Country music star Luke Bell, who reportedly went missing more than a week ago, has died at the age of 32 under mysterious circumstances. The "heartbreaking" news was confirmed by Bell's friend and fellow country musician Matt Kinman to the music portal Saving Country Music. Bell went missing on August 20 and was found dead on August 29 in Tucson, Arizona.
No exact cause of his death was given but the musician reportedly suffered from bipolar disease and had just changed his medication. As of yet, the singer's cause of death remains "unknown," according to the authorities who are currently probing the tragedy.
Tragic Death
Bell, who struggled with severe bipolar disease, traveled to Arizona with Kinman for work on Friday, August 19th, but he vanished in Tucson on Saturday. Approximately a week later, according to SavingCountryMusic.com, he was found dead, "not far from where he disappeared, and in a manner, we all feared he would be when we first heard the news."
Kinman, who had played with Bell for the past six years told the outlet, "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."
According to Kinman, a recent change in Bell's medication may have "played a role" in the his disappearance. Kinman said that a lot of speculation is going around Bell's death and an autopsy can only reveal the exact cause and manner.
Although his body was found on August 29, the Tuscon-based Coroner's Office confirmed his date of death as August 26, according to The Sun.
But how did Bell go missing?
"We came down here to Arizona, to work down here, play some music, and he just took off," Kinman said, adding, "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."
Talent Lost
Bell, who was born in Lexington, Kentucky and raised in Cody, Wyoming, on January 27, 1990, left the University of Wyoming and relocated to Austin, Texas to pursue a career in country music. Before spending a brief time in New Orleans, he frequently performed at honky-tonks and saloons around the capital of the Lone Star State, according to the Boot. Then he traveled to Wyoming before arriving in Nashville.
In 2016, the honey-throated vagabond was finally given his big break after signing with Thirty Tigers. Later that year, Bell published his self-titled album, which helped him become a star across the country.
The country singer worked with artists like Alabama Shakes, Margo Price, and Langhorne Slim during the course of his brief but significant career. He even performed as a support act for Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, and other country legends.
Bell, who was still struggling, eventually, relocated to Nashville, where he came up with his self-titled debut album in 2012. He followed that with 2014's full-length album, Don't Mind If I Do.
'Luke Bell', Bell's most recent album, was released in 2016, just around the time he received a bipolar disorder diagnosis. The final performance by the Loretta artist took place in August 2017 at the Equiblues Festival in Saint Agrève, France.
