{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "@id": "https://www.screensearch.co.uk/person/1951494/william-bell",
  "name": "William Bell",
  "url": "https://www.screensearch.co.uk/person/1951494/william-bell",
  "knownForDepartment": "Acting",
  "description": "William Bell (né Yarbrough; born July 16, 1939) is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is best known for his debut single, 1961's \"You Don't Miss Your Water\"; 1968's top 10 hit in the UK \"Private Number\", a duet with Judy Clay; and his only US top 40 hit, 1976's \"Tryin' to Love Two\", which also hit No. 1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song \"A Tribute to a King\".\n\nAs a songwriter, Bell co-authored the Chuck Jackson hit \"Any Other Way\" (which was a cover since Bell issued it first) as a follow-up to \"You Don't Miss Your Water\"; Billy Idol's 1986 hit \"To Be a Lover\", which was first a hit for Bell under its original title \"I Forgot to Be Your Lover\"; and the blues classic \"Born Under A Bad Sign\", popularized by both Albert King and Cream.\n\nAlthough he was a longtime recording artist for Stax Records, he is unrelated to the label's onetime president, Al Bell.\n\nIn 2017, Bell was awarded a Grammy for Best Americana Album for his record This Is Where I Live. He performed his hit \"Born Under a Bad Sign\" alongside Gary Clark Jr. at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Bell was also featured on Rolling Stone's \"Best of the Grammys\" for that year.",
  "birthDate": "1939-07-16",
  "birthPlace": "Memphis, Tennessee, USA",
  "lastVerified": "7 May 2026",
  "filmography": [
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      "mediaType": "tv",
      "tmdbId": 86430,
      "title": "Your Honor",
      "year": "2020",
      "role": "as Boat Owner",
      "roleKind": "cast",
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      "posterUrl": "https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w500/1rWWgTEDFdV330aLgCoaq7I56lk.jpg",
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    {
      "mediaType": "movie",
      "tmdbId": 2261,
      "title": "Wattstax",
      "year": "1973",
      "role": "Cast",
      "roleKind": "cast",
      "voteAverage": 7,
      "posterUrl": "https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w500/gVPZCtlPDLTyEk4rDY1O7mXjqYv.jpg",
      "screenSearchUrl": "https://www.screensearch.co.uk/watch/movie/2261/wattstax-1973"
    },
    {
      "mediaType": "movie",
      "tmdbId": 852542,
      "title": "Classic Soul at the BBC",
      "year": "2007",
      "role": "as Self (archive footage)",
      "roleKind": "cast",
      "voteAverage": 6,
      "posterUrl": "https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w500/y1tx7VP3eySbqi1gKJSfQ8DWAIu.jpg",
      "screenSearchUrl": "https://www.screensearch.co.uk/watch/movie/852542/classic-soul-at-the-bbc-2007"
    },
    {
      "mediaType": "movie",
      "tmdbId": 820122,
      "title": "Stax, le label soul légendaire",
      "year": "2019",
      "role": "as Self (archive footage)",
      "roleKind": "cast",
      "voteAverage": null,
      "posterUrl": "https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w500/6GltLSynopF86fYD55SkTxxoKtT.jpg",
      "screenSearchUrl": "https://www.screensearch.co.uk/watch/movie/820122/stax-le-label-soul-legendaire-2019"
    },
    {
      "mediaType": "movie",
      "tmdbId": 1140217,
      "title": "The Soul of Stax",
      "year": "1994",
      "role": "as Self",
      "roleKind": "cast",
      "voteAverage": null,
      "posterUrl": "https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w500/2naLoFFoXE8Gy310OVR60aV0wIb.jpg",
      "screenSearchUrl": "https://www.screensearch.co.uk/watch/movie/1140217/the-soul-of-stax-1994"
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}