Was so excited to be in Camden, Alabama, the other night so that I could attend the Ronnie Bell and Toia Jones blues show!!! I loved it! There was a great crowd and I have to give props to Costee Jay from Montgomery's WZKD FM!! He was the deejay/emcee for the night and not only was he very entertaining, he made the night fun.
You know Ronnie Bell from his great songs like "Cotton Candy" and "I'll Pay The Shipping Cost" and I love, love, love his new hit, "Love Ingredients." What a fantastic voice! During his show, Ronnie walked around shaking hands and giving hugs to all. While performing Cotton Candy, he threw bags of cotton candy to people. He knows how to work his audience and did a great job mingling with the crowd. It’s one of the many reasons I love blues shows because you get a chance to actually say hello to your favorite southern soul artists.
I was able to spend some time with Ronnie Bell and had the opportunity to ask him a few questions. I found him to be a soft spoken guy with a kind spirit. I get the feeling that he takes pride in what he’s doing and loves to sing music that matters.
A little about Ronnie Bell…
He’s from Walker, Louisiana, a small town about a half hour east of Baton Rouge. He comes from a large family and is the oldest of seven brothers and four sisters. He was raised in a house that listened to gospel music and he remembers singing in the church when he was only four years old.
He grew up on gospel music and enjoyed Hezekiah Walker, John P. Kee, and many other gospel artists. But deep down, he always had a thing for old school music and listened to r&b singers such as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and a lot of Motown. To be a young guy, I asked about listening to the music of an earlier era and he said that he had uncles and others who got him into the music. He loved history while he was growing up and Ronnie said that he would study these old school artists and learned as much as he could about them. Their work inspired him.
Ronnie also said that he wanted to be a drummer and played for a little while but ended up as a singer.
Ronnie is an educated brother. He got his BS and MS in Supply Chain Management from Southern University! (I love education and talent in a man!)
His free time…
I asked Ronnie what he likes to do when he’s not on stage or performing. He said that his greatest joy is to spend time with his family. He’s a big movie buff and loves to watch adventure movies, sci-fi, drama, and the occasional chick flicks. Lol He loves spending time with his kids playing video games and doing karaoke songs.
Advice for others…
If there was some advice he could pass to other aspiring singers, I asked him what he would like to say. He said that you should be humble and, more than anything, make sure you’re producing the best quality of music you can. Up and coming artists should do their research and find the right things that work for them. He said to make music that means something! Even if it’s dance music or something fun, it has to be real in order for it to last. Lastly, don’t give up your day job while you’re pursuing your dream. You need to have some income so you can hold down your house, pay your rent, eat, and take care of your kids. Sometimes people get caught up in making quick money and give up their sure source of income. Always have a back-up plan and give your music all you’ve got!
Ronnie is one of the few southern soul artists with his own website - check out: http://ronniebell.com! His site contains more info about him and it also includes pictures, music, and much more.
I enjoyed doing this interview with Ronnie Bell! I look forward to talking with him again and going to his show!
XXOOXX
Southern Soul Paradise
southernsoulparadise@hotmail.com
Facebook: SouthernSoul Paradise
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