clapton and a moody songwriting style that hints of Neil Young.' Austin Chronicle 'An enchanting and memorable live performer.' Urban Campfires Program