Art Bell, dubbed “The King of Late Night Radio” on occasion, is an American broadcaster and novelist. Additionally, Art Bell founded and hosted the radio show Coast to Coast AM, which focuses on the paranormal. Additionally, his show was transmitted across the United States and Canada on hundreds of radio stations. He also created and presented the show’s companion, Dreamland.
Quick Facts
| Born | Arthur William Bell III, June 17, 1945, North Carolina, U.S |
| Died | April 13, 2018, Pahrump, Nevada, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Accidental drug overdose |
| Occupation | Broadcaster, author |
| Children | 5 |
| Call-sign | W6OBB (U.S.), 4F1AB (Philippines) |
Art Bell Biography
Arthur William Bell III, alias Art Bell, was born in Camp Lejune, North Carolina, on June 17, 1945. Regrettably, he died at the age of 72. Additionally, he is a Gemini and an American citizen. He was the son of the late Arthur William Bell Jr. and Jane Lee Gumaer Bell (mother). As a child, he was enthralled by radio.
He obtained his amateur radio operator’s license at the age of 13 and used the call sign ‘KN3JOX’. He changed his call sign to ‘K3JOX’ and eventually earned an ‘Amateur Extra Class license, the highest level of amateur license offered by the ‘US Federation Communications Commission’.
In terms of academic credentials, he attended the ‘University of Maryland’ to study engineering but left to work as a board operator. He frequently worked both behind and in front of the microphone to gain experience. He asserted that working at the radio station taught him far more than the university could.
Art Bell Height and Weight
Art is balding and has brown eyes. Apart from that, there is no information about Art Bell’s height, weight, or other physical characteristics.
Art Bell Death
Art Bell began experiencing health problems at the age of 70, and in 2016, he suffered a severe bout of pneumonia. He died on April 13, 2018, in Pahrump, Nevada, at the age of 72.
Art Bell Professional Life
Art Bell served as a surgeon in the ‘US Air Force’ during the Vietnam War, where he and a friend operated an illegal pirate radio station transmitting anti-war songs from ‘Amarillo Air Force Base.’ After the war, he moved to Japan and worked as a DJ for ‘KSBK,’ the country’s only civil English broadcasting station at the time. He moved to the United States in the 1970s and worked for ‘KIDD’ in Monterey, California.
He began as a rock music DJ before transitioning to hosting radio debate shows. He proceeded from routine political matters to more problematic subjects such as gunrunning, the occult, UFOs, pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and protoscience on his talk show ‘Dreamland.’
He founded the Pahrump-based radio station ‘KNYE 95.1 FM,’ which included a studio and transmitter near his house in Nye County, Nevada. ‘Coast to Coast AM,’ which he produced in his studio, became one of the most popular radio shows in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was carried on more than 500 stations and received over 15 million listeners.
He established credibility through hosting live question-and-answer sessions on his show. He mastered the art of listening patiently and then responding objectively. He aired his show from the Philippines in October 2006, and that was the only time he screened queries. He conducted interviews with musicians, authors, actors, DJs, and comics.
Additionally, throughout his remarkable career, he interviewed notable figures such as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Greg Bear, Chris Carter, Dan Aykroyd, Casey Kasem, and George Carlin. His speeches earned positive feedback due to their laid-back nature while yet tackling pertinent and topical topics.
Bell unexpectedly ended his show ‘Coast to Coast AM in October 1998 due to danger to his family. He returned to the show in February 2001 but declined to discuss his personal life. He left the regular show in October 2002 and began hosting just weekend episodes due to medical difficulties. In January 2003, George Noory succeeded him as the show’s daily host.
In September 2013, he debuted “Art Bell’s Dark Matter,” a new night show on Sirius XM’s “Indie Talk Channel.” The show aired for six weeks in total. In July 2015, he started the show ‘Midnight in the Desert,’ which was available online via “TuneIn.”
Art Bell Net worth
He had an illustrious career. According to some web sources, he had a net worth of approximately $10 million at the time of his death. As a novelist and broadcaster, he earned a living.
Art Bell Wife, Marriage
Art Bell has been married four times over his life. In 1965, he married Sachiko Toguchi Pontius and they had two children. However, the couple divorced only three years later, in 1968. He married Vickie L Baker in March 1981 and they had a son.
However, as was the case with the last marriage, this one did not last long, and the couple divorced in 1991. He then married Ramona Lee Hayes for the third time in August 1991. He stayed with her until she died of acute asthma in January 2006, while the pair was on vacation.
Following the death of his third wife, he astonished everyone by traveling to the Philippines in 2006 and marrying Airyn Ruiz, then 21 years old. He also had a health problem, and as a result, he returned to America, but his wife encountered difficulties acquiring a visa.
He spent the remainder of his life with his final wife, Airyn, and their children. His children are named Arthur William Bell, Asia Rayne Bell, Lisa Minei Bell, and Vincent Pontius Bell.
