Sasquatch Chronicles Blog

Apr 17

SC EP:424 Remembering Art Bell

Arthur William Bell III (June 17, 1945 – April 13, 2018) was an American broadcaster and author. He was the founder and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM, which is syndicated on hundreds of radio stations in the United States and Canada. He also created and hosted its companion show Dreamland.

In 2003, Bell semi-retired from Coast to Coast AM. During the following four years, he hosted the show many weekends on Premiere Networks. He announced his retirement from weekend hosting on July 1, 2007, but occasionally served as a guest host through 2010. He attributed the reason for his retirement to a desire to spend time with his new wife and their daughter, born May 30, 2007. He added that unlike his previous “retirements”, this one was permanent, but he left open the option to return to broadcasting.

Bell hosted classic episodes of Coast to Coast AM that can be heard in some radio markets on Saturday nights under the name Somewhere in Time.

 


 

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50 Responses to “SC EP:424 Remembering Art Bell”

  3. Reed D

    Wes,
    Thank you so much for this tribute. I owe a great deal to Mr. Bell. Although I never met him, he very much helped me through long and often boring graveyard patrol shifts at the police dept over the years. He, and my fair share of am-pm coffee, kept me awake and alert behind the wheel. Mr. Bell was a real life saver for me.
    Back then, most squad cars didn’t come standard with am radios, so I buried my radio shack portable am-fm onto the screen partition and plugged it into the cigarette lighter and I was ready. On particularly quiet nights, I’d go and get my coffee and smokes (sorry, no donuts) from the mini mart, go and find a good vantage point to watch certain areas from, and then switch on Mr. Bell between rounds around town. His stories were great, and even a bit frightening! Try sitting by your self in a squad car late at night, in a sierra Nevada mountain town… listening to creepy stories of bigfoot, ufo’s and aliens and all sorts of strange subjects! Oh, he kept me awake! And he was indeed the master of “the art of talk.
    Mr. Bell, I thank you so very much, and God’s speed to you sir.

    Reed D.

  5. Susan P

    I’ve listen for years. My husband drove nights for UPS and all the drivers would listen to Art. I too became a big fan. I always loved his music selections. He set the standard for questioning the norm and encouraged us all to think outside the box. Just before George Noory became the host ( and I love George Too) I broke my leg and ankle requiring surgery and to had to stay In bed 21 days … Coast to Coast took my attention away from excruciating pain. I looked forward all day long to that late night company. Rest In Peace Art… and thank you Wes for paying tribute

  7. Charles R

    The episode you pulled with Buggs was an interview with I think Robert Morgan. Art told Robert he knew a guy that had shot two bigfoots and called up Buggs to re iterate his story for Robert. To say Robert was pissed off is a severe understatement. He could not believe that these guys just up and shot something in the night they did not even know what they were shooting. Kind of like Justin Smeja I would say. But Buggs and his team made a living in the Texas Panhandle hunting. Of course Robert takes the kinder, gentler, view of the Sasquatch. I also caught the original episode with Buggs and he sounded as genuine about the shooting as most everyone on the SC does. I was convinced this actually happened. They buried the Bigfoots as Buggs thought they had committed a murder crime because they creatures looked so human like. He also stated that after the shooting he became somewhat targeted by other bigfoots. He would not lead anyone to the burial site unless he was given a guarantee from the government he would not be prosecuted. Art did say that Buggs provided a detailed map of the burial site for Art to keep under lock and key, with permission that after Buggs passed away, Art could then make the burial site public info. Sadly I, think Art passed before Buggs.

    In August of 2001 I was traveling from Ohio to Auburn, AL with my wife late at night and of course, listening to Art. The whole show was an interview with a guy from the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan who had hit a bigfoot with his vehicle and killed it and did not know what to do with it. I never heard anymore after that night.

  8. Eva B

    Rest in peace, Art. Thank you for opening those doors that everyone wanted to keep locked. Thanks Wes, for this podcast in remembrance of Art Bell!

  9. Pete M

    Thanks Wes, I would never have been a big fan of your show or other scary topics if it hadn’t been for Art Bell’s shows. I too came across it accidentally while patrolling on the midnight shift in west Texas in the 90’s. Some of the shows were really scary but I couldn’t get enough of it. I’m convinced that the popularity of his program was due to the fact that no one else was talking about these various topics and so many of us want to hear the creepy, weird and scary stuff. Rest in peace Art.

  10. Steven B

    Somewhere on YouTube there is a “follow-up” with, or by, Buggs. Apparently he received a “visit” and had to give up the site of the burial which subsequently…well, you know what happens already – the standard pattern – no proof left.

  12. Jeff M

    I loved Art Bell , he kept me sane during a period where I had a mind numbing job, it was such a comfort to hear the start of the show and listen to all the stories. I actually heard “Bugs” tell his story the first time – very exciting . Rest in peace Art, at least now you probably know all the answers to all the questions!

  15. Janeda E

    Dude, I agree with you. Best way to stop an interview. I remembering hearing that show, being from Texas picturing in my mind the area he was talking about. This guy sounded genuine. Fascinating stuff.
    Art Bell was a great interviewer, as are you Wes. You can hear your genuine interest and your empathy for the people you interview.
    I would love to sit down someday with you and tell you all the crazy things that have happened to me and people around me in my 63+years. Nothing super shocking but all together just weird.
    Hoping to make it up your way one day for a bigfoot conference.
    Keep up your good work, you really have quite a legacy going.

  16. m99

    ~Rest in Peace Art Bell. ~ “Another piece of America’s Lost”, quote from Highwaymen song, ‘Last Cowboy’.
    Art was in his own way a cowboy. He blazed the trail, he never backed down, he was an American folk hero…

    Thanks Wes.

  17. Dianne S

    I have listened to Art Bell since he started and the adventures his show spurred in my life I can’t even begin to say.. And the history I witnessed all these years from the late 80’s Wow I remember his health scare 18 yrs ago .. it must have caught up with him
    Yes he started it all with alternative awesome spooky radio

  19. philip g

    I was an avid AB listener for years through the early 90s then when Art started selling those C Crane radios LOL I figured ok a man needs to make a buck or two.
    So I bought one of course being a good follower of his format
    The the Y2K came in right after his sons HOMOSEXUAL LAW SUIT AGAINST THE Nevada school system for 5 million dollars awarded to art bells SON WHO SAID HE WAS ABUSED ????????hmmmmmmmmmmm
    Then That imbacil Hoagland ( Paid shill ) was piratically running his show remember?
    Then the three books he wrote with Strieber ( Who is a total liar )
    Then Y2 K harder and harder he sol those radios and food on fear of a total electrical grid crash
    His wife mysteriously died during that time without a real shed of tears on Bells part
    He then married his Xwifes little sister at age 14 in Manilla was it? He then shipped his money and himself overseas and was broadcasting from there
    All I remember was a man who went from making a buck to full blown greed

  20. Bal G

    What in the world is George noory crying about? Art Bell couldn’t stand him. Noory cries and cries about the middle east. About how Iran and Russia are taking over Syria, and what is the US going to do about it. Go away booty just go away.

  21. philip g

    PS I Loved to original Bell shows and Art himself up yo id say 1997-8 when Premier radio got involved and he became a syndicate radio station owned by Premier radio
    Everything change very slowly but steadily went down hill SO SAD

  22. David W

    Nice tribute to Art! In honor of his memory will you do the government cover-up show? A few shows ago you and Tony M spoke about doing one BUT I never heard one?

  24. Susan C

    Thanks for that Wes. Art Bell was definitely a legend. I had been listening to him since the 90’s religiously and was so sad when he left. George Noory kind of took the show in another direction and it was just never the same. If it hadn’t been for Art, I would have never found your pod cast. RIP Art!

  25. Scott D

    Listened to Art before he was “Art” on KDWN out of Vegas and his paranormal show, Dreamland out of Bakersfield. Art set the stage for many to come. However, his personal life with his son being kidnapped and molested by a teacher, changed him. He never seemed to get his spark back. Then, when Ramona, died, if you remember those shows, I thought he might commit suicide. He was very lost until he married Airyn. His other returns were short lived, and his last one, Midnight in the Desert, showed me that the talk world had left him behind.

    Art did a show with an MD, two episodes of it, where the MD was out with his family on a hike/lunch. He by chance spotted a bigfoot tracking/trailing them. They returned to their car and informed the Forest Service who basically told him to shut up. If you remember the episodes, they were compelling. The guy’s voice changed numerous times during the interviews, he was still experiencing PTSD of some sort. I wish I had recorded them. As far as eyewitnesses go, this one was above almost all of them.

    RIP Art, you kept me company many nights while writing papers, my thesis, and when I couldn’t sleep. You were family, as your pains were our pains and vice-versa. I hope you reached the other side my friend….

  28. m99

    @Dougie _that was curious huh? But, since he took over the show, perhaps the network expected it. It was interesting though, he making a big deal out of vetting the death of his nemesis. Recently on an old episode I heard Art giggle because George said on C2C he (George) was ‘raging in the night’. Art giggled candidly and said, ‘Oh really?’ in that smooth, cynical voice of his. He got his digs in. And the other thing I wondered about, George is coming up behind him. Perhaps HIS mortality is slapping him in the face. Life is short, you know?

  30. Brian R

    R.I.P Art Bell. The man, the Godfather, the legend. Much Respect.
    Ex Satanist – I’ve researched that dude. Although the Confessionals show is absolutely riveting…he is full of shit. A charlatan and con artist.. albeit a good one. But a great show and is fun to listen to….rabbit hole release. Tony you did a good job on that one…as usual.
    Just one mans opinion.
    Thanks fellas.

  33. paul p

    I didn’t know,, but I would listen to Art all the time , And there was an episode that I was listening to , and as some listeners were
    calling in it was happening right in front of me and some coworkers ,, As they where calling and Art was telling it on the radio there were a few of us workers that was working and as we were working Art was giving step by step as we work, I had all of us listening to the radio while we was working, , Think it was creepy but That was pretty cool,,, He had the night voice for it ,,Don’t know but I think you can go on coast to coast and listen to old ones , Thanks Art Bell for all

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