Country Artist Luke Bell Reported Missing in Tucson
***UPDATE — Country Artist, Cowboy, and Troubadour Luke Bell Has Died at the Age of 32
Friends of country artist Luke Bell are raising concerns after he went missing over a week ago on Saturday, August 20th near 4th Ave. in Tucson, Arizona. Bell hasn’t been seen or heard from since. There is a possibility he is still in the area, or he could have left the Tucson area and Arizona entirely. The public is being asked to keep an eye out for the songwriter, and let authorities and fellow artist Matt Kinman know if they see him, or if they have any information about his whereabouts. Luke Bell suffers from bipolar disorder.
Bell had recently been in his hometown of Cody, Wyoming with Matt Kinman, who has been playing with and caring for Luke Bell for the last six years. Matt Kinman tells Saving Country Music that after Wyoming, “…we came down here to Arizona, to work down here, play some music, and he just took off. He was in the back of the truck. I went in to get something to eat. I came out, and he’d got out of the truck and left.”
This is not the first time Luke Bell has disappeared, but according to his manager Brian Buchanan, Bell had been doing well for the last 1 1/2 years, and had remained in contact. There was recently a change in Luke’s medication, which Matt Kinman worries could have played a role in his disappearance.
“He could be in Tucson. But it’s possible he jumped a freight train, and who knows where he’s going,” says Kinman. “If someone sees him, get him to a hospital immediately, get a hold of me, and we’ll come after him.”
Matt Kinman can be reached at mattkinman71 at gmail dot com, or reach out via Saving Country Music’s Contact Page, and Kinman’s phone number will be supplied.
“When he’s right, he’s one of the best people you’ll ever know. When he’s sick, well, this is what you get,” says Kinman. “He’s not done with music. He wants to do music. And when he’s right, he’s been writing music, and wanting to perform.”
Luke Bell was one of the most authentic voices to emerge in country music in the last decade when he released a debut album on Bandcamp in 2014. He then caught national attention when he signed with WME and Thirty Tigers, and began opening shows for names like Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., and Dwight Yoakam. But a tour set to occur after the re-release of his debut album in 2016 never happened, and aside from some spotty shows here and there with Matt Kinman, Luke Bell has remained mostly out of the spotlight.
Luke Bell recently appeared with Martha Spencer covering Guy Clark’s “Dublin Blues.”
***UPDATE — Country Artist, Cowboy, and Troubadour Luke Bell Has Died at the Age of 32
August 28, 2022 @ 9:06 pm
Given that he is familiar with classic country music, I’m not being facetious when I suggest he might have decided to live out some lyrics and head to the “seashores of Old Mexico.”
August 29, 2022 @ 6:52 am
Or he is going to Aqua Fira to fight Texas Red.
August 30, 2022 @ 6:26 pm
Great singing! So sorry for Luke Bell????
August 29, 2022 @ 4:43 pm
Praying for his safety, and swift return.
Trig, might I recommend updating the story with a most recent photo, if possible? Also any tattoos, birthmarks etc that might help with recognition if someone comes across him? You’ve got a pretty good reach and I feel like any more info that could be posted could be potentially helpful
August 29, 2022 @ 6:03 pm
There is an update on this story coming…
August 29, 2022 @ 7:34 pm
Please keep us informed. I’ve already heard from Matt.
August 29, 2022 @ 7:38 pm
Just posted the update:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/country-artist-cowboy-troubadour-luke-bell-has-died-at-32/
August 28, 2022 @ 10:27 pm
Bipolar creative people often don’t like to take their meds cause they numb emotions and make them feel not creative and unabke to work on their art. And then they do crazy stuff.
Hope he’s OK.
August 29, 2022 @ 2:14 pm
Creativity has “nothing” to do with it. There are a few mental illnesses that when the person is in a “normal” state from taking their meds think the don’t need it anymore or don’t like the way it makes them feel & they stop taking it! Even non-creative people have the exact same issues!
August 29, 2022 @ 4:41 pm
Any number of creative people have said that bipolar meds interfere with their process (e.g. I was friends with Guns N Roses’ publicist in the early 90s and Axl’s bipolar issues were one her big headaches)
The two are not mutually exclusive, regular people think they’re ok and stop taking meds, creative people feel meds prevent them from being creative.
August 29, 2022 @ 12:06 am
“There is a possibility he is still in the area, or he could have left the Tucson area and Arizona entirely.”
What other options are there???
August 29, 2022 @ 2:30 am
@ MUM–
Um, that he’s dead. That he’s at the bottom of the Santa Cruz River or he’s pushing up daisies–or cacti, as the case may be.
August 29, 2022 @ 7:12 am
Saying that he could have hopped a freight train and could be anywhere is not just using an expression. Luke Bell has been known to do this. He’s also lived and hung around Austin, New Orleans, east Nashville, North Carolina, and Florida as well. I’m going to be asking around here in Austin, and if I can get away, check the local shelters and encampments and such just in case he ended up here, though I think there is still a good chance he’s in the Tucson area.
August 29, 2022 @ 8:15 am
Either way he’s either in the area or not in the area. It’s a lazy way of writing. That’s like saying a politician either wins or loses… everyone knows that.
August 29, 2022 @ 8:31 am
Oh, I thought we were having a conversation, not that you were criticizing my writing. We don’t know where Luke Bell is. That’s the reason for the article. Maybe I’m being Mr. Obvious by saying he could be in Tucson or somewhere else. But it seems if you’re looking for someone, the place they were last seen is a good place to start looking. That is why Tucson is mentioned. And since Luke Bell has a history of hopping freight trains and ending up in all kinds of places, that’s probably worth mentioning too. Perhaps I could have worded that differently? Sure, I guess.
August 29, 2022 @ 12:16 pm
MUMarauder,
Good grief. What’s the matter with you?
August 29, 2022 @ 2:17 pm
Creativity has “nothing” to do with it. There are a few mental illnesses that when the person is in a “normal” state from taking their meds think the don’t need it anymore or don’t like the way it makes them feel & they stop taking it! Even non-creative people have the exact same issues!
August 29, 2022 @ 4:21 pm
Hi!
You have NO responcibility to make nice with the bedwetters on here that have no concern for your distress or the safety of this man.
I sincerely hope he is found soon and in good shape, I live in Tucson and will be keeping my eyes open for him.
God bless us all, especially the haters!
August 30, 2022 @ 7:49 pm
Amen…..
I’m 62 years old and have been suffering thus disorder since my mid-twenties.
Even with my meds, I still would LOVE to jump into my car and RUN AWAY!!
FAR AWAY!!!!!!
August 29, 2022 @ 1:43 pm
Hope you find him and hes ok i hope he realizes what awesome friends he has here waitng for him. Have you called the hospitals . phyc wards and or soup kitchens their in tuscon
August 29, 2022 @ 8:20 am
I guess this explains his aloof approach to his career a little better. Going from that to “if someone sees him, get him to a hospital immediately ”….escalated quickly.
Maybe he’s having more of a Garden State moment than anything, and just had to get away for a bit. Wishful thinking, for sure.
August 29, 2022 @ 8:46 am
Someone needs a better press person, and real medical care for their talent.
This reads like a case of human trafficking wherein the trafficker lost their human and want help to find them. Women are not the only trafficked people. Sex and breeding is not the only goods you can traffick.
August 29, 2022 @ 6:37 pm
What a hateful and insensitive thing to say! This is obviously someone who cares deeply for Luke and has taken care of him for many years and is just trying to locate him out of concern. Sounds like there hasn’t been much of a career for awhile so not sure what the incentive or motivation would be for him to be kept captive. Sometimes people do things for others because they have a good heart and then there are the people that think about how they could exploit someone in Luke’s position. Which one are you?
August 29, 2022 @ 9:01 am
I hope you find him soon. I’m from Tucson and I live near downtown and 4th Ave. If I see him, I’ll reach out. Good luck.
August 29, 2022 @ 6:18 pm
Prayers go out that he is found safe.
August 29, 2022 @ 9:39 am
Luke Bell is an amazing musician and dear friend. He disappeared on Matt and I twice when he came to visit me We found him quickly the first time, but the second time, we were 20 miles from my home. He slept on the beach one night,; the next night he walked about 5 miles to Clearwater and ended up at a soup kitchen. He left everything behind; wallet, ID, his phone, and a small suitcase. Luckily, someone called Matt Kinman (Luke remembered his number) and we went to go get him. He was in a fague state of mind , a sort of disorientation). Other times, he has ended up in jail. Alcohol , of course, makes the disease worst. We’ve had loads of fun together many times when he is at normal levels. Thanks for your support
August 29, 2022 @ 9:45 am
Praying that Luke is found safe and gets the help he desperately deserves. We’ve all been here at some point or another (I’m admitting my many falls.) Give it to God Luke, He will turn everything around for you!
Agape, G
August 29, 2022 @ 11:40 am
I really hope the best in this situation.
I’ve had experiences like this with my dad when he was alive, and it is scary. He walked out of the VA hospital one time.
Luke put out an album I consider a classic and listen to it all the time still. Hope things work out for him.
August 29, 2022 @ 1:18 pm
I hope they fine him safe and well too. Keeping faith that they will fine him safe.
August 29, 2022 @ 3:14 pm
I live in Tucson and I promise to keep my eyes peeled for Luke. This week is turning out to be a scorcher so I hope he’s indoors someplace keeping cool. Let’s trust God and do our best to find him safe
August 29, 2022 @ 3:50 pm
Good thoughts for Luke & his safety.
August 29, 2022 @ 4:25 pm
I am in Tucson also. I’ll be mindful and looking when out.
Just a small suggestion for this thread. We don’t have to be unlicensed medical providers here, nor say unkind words.
Kindness goes a long way in a situation like this.
August 29, 2022 @ 6:04 pm
Why did he get left in the back of the truck? I’m from Nevada, where my friend insisted on sleeping in a truck when everyone else went inside to eat. I told him, don’t fall asleep since it’s illegal. When we came out, he was gone. Calling the jail revealed his location.Yes, the charge was sleeping in the truck bed.I hope Luke’s okay! Creative people sometimes just want to be free! Think of Johnny Cash, Britney, Merle Haggard. No one should be alone on new meds, though, IMHO. #FreeLuke !
August 29, 2022 @ 6:07 pm
I’m a fan of his work and will help spread the word here in Tucson. It’s about to get really hot again so it’s important to find him soon.
August 29, 2022 @ 7:00 pm
What incredible talent Luke has, hopefully he can get better and share some more of that with the world. Obviously his health and well being comes first.
August 29, 2022 @ 7:31 pm
I volunteer to help find missing people in Tucson on my days off. Why am I just hearing about this now? Locating him is even more important. His medical history puts him in the endangered person category.
August 30, 2022 @ 3:15 pm
“Why am I just hearing about this now?”
Amazing you weren’t immediately called first!
(Companion to Matt) “No, Matt! Don’t call the cops. They won’t know what to do. Call Beth Niska. We need to get her on thr case! Hope she has a day off coming up”.
August 31, 2022 @ 1:22 am
You are arrogant and ignorant. Cops have a history of mistreating and abusing the mentally ill. Ms. Niska is properly trained. But I guess you can’t fix stupid so you’re a lost cause. And you’re not nearly as funny or clever as you seem to think you are.
August 31, 2022 @ 6:31 pm
That’s correct! I’m funnierer & cleverer than I think I am. Times 100!
But hey, guys, let’s turn the music down for a minute. Listen up, everyone. “Squirrel McNasty is a Moron” brings up a serious point I think we should all have a rap session about – police brutality, especially against the mentally vulnerable.
It’s too often we read about a well-meaning citizen who calls the police for assistance when they observe someone acting in a way that’s out of the ordinary. Society has largely turned its back on those experiencing mental difficulties. Long-term facilities were long ago closed down – largely due to so-called “budgetary concerns” – and have brutally & coldly been replaced by jails & prisons as a means of long-term warehousing of the mentally ill. This is nothing less than a national disgrace and viewed as barbaric by most of the economically developed world. It needs to end.
Additionally, whether intentionally & willfully or not, the vast majority of police in our nation are not trained in how to handle situations involving someone who has long-standing difficulties or is having psychological problems. Most are not trained, sure, but many “police officers” also do not care. Consider…
“Officer” Ryan Remington shot Richard Lee Richards, 61 – accused of stealing a plastic tool box from a Wal-Mart right here in Tucson – nine times, in the back, at close range, while Mr. Richard’s was seated in his wheelchair. Mr. Richard’s was displaying signs of mental illness but was not harming anyone – nor seriously threatening to harm anyone, nor near anyone he could have harmed had he chosen. Pig Ryan Remington, who was unthreatened, chose to kill Mr. Richard’s because he wouldn’t listen & do as told. Had a social worker or healthcare professional appeared on the scene rather than Pig Remington, Mr. Richards would almost certainly be alive today.
I wish I could say this is an uncommon or shocking case of blind police brutality, but most know it is both common & .commonplace.
I urge everyone to look at the case of “Jordan v. The City of New London” (2000), which allows cities to discriminate against hiring police officers deemed “too smart to be a cop” (in this case, that was any applicant with an IQ score of over 104).
August 29, 2022 @ 10:03 pm
Mental disorder is not something to make light about .
Luke was such a special guy .. he struggled for many years now . Very heart breaking to learn of his Passing and also , his spirit is free and he is not fenced in anymore … Bless you Luke Bell . Thank you for your music …. Your ability to grow as a musician in such a short time was so inspiring .. you were absolutely a wonderful Dancer … and a hilarious friend. We will never forget you…. The good times we had with you, and I always prayed for you thru the dark times and bless Matt for not leaving your side , ever. You will be missed … you will not be forgotten. ???? thanks for calling me on my birthday . ???? love you always , sir. ????
November 16, 2022 @ 5:59 pm
The world is going to Hell by our own hand. If the human species is around 200-300 years from now, I’ll be both amazed & disappointed.
And mental disorder is nothing to make light of?!
Given the current state of affairs, EVERYTHING is to be made light of. If one can’t laugh at the end of humanity, at least as we know it, then one goes insane.
Lighten up. It’s only life. It’s not that big a deal & will be over soon.
November 16, 2022 @ 7:05 pm
This woman is grieving the young death of a man whom she clearly describes in her comment as *a personal friend* , and you are actually lecturing her to “lighten up,” and giving her your ideas about how the state of humanity? Seriously?
There is a time and place for everything, and you picked the wrong time and place to even attempt to offer such thoughts to a fellow human being who is *grieving the death of her friend* , and a great artist, who struggled with bipoloar disorder. My mother had severe bipoloar disorder and committed suicide, and if you had told me to “lighten up” while I was in the throes of fresh grief over her death, I would have had some very choice words for you. I’m quite non-politically correct in my sense of humor about many things too, so please don’t lecture me either, as you did to Lillie Mae.
November 17, 2022 @ 5:02 am
You are correct in the main. I sometimes forget how seriously some take death. It that respect, my comment was unnecessary. My apologies to all.
August 30, 2022 @ 7:59 am
check the jails , if hes off his meds its possible
August 30, 2022 @ 12:37 pm
Evidently from the update he’s Dead vand doesn’t give how!
August 30, 2022 @ 1:48 pm
R.I.P.
Thank You for All you’ve given us through your music
August 30, 2022 @ 2:40 pm
Good news … Luke Bell has been found! Fortunately, he wasn’t in a jail, hospital, bar, or riding the rails! Indeed, he was found not far from where he went missing. He was and is safe and is currently being well cared for. At the time of this writing, he poses no harm to himself or others and will very soon be cleared for travel.
Details of where and under what condition Luke was found and what rascally adventures he may have gotten up to over the past 10 days remain murky, as family, friends, and authorities remain tight lipped. However, this reporter tracked down Luke’s longtime companion and “partner in crime” Matt Kinman in San Francisco, where Matt & Luke own a quaint and cozy 1960-era bungalow. Between Matt’s frequent stops at his favorite culinary haunts in The City – with new “companion” Dicky Longfellow and Matt and Luke’s adorable toy poodle Mr. Pickles in tow – Matt shared some of the details of the Luke Bell mystery…
* Luke, an animal lover especially keen on dogs and – oddly enough – rats (he had a long-time traveling companion of the species named Puddin’ Pie), when found on August 29th had surrounded himself with a half dozen or so strays from the neighborhood, a few coyotes, and a bakers dozen of large homeless rats of the brown variety. Luke – always giving of himself to others, regardless of species – had drawn all the needy to himself & had not acted to turn any of these hungry souls away.
* When found, Luke was exceptionally dehydrated and had lost some blood from several wounds about his body. Luckily, arriving paramedics did not find these injuries immediately life threatening & apparently superficial enough they did not require on-site treatment of any kind. Matt stated Luke is currently at hospital undergoing a procedure akin to a blood transfusion, but refused to provide further details.
* Beside his dehydration and seemingly minor abrasions, paramedics noted only a gray pallor of the face, bloating (possibly from recent rich food intake), joint stiffess, and lethargy/exhaustion.
I would like everyone to join me in wishing Luke a speedy recovery.
August 31, 2022 @ 1:06 pm
Wishing Luke the very best and hope everyone will join me in saying a prayer for his mental health and for his safety. Just turn it over to God & He will provide for Luke’s every need. He knows Luke cause he knit him together in his mother’s womb.
Also, praying for Matt cause he is the caretaker for Luke, and under tremendous stress since he made this discovery. God bless us all who are concerned for Luke and Matt is. Hope the person who said he’s been found is correct too.
August 31, 2022 @ 1:38 pm
Why does headline say he was found dead?
August 31, 2022 @ 1:40 pm
Luke Bell has passed away. There is a link to the update to this story at the top and bottom of this original article.
September 7, 2022 @ 8:39 am
is this wonderous man, Luke Bell, ALIVE OR DECEASED?? THERE IS TOO MUCH CONTROVERSY. ON HERE!