Tina Bell

Tina Marie Bell (February 5, 1957 – October 10, 2012) was an American singer and songwriter, the front woman of the Seattle-based rock band Bam Bam. The band with Bell is considered one of the originators of the grunge music scene. Bell is considered an early grunge pioneer and was posthumously dubbed as "the Godmother of Grunge" and "Queen of Grunge".

Early life Tina Marie Bell was born in Seattle, Washington on February 5, 1957 and grew up there. Bell was not religious and it created a rift between her and her mother. Cameron was later replaced in Bam Bam by Tom Hendrickson. Bell's diminutive frame of 5'2" belied her low smoky voice that was called "unapologetic".

According to Seattle Times: "The legacy of Bell, a Black woman, has often been overlooked in a genre typically associated with long-haired white guys." but the Bell-led Bam Bam was popular with local audiences. This was the first grunge record made at Reciprocal Recording studio, the location where later Nirvana made demos for the Bleach and Incesticide albums. told Billboard magazine. With songs written by Bell, Ledgerwood and Martin, and with Hendrickson on drums, Bam Bam recorded an album's worth of material at Reciprocal Recordings, including the material on the EP. The band also released a video of the song "Ground Zero," written by Bell, Martin, Ledgerwood and Cameron and taken from the Reciprocal sessions. The song contains lyrics written by Bell about the threat of nuclear war, inspired by living near the Naval Submarine Base Bangor, a home port for Trident nuclear submarines. Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains.

After not receiving the local recognition of the other emerging "Seattle Sound" bands, Bell and the band left Seattle for London in the late 1980s, hoping for success in Europe. This did not garner the intended recognition and resulted in deportation back to America during an immigration enforcement dragnet in the Netherlands. Bam Bam chose not to replace her, and instead continued as a 3-piece instrumental band.

Influences Bell was a fan of Frank Sinatra and Nina Simone in her youth. Martin turned Bell into rock music and she became a fan of Jim Morrison, The Doors, Peter Gabriel, X, The Pretenders, and Metallica. Bell eventually married Martin, and on September 7, 1979, the couple had a son, Thomas McKay Martin Jr, who later became a filmmaker known as T. J. Martin. In 2012, T.J. won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film for Undefeated (2011), becoming the first director of African-American descent to win an Academy Award for a feature-length film.

Bell had a long struggle with alcoholism and depression.

Bell was often compared to singer Tina Turner.

Seattle musician Om Johari, who used to go to Bam Bam shows as a teenager and said she was inspired to see a fellow Black woman singing in the Seattle hard-rock scene, which wasn't always inclusive of Black people or women, said that Bell does not receive the recognition she deserves as one of the founders of grunge because of sexism and racism.

Tribute On July 9, 2021, Seattle musicians formed a tribute band and played a show at Central Saloon to honor Bell's legacy. Om Johari, singer for Bad Brains tribute band Re-Ignition, had the idea for the show after CBS News' Gayle King contacted her to do a story on Bell. The Bam Bam tribute band included musicians such as Matt Cameron, guitarist Kendall Jones of Fishbone, guitarist Ayron Jones, and bassist Jenelle Roccaforte. Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard also participated, as did black women Johari selected who were influenced by Bell's music. This included Eva Walker of The Black Tones, Shaina Shepherd of BEARAXE, Dmitra Smith of Ex's With Benefits and Dejha Colantuono, songwriter. The band played a selection of Bam Bam songs at the show.

On June 15, 2026, Lenny Kaye paid tribute to Bam Bam and Tina Bell on his weekly radio program on the SiriusXM Underground Garage channel with a three-song mini-set, along with a back story about the band and their place in the Seattle music scene.

Discography With Bam Bam Villains (Also Wear White) (1984) (EP) Free Fall From Space (2019) (EP) Villains (Also Wear White) (extended version) (2021) (EP)