Chris Bell

Chris Bell was born January 12, 1951 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was always a talented artist but began displaying his ability as a writer and guitarist at about 12 years old. After high school Bell became a founding member of possibly the greatest post-Beatles-style rock band that the USA has yet produced. The band was called Big Star and they released 3 classic records "#1 Record" (1971), which he wrote and performed on and the others, "Radio City" (1972) and "Third" (first officially released in England in 1978) which he reportedly helped arrange and write. The first record was a critical success and today, in the CD format, it has sold in the millions, but at that time their record label, Ardent/Stax, a primarily black R&B and Soul Music label, was either unwilling or unable to adequately promote, publicize and market this Beatles-sounding masterpiece. It is reported by his brother in the liner notes of his posthumously released solo album, "I Am The Cosmos" (1992), that he was so despondent over the failure that he attempted to "do himself in". His brother helped him see the light and between the years 1974-1978 Chris began to record his own record. This work can be heard today on that disk and also in the numerous cover versions of these songs done by popular artists of the 90s and today. He had not yet finished it when, in the words of his brother David, "returning home from a rehearsal with his new band, his car struck a telephone pole on Poplar Ave., and he died instantly." Chris' most popular contribution to modern culture is still his song "In The Street" co-written with Big Star band mate Alex Chilton. This song is used as the opening theme for _"That 70s Show" (1998)_ and is performed by legendary 70s rock band "Cheap Trick". Bell's scant body of work is selling more every year to new young audiences, and being sited as influence for more and more contemporary musicians. His brother David has remarked that Chris would be thrilled if he had lived to see his ideas and music vindicated.