Archie Lee Bell is an African-American solo singer and former lead singer of Archie Bell & the Drells

Archie Bell & the Drells

Archie Bell & the Drells was a R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas, and one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records...

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Background

Born to parents Langston and Ruthie Bell, Archie is the second oldest of seven brothers, and the brother of USC

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

 and NFL football player Ricky Bell

Ricky Bell (running back)

Ricky Lynn Bell younger brother of recording artist Archie Bell, was an American professional football player who played running back in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers from 1977 to 1982...

, and former world Karate champion and singer, Jerry Bell. He also is related to producer Thom Bell

Thom Bell

Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:...

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Career

He 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. He formed the Drells in 1966 while in high school.

Archie Bell became known around the world for the hit that he had with the Drells, "Tighten Up

Tighten Up (Archie Bell & the Drells song)

"Tighten Up" was a 1968 song by Houston, Texas based R&B vocal group Archie Bell & the Drells. It reached #1 on both the Billboard R&B and pop charts in the spring of 1968. It is ranked #265 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is one of the earliest funk hits in music...

". Since the breakup of the Drells in 1980, Archie Bell has pursued a solo career. Bell later released one solo

Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...

 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. During the 1990s the lineup also included Steve "Stevie G." Guettler (guitar, vocals), Jeff "JT" Strickler (bass guitar, vocals), Steve Farrell (guitar, vocals), Mike Wilson (keyboards, vocals) and Wes Armstrong (drums, vocals) of the Atlanta based group The Rockerz

The Rockerz

The Rockerz were an American rock band originally from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, that experienced popularity in the Southeastern United States during the 1990s-2000s...

.

In more recent times Bell has been diversifying his repertoire to include "blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

", and has recorded a Blues CD. He also has recorded some Country music, having professed a love for country. Country producer and former member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, Tommy Allsup

Tommy Allsup

Tommy Allsup is an American musician.He worked with entertainers such as Buddy Holly and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys...

 had recruited Bell to sing "Warm Red Wine" which would appear on an album with songs from Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell

Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...

, Tanya Tucker

Tanya Tucker

Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...

 and Roy Clark

Roy Clark

Roy Linwood Clark is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969–1992. Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre...

etc.

Single

• The Kays Band featuring Archie Bell - Soul'd Out - Major Records MR 906 (12")
• "Any Time Is Right" / "Without You" - Becket Records BKA 45-4 - 1981 (7")
• "Any Time Is Right" / "Why Didja Do Me" - Becket BKD-501 - 1981 (12")
• Touchin' You" / "Touchin' You" (Instrumental) - WMOT Records WMOT-101 - 1982 (12")