Ferdinando Dominick Bello, known as Freddie Bell, (September 29, 1931 – February 10, 2008) was an American musician, whose group, Freddie Bell and the Bellboys, were influential in the development of rock and roll in the 1950s. He was a prominent performer with the group on the Las Vegas Strip in the 1950s and 1960s, and continued to perform in Las Vegas into his later years after the demise of the group.
Bell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Italian American parents, who were shopkeepers. He grew up in New Jersey. He became a trombonist, bassist, drummer, and singer, playing in various bands including that of Ernie Ventura. In 1952 he formed his own group, the Bellboys, with Jack Kane (saxophone), Frankie Brent (bass / guitar), Russ Conti (piano), Chick Keeney (drums), and Jerry Mayo (trumpet). They were one of the first white groups to play the R&B hits of the day, and honed their act in the Midwest before landing a booking at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
In 1955, the group made their first recordings for the Teen Records label, including a cover version of Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog" (first recorded by Big Mama Thornton). When performing the song in Las Vegas, they were seen by Elvis Presley, who was impressed and decided to record the song himself. He was so taken by the Bellboys' arrangement that, in the words of his guitarist Scotty Moore, "We stole it straight from them". By summer 1956, Presley's recording of the song was a million-seller. Bell was philosophical, telling an interviewer: "I didn't feel bad about that at all. In fact, I encouraged him to record it."
The success of records by Bill Haley and his Comets and others inspired Hollywood producer Sam Katzman to plan a quickie movie that would exploit the new trend. He recruited Haley and his Comets, the Platters and Freddie Bell and the Bellboys, whom he too had seen in Las Vegas. Rock Around the Clock was shot in a fortnight in early 1956 and included Bell and the group lip-synching their way through Giddy-Up-A-Ding-Dong, a novelty song co-written by Bell that was featured in the stage act ("ding dong", unsurprisingly, was Bell's nickname), and a hastily written number, Teach You to Rock.
Rock Around the Clock caused a sensation in cinemas in the US and Europe. In Britain its release in July 1956 was greeted by dancing in the aisles - in contravention of fire regulations. Giddy-Up-A-Ding-Dong was issued in Britain to coincide with the movie and reached No 4 in the charts. Although it was followed by such tracks as The Hucklebuck and Rockin' is My Business, it was Bell's only hit. There was another movie that year too, Rumble On the Docks.
Rock Around the Clock's success meanwhile sent promoters scrambling to book its stars. In February 1957, Haley arrived in Britain, followed in May by Bell and his group. They headlined a tour that also featured Tommy Steele, Britain's first home-grown rock'n'roll star. The tour included one week residencies in Liverpool, London, Glasgow and Cardiff. By the end of the run, Steele rather than Bell was closing the show, but the two singers became close friends.
Bell and the group went on to play the Paris Olympia and soon after toured the far east and Australia. But by then, the Presley phenomenon, Chuck Berry and other more charismatic singers had left the less photogenic Bell and the Bellboys behind. They headed back to Las Vegas, and their residency. They kept on recording and guested on the Ed Sullivan TV show in 1958. Their last film was Get Yourself a College Girl (1964). Freddie Bell and the group became closely associated with Las Vegas in the 1950s and 1960s, performing regularly at The Sands, the Desert Inn, the Sahara Hotel, the Flamingo Hotel and other venues. The group were later joined by Roberta Linn, who was married to Bell from 1961 to 1973.
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| Freddie & Roberta Linn |
The Bellboys split up in the mid-1960s, but in later years, Bell and his various bands were in demand to appear at rock'n'roll revival shows and festivals, especially in Europe. Even in retirement, Bell remained a leading figure in the Vegas show business community and at its charity events. Bell’s last recording was Those Were The Nights (2006), a tribute song written by Richard Friedland and Ray Stribe which showcased Las Vegas legends Babe Pier, Carme and Peter Anthony along with Freddie.
Freddie Bell died of complications from cancer aged 76, on 10 February 2008. He is buried in Palm Memorial Park, Las Vegas. Hel was married four times and had six children (Angela, Fred, Lisa, Debbie, Andrew, and Marianna) and a stepson.
(Edited from Wikipedia & Dave Laing obit @ The Guardian)