Art Bell dies at 72.

[Moose-Knuckle]

He literally made paranormal-themed shows not only okay but popular.

Yes, he made it mainstream and gave a voice to many who otherwise would be discounted.

A radio pioneer.

I didn't get into listening to Coast till Noory was host, what was the dust up and how did he take over from Bell if Bell owned and operated the show?

[Doc Safari]

I didn't get into listening to Coast till Noory was host, what was the dust up and how did he take over from Bell if Bell owned and operated the show?

I'm not sure the full story of his many "retirements" has ever been completely vetted, but that's just my personal opinion. You can do an online search and Wikipedia gives you about as much information as Art provided himself IIRC:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Bell

On October 13, 1998, Bell announced his first retirement, which was highly unexpected by his listeners. He spoke of "an event, a threatening terrible event occurred to my family, which I could not tell you about. Because of that event, and a succession of other events, what you're listening to right now is my final broadcast on the air." Hilly Rose filled in after Bell's departure. Bell returned on October 28, 1998, asserting that the brief departure was brought on by threats made against his family. On May 29, 1999, Bell explained that this retirement was due to an allegation made by hosts of WWCR shortwave radio that Bell had paid to cover up a criminal indictment. The facts of the matter became public knowledge in 2000, when it was revealed that an actual criminal indictment was filed against a person who had assaulted a member of Bell's family. Because of the nature of the crime, Bell had wanted to keep the matter private. Ted Gunderson, the former head of the Los Angeles FBI and the hosts at WWCR shortwave radio had accused Bell of the crime. Bell responded by taking legal action against Gunderson, as well as the hosts and stations. The action was resolved in a settlement in 2000.

On April 1, 2000, Bell again announced his retirement. He said that the event would occur on April 26, 2000, but offered no details other than expressing intentions to "resolve a family crisis." On April 11, 2000, Mike Siegel was introduced as the new host of Coast to Coast AM, taking over on April 27, to an estimated audience of 22 million listeners. It was later explained that Bell had left to deal with the aftermath of the kidnap and sexual assault of his son. Brian Lepley, a substitute teacher, was convicted of sexual assault and attempted transmission of HIV and was sentenced to 10 to 25 years. Bell returned to Coast to Coast AM in February 2001. Bell noted that since his departure the show had lost a number of affiliates, commercial content had risen to an unbearable level, and Siegel had taken the program in a "different direction" of which Bell disapproved. Bell retained some authority over the program as its creator and felt his return was necessary.

On October 23, 2002, Bell announced that he would retire due to recurring back pain, which was the result of a fall from a telephone pole during his youth. Bell was replaced by George Noory as weekday host of Coast to Coast AM on January 1, 2003. It was also said that Barbara Simpson would host weekends and that Bell planned to be an occasional guest host for Noory. Bell returned in September 2003 as a weekend host, replacing Barbara Simpson and Ian Punnett as host of the Saturday and Sunday evening broadcasts. In June 2005, he scaled this schedule back, calling it a "semiretirement", and hosted only the last two Sundays of every month. Bell went back to hosting every weekend show as his schedule permitted after his wife Ramona's death a few months later.

On July 1, 2007, Bell announced his retirement, stating that he wished to spend more time with his new wife and daughter. He made it explicitly clear that, unlike the circumstances surrounding previous retirements, this decision was an entirely positive and joyful one and that he would not disappear completely, announcing an intention to occasionally substitute for other hosts and host "special" shows.

On December 11, 2015, Bell posted what would be his final retirement message via his Facebook page. He cited safety concerns for his family by saying "if one of them were harmed because of what I love doing my life would be over." Throughout the fall, Bell reported several incidents where an unknown number of armed trespassers came onto his property, sometimes firing gunshots. These events have been said to occur during or around the time of his broadcasting. This announcement came a mere five months after the start of his most recent show, Midnight in the Desert.

Much as I loved listening to his show, I'm of the opinion that at least some of the reasons for his many "retirements" were largely made-up horseshit. I might believe that a family member was assaulted (since someone was convicted), but too many other "reasons" for his various retirements sound like convenient excuses. Even if some or all of the events happened, they were cover stories for a man who had just decided to hang it up and didn't want to let the fans down. IMHO, He just got tired of the business and that's that, Again, my opinion. I know, I know, I'm nurturing my own pet conspiracy theory on his career, but c'est la vie, c'est la guerre. I don't believe he was actually being stalked or threatened while doing the Midnight in the Desert show. IIRC other people had their doubts, too.

It's appropriate that he died on Friday the 13th: a fitting final paranormal twist to the King of Paranormal Radio.

[Moose-Knuckle]

Oh wow, I did not realize his son was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a pedo HIV infecting teacher.

I wonder if that incident had anything to do with the other "stalking" incidents on his family. Celebs in general attract nut jobs but I'm sure Bell brought them out of the woodwork considering the subject matter of his shows. So who knows, but I wouldn't be surprised if the crazies got to be to much and he just said f'it.

[Doc Safari]

This weekend I caught the Saturday night broadcast of "Somewhere in Time", the Coast-to-Coast-AM show that exclusively replays classic Art Bell shows. This was the first Art Bell "best of" broadcast I had an opportunity to hear since news of Bell's death on April 13 became public.

It was a show with Bell interviewing Whitley Strieber for the gazillionth time. Strieber and Bell were great friends. Strieber even attended Bell's funeral.

That made it a very sad, sobering broadcast. It was impossible for me to listen without the heaviness of Bell's death lingering in the back of my mind.

At the end of the show, after Bell reluctantly bid goodnight to Strieber, he enthusiastically declared, "But Gosh it's been fun."

A chill ran up my spine. That statement explains Bell's entire career and his effect on his audience. "Gosh it's been fun" was a perfect epitaph to the Art Bell Coast-to-Coast AM era.

Like losing Johnny Carson as host of the Tonight Show, Late night radio without Art Bell will never be the same.

[DacoRoman]

Coast to Coast was awesome fun. I stopped listening when George Noori took over.

I think Art Bell left after the whole Hale Bop Heavens Gate suicide scandal, as I remember some blamed Art Bell for playing a part in hyping the conspiracy of there being an orbiting object around Hale Bop..supposedly the mother ship that the Heavens Gate cultists sought to join.

But yeah Art Bell was awesome...Anyone remember the Devil’s Mouthpiece caller that Art would goad using a synthesizer devil voice? I think I pissed myself silly with laughter.

[Doc Safari]

Well, it's been one year this coming Saturday since Art Bell's passing.

Check out Paranormal radio for past shows. The shows played here tend to be much better than the mundane reruns played on Saturday Night as "Art Bell Somewhere in Time."

https://paranormal.talkstreamlive.com

In addition to the podcasts that actually feature Art Bell in their name, Pine Radio and Advent Radio (weekends) play old Art Bell shows also.

I sometimes listen to them during the day while I surf the forums here. Some great classic shows and I'm sorry I couldn't stay up to listen to a lot of them in their first run.

Good Stuff.

[jsbhike]

Wasn't in to the monsters and aliens episodes, but some of the non sci fi stuff was pretty good. One of the best radio interviews I ever listened was one where Robert Young Pelton was on Coast to Coast.

[Mjolnir]

I miss his show....



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Exactly.


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[Firefly]

All we are is dust in the wind...

I miss the 90s sometimes. It was a grand time to be an anti-government rebel who was into conspiracies and feet and recorded all the X Files eps.

I hate the current year

[Doc Safari]

All we are is dust in the wind...

I miss the 90s sometimes. It was a grand time to be an anti-government rebel who was into conspiracies and feet and recorded all the X Files eps.

I hate the current year

TRUTH. I can't even hardly listen to Coast to Coast AM now. It's gone downhill so far that it might as well be Science Fantastic with Michio Kaku.

I listen to Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis. It's about the closest thing you can't get to the old C2C now, and Clyde sure ain't Art Bell. I also listen to Ark Midnight on Saturday Night with John B. Wells. He was the host fired from Coast to Coast in 2013 allegedly because his ratings were higher than George Noory (can't have that, can we?).

I think a lot of the old Art Bell podcasts on paranormal radio are still great to listen to. Others are interesting only in the sense that they created this anticipation of something going to be revealed soon, and of course twenty years later we're still waiting.

Probably the X-Files and Art Bell fed each other's audiences and that's why both were very popular. One thing is for sure: That time will never come back again and I'll have to have my fond memories of hearing Art talk to some guest and their creepy subject matter while sipping a few favorite brews in the wee hours of the morning.