Richard Bell

Richard Bell (March 5, 1946 – June 15, 2007) was a Canadian musician best known as the pianist for Janis Joplin and her Full Tilt Boogie Band. He was also a keyboardist with the Band during the 1990s.

Early life and career Richard Bell was the son of the Canadian composer and musician Dr. Leslie Bell. Richard started playing the piano at the age of four and studied music at Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music.

After a short stint in The Mid-Knights, Bell's career first gained significance when he joined Ronnie Hawkins as a member of the group And Many Others, following the departure of Hawkins's previous band (who would gain fame as the Band). Hawkins fired the entire band in early 1970, and they renamed themselves Crowbar, subsequently recording Official Music (as King Biscuit Boy with Crowbar) (1970, Daffodil; 1996, Stony Plain). Bell left Crowbar shortly after this to join Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, making good on an offer made the previous year by her manager.

Janis Joplin In the late 1960s, while touring with Hawkins at the Fillmore East, Bell was approached by Michael Friedman, an associate of 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.

Session work Following Joplin's death, Bell moved to Woodstock, New York, where he worked as a session musician. Among those he worked with during this time were Paul Butterfield, Arlen Roth, Karen Dalton and John Sebastian.

Other acts Bell worked with include Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Bruce Cockburn, Judy Collins, the Fridge Magnets, Cowboy Junkies, Bob Dylan, Michael Kaeshammer, Bonnie Raitt and Joe Walsh.

Bell died after a long battle with multiple myeloma on June 15, 2007, in Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, at the age of 61.