Richard Bell was a Canadian musician. Known for his session and live performance work, he is perhaps best remembered as the pianist of Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band. Janis Lyn Joplin (19th January, 1943 – 4 October 1970) was an American blues-influenced rock singer and occasional songwriter with a distinctive voice. ...

Bell's career first gained significance when he joined Ronnie Hawkins as a member of the Hawks, following the departure of Hawkins' previous band (who would gain fame as The Band). In the late 1960s, while touring with Hawkins at the Fillmore East, he was approached by Joplin's manager Albert Grossman and invited to join her new ensemble. His playing can be heard on her posthumously-released album Pearl and many bootleg recordings from her 1970 tour, including performances from the Festival Express "train tour" of Canada. Bell was interviewed many years later for the 2003 documentary film of the same name. Ronnie Hawkins, born January 10, 1935 in Huntsville, Arkansas, United States, is a pioneering rock and roll musician and cousin to fellow rockabilly pioneer Dale Hawkins. ... For other uses, see Band. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Fillmore East was promoter Bill Grahams rock palace in the East Village area of New York City. ... Albert Bernard Grossman (May 21, 1926 -- January 25, 1986) is best known as the manager of Bob Dylan. ... Pearl is an album by Janis Joplin, released in January 1971 just four months after her death from a heroin overdose. ... Poster from the movie Festival Express The Festival Express was a 1970 tour of Canada by several musical acts, including The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and The Band. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Following Joplin's death, Bell moved to Woodstock, New York, where he did work as a session musician. Amongst those he worked with during this time were Paul Butterfield and John Sebastian. Woodstock, New York The name Woodstock is associated with two locales in New York. ... Paul Butterfield (December 17, 1942 – May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player and singer, and one of the earliest Caucasian exponents of the Chicago-originated electric blues style. ... John Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American songwriter and harmonica player. ...

In 1991, Bell joined the reconstituted line-up of The Band as a keyboardist, replacing the late Stan Szelest (himself a replacement for original pianist Richard Manuel, who committed suicide in 1986). Bell remained with The Band through their final three albums (Jericho, High on the Hog, and Jubiliation), for which Bell also received some songwriting credits. The death of Rick Danko in 1999 essentially ended The Band, and thus Bell's affiliation. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Richard Manuel (April 3, 1943 – March 4, 1986) was a Canadian pianist, keyboardist, drummer, singer and songwriter best known for his membership in The Band. ... Jericho was the tenth long player by Canadian-American rockers The Band, and the first to feature the latter-day configuration of the group. ... High On The Hog was the eleventh album by Canadian-American rockers The Band, and arguably the weakest of their career. ... Jubilation was the twelfth and final album by Canadian-American rockers The Band. ... Richard Clare Rick Danko (December 29, 1942-December 10, 1999) was a Canadian musician and singer, probably best known as a member of The Band. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ...

Bell was proficient on several instruments, including the piano, organ, accordion and saxophone. A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... This article is about the instrument as a whole. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family, usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece like the clarinet. ...

Other acts Bell has worked with include Bruce Cockburn, Judy Collins, Cowboy Junkies, Bob Dylan, Michael Kaeshammer, Bonnie Raitt and Joe Walsh. At the time of his death, the Toronto-based musician performed regularly as a keyboardist/songwriter/occassional vocalist with the Porkbelly Futures and Danny Brooks & the Rockin' Revelators. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939 in Seattle, Washington) is an American folk and standards singer. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is a Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, author, musician, and poet who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. ... Michael Kaeshammer is boogie woogie pianist, vocalist, and arranger living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Bonnie Raitt, (born November 8, 1949) is an American Blues-R&B singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was born in Burbank, California, the daughter of Broadway musical star John Raitt. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

In August, 2006, it was reported that Bell was battling cancer.[1]. He died on June 15, 2007. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

External links

• Bio at the official site of the Porkbelly Futures
• Interview with Bell
• Richard Bell at the Internet Movie Database