Country musician Luke Bell was discovered dead Monday in Tuscon, Arizona, after the rising star had been missing for over a week, authorities said.
Bell, a 32-year-old native Kentuckian living in Wyoming, had been reported as missing on Aug. 20, the Tucson Police Department said.
Country music singer and friend Matt Kinman confirmed the news and said Bell suffered from bipolar disorder and had recently had a change to his medication, according to a report.
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That change might have “played a role” in his friend’s disappearance, Kinman said.
Bell was on a fast rise in the country music scene, the report noted.
After leaving the University of Wyoming, he moved to Texas and became a mainstay at honky-tonks and saloons in Austin.
Bell, described as a honey-throated nomad, received his big break after he made his way to Nashville and signed with Thirty Tigers.
His first eponymous album was received well nationwide, and he worked with Alabama Shakes, Margo Price, Langhorne Slim, Willie Nelson, and Dwight Yoakam, among other country icons.
“To be honest, I live in the day, and I count smiles,” Bell said in a 2016 interview.
“That’s it. Listen, half the time, I end up drinking beer with my neighbors. Life’s not that bad.”
Fans described Bell as an “authentic” voice in an oversaturated and sterile music scene, according to the report.
“Man … Luke Bell … what the f***,” country star Joshua Hedley posted to Twitter.
“RIP to a real one. Been a long time since I saw him and I was just talking about him the other day wondering what he’s been up to. Truly a sad night for country music.”
The band Mike and the Moonpies echoed the sentiment.
“Word just came down on the passing of Luke Bell and we’re heartbroken over the news,” they wrote in a Facebook post. “I can vividly remember the first time I met Luke at Hole in the Wall over a decade ago, down to the clothes on his back.”
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“The man (and his music) left an impression. He was a real deal traveling troubadour out there on that lost highway. Do yourself a favor and put on some Luke Bell tunes tonight in his memory. Rest In Peace, friend.”
