Carey Bell Dies

By I May. 7, 2007

Blues harmonica player Carey Bell died May 6 of heart failure in Chicago. He was 70.

Bell was a veteran of both Muddy Waters’ and Willie Dixon’s bands, and was a guest artist on many blues recordings.

Bell was one of the few harmonica players who didn’t learn his craft by listening to old records, but by studying directly under his teachers Big Walter Horton, Little Walter Jacobs and Sonny Boy Williamson II. It didn’t take long for Bell to develop his signature “chopped” harmonica phrasing and deep-blues style.

Carey Bell Harrington was born in Macon, Miss., on Nov. 14, 1936. A fan of Louis Jordan, Bell originally wanted a saxophone, but economic conditioned forced his grandfather to buy him a harmonica instead.

He taught himself to play by the time he was eight, and began playing professionally with his godfather, pianist Lovie Lee, when he was 13.