User:Jerry Bell (R & B Artist)

R&B Artist Background:

Born June 6, 1951

Jerry Bell's passion for music emanates from early vocal training while growing up between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and West Palm Beach, Florida in a musical family; a family that has produced Gold and Platinum records for nearly two decades. During his formative years in West Palm Beach Jerry emerged from a three man singing group called the Delusions; the other two artists were Terry Greene and Fred Jones. The band who backed them at that time was called the Miami Ocean Liners who later became KC and The Sunshine Band.

Jerry’s vocal range is superb as he precisely delivers each sultry note. He is a two time Grammy Award Winner, former lead vocalist of the famed groups "The New Birth" which he was invited to join the group by the founding members; Tony Churchhill, James Baker and Austin Lander. He enjoyed his experiences he had with The New Birth from 1973 to 1979. They enjoyed such hits as "It's Been Such A Long Time", "Mr. Dream Merchant" and "Wildflower."

His next endeavor was with Motown's "The Dazz Band"; which he was invited into in 1981 as one of the lead vocalists by Reggie Andrews, Ralph Johnson of Earth Wind & Fire. Jerry's smooth, sensual vocals have helped to create these groups most powerful hits such as "Let it Whip", "Joystick", "Knock Knock", "Swoop", "Heartbeat" and "Invitation to Love."

Jerry also was a solo artist for MCA in 1980, with his album entitled; "Winter Love Affair". Jerry is back again and better than ever now signed with Lotus Records/Bungalow/Universal Music Group.

Currently, Jerry has a Hit Single with his reproduced updated version of The New Birth classic from 1973; "It's Been Such A Long Time." This also reflects the title of Jerry's Album.

Jerry is a lead vocalist who has also done background vocals for Marvin Gaye,  Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, The Main Ingredient, The Delfonics, The Spinners, McFadden and Whitehead, The O'Jays, Stevie Wonder, The Jacksons, The Gap Band, Michael Wycoff, Jean Carne, LTD, Lenny Williams, Joe Sample, Yarbrough and Peoples, The Intruders, The Moments, and Blue Magic.

Jerry was fortunate during his formative years to be mentored by the crème de la crème. He was trained vocally by the greatest of the greats such as James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, Jimmy Bo Horne, Gamble & Huff and McFadden & Whitehead. Jerry was also fortunate to tour with the "Baddest"; he toured with Michael Jackson on his “Bad Tour”, Marvin Gaye with his “Let’s Get It On” and “Sexual Healing” Tours and Isaac Hayes’ “I Stand Accused” Tour with Johnny Taylor, Luther Ingram, The Barkays, The Staple Singers & The Temprees. In 1973 he toured with The Funk Fest featuring James Brown, George Clinton and The Funkadelics, Ike and Tina Turner, Bootsie Collins, Fred Wesley & The JB’s, The New Birth, The Barkays, The Average White Band, LTD, Sly and The Family Stone, Graham Central Station, KC and The Sunshine Band, The Isley Brothers and Eddie Kendricks. He toured with The Motown Reviews featuring The Dazz Band, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, Rick James and The Stone City Band, The Mary Jane Girls, El De Barge and Tina Marie. He toured with The Philadelphia International Legends, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, The Stylistics, The Three Degrees, The O’Jays, Archie Bell and The Drells, The Delfonics, Billy Paul and Major Harris. He also enjoyed touring with The Legend of Soul Tour with Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, Willie Hutch, George and Gwen McCray, Carl Carlton, The Gap Band, Enchantment, The Moments, The Dells, GQ, The Originals, D Train, Evelyn Champagne King, The Emotions, Earth Wind & Fire, The Temptations, Switch, Al Jarreau, Yarbrough & Peoples, The Spinners, The Main Ingredient, Gene Chandler and Lenny Williams.

Jerry Bell comes from a great musical background within his own immediate family. His family began with the matriarch, his beloved mother Mattie Bell, a Gospel singer, whom Jerry inherited her mighty vocals. Jerry has an older brother whom he looked up to while growing up. Archie of Archie Bell and the Drells, who are known for their R&B Pop hits such as "Tighten Up", "I Just Can't Stop Dancing", "There's Gonna Be A Showdown", and "Let's Groove." Then there is Thom Bell who is Jerry's cousin who produced such songs as "Stop, Look & Listen", "People Make the World Go Round", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", "La La Means I Love You", "Didn't I Blow Your Mind", "You Are Everything" and "Break Up To Make Up." Thom has also produced such groups as, The Delfonics, Stylistics, The Spinners, Blue Magic, Archie Bell and The Drells, and Dionne Warwick. Jerry has another famous cousin; Robert "KOOL" Bell of the famed group Kool and the Gang; with such hits as "Ladies Night", "Jungle Boogie", "Hollywood Swinging", and "Get Down On It." Al Bell, another cousin, started a record label called STAX which featured yet another cousin, William Bell with “ I Forgot To Be Your Lover.” Then there is Leroy Burgers from Black Ivory, “You’re What’s Been Missing From My Life”, “Surrender”, “Don’t Walk Away”, “It’s Time To Say Goodbye”.

The Dazz Band, formed in 1976, grew out of the Cleveland, Ohio, jazz fusion band Bell Telefunk, composed of foundres Michael Calhoun and Sonny Jones lead guitarist/songwriter Michael Calhoun, percussionist Kenny Pettus, drummer Isaac "Ike" Wiley, Jr., and his brother bassist Michael Wiley, and the band Mother Braintree. The group became known as Kinsman Dazz, named after both the street and the lounge where they worked as the house band: Sonny Jones' Kinsman Grill Lounge. The group adopted its name before the song "Dazz" became an R&B hit for Atlanta's Brick in 1976.

Kinsman Dazz was signed to 20th Century Records by Joe Lewis[disambiguation needed] in 1978. The group went to Los Angeles to record for producer Marvin Gaye. Due to illness, Gaye had to back out of the duties. Calhoun requested and got Philip Bailey, the vocalist of Earth, Wind & Fire, to produce the group's first album, Kinsman Dazz. Bailey would co-produce the second album, Dazz, and had a major input into the group's vocal arrangements. They released their first single, "I Might as Well Forget About Loving You", in late 1978. "Catchin' Up on You" followed in 1979.

The Kinsman Dazz became the Dazz Band in 1980. The 20th Century Records label was closed, and the Dazz Band was signed to Motown Records. The group expanded from the original quintet - Calhoun, Harris, Pettus, and the Wiley brothers and added newcomers Kevin Kendrick, Eric Fearman, Pierre DeMudd, Sennie "Skip" Martin, Jerry Bell, & Terry Stanten. After the death of manger Sonny Jones, leadership of the group was claimed under Bobby Harris, sax player of the group. Unfortunately under Harris’s miss management of funds and poor leadership would lead to two deaths in the group. One being the original bass player Michael Wiley in 1987 and then in 2005 vocalist Terry Stanten. The new Dazz Band featuring Jerry Bell is now back to its original founding member Michael Calhoun as leader along with Jerry Bell.

Now under this new leadership they have gained there place as inductees in the R&B HALL OF FAME on August 17, 2013 and they have been honored by the United States Postal Service with the issue of a commemorative stamp also on January 23, of 2013. There are still little shoots of the Harris ensemble popping up here and there but nothing as outstanding as the original sounds of Calhoun and Bell. Dazz's first album for Motown was Invitation to Love (1980), a self-produced set, whose title track, the ballad "Invitation to Love", began a string of hits for the band starting in March 1981. The group's next album, Let The Music Play (1981), featured the minor hit single "Knock! Knock!", reaching the Top 50. The group's biggest breakthrough came with the album Keep It Live (1982), containing the hit "Let It Whip" — which reached No. 1 on the R&B charts and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. They would go on to score R&B hits with the songs "Party Right Here" (1983), "Joystick" (1984), and "Let It All Blow" (which was also their biggest UK hit single, peaking at #12) (1984).[1]

After Keep It Live, the band recorded the albums On the One, Joystick, Jukebox and Hot Spot, all for Motown. The band was known for its live performances, often proving more popular than the headlining act. In 1985, Fearman left the group and was replaced by Marlon McClain and Keith Harrison. In 1986, Dazz Band recorded Wild & Free for Geffen Records, and moved to RCA Records.

Jerry Bell is multifaceted; not only is he beyond talented musically, he is also GRANDMASTER JERRY BELL:

Martial Arts Background:

Jerry's family is not only musically blessed, but athletically blessed as well. While Jerry inherited his mother's smooth vocals; he also drew from the best of his father and imitated his every move. At 10 years old, Jerry Bell studied Judo under the guidance of his father James Edward Bell Jr., and Boxing under another family member, Muhammad Ali. At 13 Jerry was studying Karate at the East Coast Karate Association. By 17, he had traveled to Okinawa to study Okinawan Goju under Grand Master Hidegami Matsamura. Later in Japan, he studied Shotokan under Grand Master Nakayama Masatoshi, Master Ozumi Ozawa, and in the United States under Grand Master Hidetaka Nishiyama.

Jerry also studied Kyokoshinkai under Grand Master Masutatsu Oyama, Shito Karate under Master Yojiro Ishikawa, and Iaido under Master Muramasa Kudo. He then studied Aikido under Master Shoji Nishoi, Silat under Master Abdul Muhammad Ben, Tae Kwon Do under Masters Simon and Phillip Rhee, and Sanuces Ryu Jujitsu under Supreme Grandmaster Doctor Moses Powell. Jerry lived more than fifteen years in the far east doing six month stays between the United States studying the martial arts and as a result speaks Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Malay. Jerry Bell entered the Kumite in Japan intent on becoming the first foreigner ever to win the traditional competition. In 1984 Jerry entered the arena long before the public arrived for his first match. He sat alone on the fight platform meditating, a practice he would continue throughout the rest of his career. During the beginning of this match, Jerry opened with a classic Ali shuffle. His Japanese opponent attempted to mimic the movement, at this point; Jerry Bell stopped, and stood perfectly still watching his opponent dance when the opponent started to move in Jerry knocked him out with a jump spinning hook kick! The following year Jerry entered and won the Kumite in another stunning victory! In 1993 “Inside Karate” featured him on the cover for their 20th Anniversary. Grandmaster Bell continued to defend his title and eventually retired after more than 500 fights; never having been defeated!

The 1988 movie, "Bloodsport", starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Frank Dux, was actually based on Jerry Bell, who fought, and won the Kumite twice. It seems Frank took credit for something he never did.

In 2004 he came out of retirement to test his skills one more time and won the championship once again; making this fight his 501st fight; again undefeated! Grandmaster Jerry Bell is now in the Black Belt Hall of Fame, The Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the World Karate Hall of Fame. He’s earned six World Gold Medals and three Silver Medals. He has a 7th degree Black Belt in Shotokan, a 4th degree Black Belt in Kyokoshinkai, a sixth degree Black Belt in Iaido, a second degree Black Belt in Judo, a fourth degree Black Belt in Aikido, a 10th degree Black Belt in Sanuces Ryu Jujitsu and a 10th degree Black Belt in the Black Ryu System that was founded by him./Jerry Bell also founded The Japan Shotoshinkai Karate-do Association in Osaka Japan with his Karate Master Yojiro Ishikawa in 1970 and he founded The Black Ryu Federation in 2003.

Jerry also had a younger brother who was blessed with these same athletic abilities. His name was Ricky Bell. Ricky was a Running Back for both USC and for Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as a Heisman Trophy recipient. Ricky succumbed to a blood disease in 1984. This truly was a loss for the Bell family and was one of Jerry's driving forces to strive towards greatness while continuing the Bell name with his own children while fostering their individual strengths whether it is musically or athletically.