Page 73 - EM_late_dec_2018_Neat

Remembering Art Bell 73

Coast to Coast AM Host

Art Bell Dies at 72

Paranormal radio show host died on
Friday the 13th April 2018. Art Bell
got his radio license at the age of 13.

Radio host Art Bell, whose nationally
syndicated paranormal-themed show Coast to
Coast AM helped normalize alien contact,
ghostly encounters and political conspiracies to
millions of listeners, died at his Pahrump,
Nevada home on Friday the 13th. Bell was 72.
The announcement was made by The Nye
County Sheriff’s Office on their Facebook page.
Arthur William Bell III was an FCC
licensed radio technician by the age of 13. He
was born on June 17, 1945 in Jacksonville,
North Carolina. Bell started out as a disc jockey
before entering political talk radio in the 1970s.
His ratings soared when he began reporting on
conspiracy theories, alien abductions, ghosts,
crop circles and the paranormal. In 1988, Bell
reported that the Hale-Bopp comet was being
Fans regarded Bell as a master showman, noting Rogan and frequent guests physicist Michio
tailed by a UFO.
that he called his show "absolute entertainment" Kaku and SETI astronomers Seth Shostak and
At peak in the 1990s, Coast to Coast AM
and expressly said he did not necessarily accept H. Paul Shuch.
, which was broadcast from Bell’s Pahrump-
every guest or caller's claims, but only offered a Beginning in late 1996, Bell was
based radio station, KNYE 95.1 FM, aired on
forum where they would not be openly criticized for reporting rumors that Comet Hale–
approximately 500 North American and
ridiculed. Bell was one of only a few talk show Bopp was being trailed by a UFO. Some
Canadian radio stations. In 1986 KDWN in Las
hosts who did not screen incoming calls, but speculated that members of the Heaven's Gate
Vegas offered Bell a five-hour time slot in the
this changed in 2006. On the October 31, 2006 group committed mass suicide based on rumors
middle of the night. Syndication of his program edition of Coast to Coast AM, (renamed for the Bell aired, but others dismissed the idea, noting
began in 1993. Bell left the late-night show in
night to Ghost to Ghost AM), Bell was asked that the Heaven's Gate website stated: "Whether
2002. Bell had a show on SiriusXM in 2013 that
why he was now using call screeners. The Hale-Bopp has a 'companion' or not is irrelevant
lasted six weeks. He returned to radio with
explanation given was that for him to use from our perspective." Susan Wright reported,
Midnight in the Desert in 2015. He announced
unscreened open phone lines while in the however, that Bell was also "one of the first to
his retirement on Dec. 11, 2015, citing security
Philippines would require listeners to call there publicize expert opinions refuting the 'alien'
concerns.
directly at enormous cost to them. Art admitted companion" said to have been shadowing Hale-
Bell served in the U.S. Air Force He and
that he should have chosen New Zealand Bopp, such as that published in 1998 from the
a friend built a pirate radio station on the
instead of the Philippines as an alternative to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggesting that "the
Amarillo Air Force base in Texas, broadcasting USA. He said, "It was a bad choice, and I'll satellite's main diameter is ~30 km," and
rock and roll to local listeners. They also played
regret it, one day, in the near future." He accordingly natural rather than artificial.
anti-war songs like Barry McGuire’s "Eve of
subsequently stopped screening calls upon his
Destruction" and Creedence Clearwater
return to the United States Art Bell’s Passing
Revival’s "Fortunate Son," that didn’t get play
His calm attitude, patient questions, and
the American Forces Network.
ability to tease substance from nebulous Art Bell died April 13, 2018, at age 72 at his
According to the Coast to Coast AM
statements of callers and guests gave his show a home in Pahrump, Nevada. An autopsy was
website, Bell once set a Guinness World Record
relaxed yet serious atmosphere.[citation scheduled for the following days to determine
for broadcasting solo for 116 hours and fifteen
needed] This earned him praise from those who the cause of his death.
minutes while working as a DJ at Okinawa, declare that the paranormal deserves a mature Bell had suffered from health problems
Japan’s KSBK, , the only English speaking
outlet of discussion in the media as well as the in the previous years. He posted on his website
station in Asia. A medic during the Vietnam
approval of those simply amused by the nightly in July 2016 that he was hospitalized for
War, Bell raised money to charter a DC 8 to
parade of bizarre, typically fringe topics. Ed pneumonia and revealed at the time that he
rescue 130 Vietnamese Orphans stranded in
Dames, Richard C. Hoagland, Terence suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary
Saigon at its end.
McKenna, Dannion Brinkley, David John disease.
Besides conspiricacy and paranomal,
Oates, and Robert Bigelow were all regular On Wednesday, August 1, 2018, the Las
Coast to Coast AM, which occasionally called
guests. Some of Bell's regular guests continue to Vegas Review-Journal reported the Clark
itself "Ghost to Ghost AM," hosted interviews
appear on Coast to Coast AM now hosted by County coroner’s office findings. The coroner’s
with singers Crystal Gayle, Willie Nelson, George Noory. office stated that Bell died of an accidental
Merle Haggard, Eric Burdon and Gordon
Bell's own interests, however, extended overdose from a cocktail of prescription drugs.
Lightfoot, comedian George Carlin, writer Dean
beyond the paranormal. He interviewed singers The coroner’s office determined he had four
Koontz, The X-Files creator Chris Carter, Regis
Crystal Gayle, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, prescription medications in his system: the
Philbin, Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy and
Eric Burdon and Gordon Lightfoot, comedian opioids oxycodone and hydrocodone, diazepam
Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd.
George Carlin, writer Dean Koontz, hard (often marketed as Valium), and carisoprodol, a
Bell wrote the books The Arts of Talk,
science fiction writer Greg Bear, X-Files muscle-relaxant. Chronic obstructive pulmonary
The Quickening and The Coming Global
writer/creator Chris Carter, TV talk host Regis disease, and hypertension also contributed to his
Superstorm. He was inducted into the National
Philbin, Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy, actor death.
Radio Hall of Fame in 2008. He is survived by
Dan Aykroyd, former Luftwaffe pilot Bruno George Noory, current host of Coast To
his fourth wife, Airyn Ruiz Bell, and four
Stolle, actress Jane Seymour, actress Ellen Coast AM, announced Bell's death and stated,
children.
Muth, actor and TV host Robert Stack, human “Art and I were not that close. We had our
rights lawyer John Loftus, legendary disc differences, but he was one of those instrumental
Critical reputation jockey Casey Kasem, UFC commentator Joe in me being where I am right now." []