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Luke Bell, a country singer-songwriter whose work captivated his fans, has died after going missing in Tucson, Arizona. He was 32.
Matt Kinman, an artist and a friend of Bell’s, confirmed to the Saving Country Music blog that Bell was found on Monday (August 29), not far from where he disappeared in the southern Arizona city on Saturday, August 20. Saving Country Music, which noted Bell’s “severe battle” with bipolar disorder, remembered the Kentucky-born, Wyoming-raised musician as “was one of the most authentic and magnetizing artists to grace the country music art form in the modern era. …And through the gift of his music, Luke Bell leaves the Earth and more pleasant place than he found it.”
Bell’s cause of death was not immediately known as of publication time on Tuesday afternoon (August 30).
The tragic news prompted an outpouring of tributes on social media, including fellow singer-songwriters and fans mourning Bell’s loss, like Margo Price and Joshua Hedley. Hedley was “just talking about him the other day wondering what he’s been up to truly a sad night for country music.” One Twitter user remembered the late artist as “an absolute word-bending, time-transcending, heart-piercing, guitar-picking genius.” Other fans thanked Bell for his music, remembering him as one of the “real ones.” Another was “so eager to hear more from him and hoped to catch him playing a show. RIP to a truly talented artist.”