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About Vince "It has been said of legendary Texas songwriter Vince Bell that 'as a songwriter he can easily take his place in that hallowed area occupied by the likes of Randy Newman, Bruce Cockburn and Tom Waits.' His songs have been performed and recorded by such diverse talents as Little Feat, Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith, among others, and a ballet set to eighteen of his works... Referring to Bell's fellow
Texas songwriters Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Lyle Lovett and herself,
Nanci Griffith said, 'From all of us who were beating the paths around
Texas in the '70s, I always felt Vince was the best of us.' 'Vince is
a poet,' said the late Townes Van Zandt. For more information
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Sun
& Moon and Stars
by Vince Bell
The sun and moon and stars
make the wind blow.
Took me twenty years
to understand.
lost to me is how the lives
of friends go.
Like autumn leaves
in Oklahoma wind.
It made me strong,
to be on my own.
It never did me no harm,
to live all alone.
Now and then
in the color of the evening
drunken in a bar room,
with the fan turning,
I come to miss a few.
This afternoon was cloudy
and the rains came.
Third day of my first stay,
San Miguel.
Seems lately as I'm doubling
as storm bait,
been followed like a shadow
since the Dells.
Dear friendships and relations
see what I have done.
I gathered all my fingers in one place.
They breathe a breath
that's deathly stale
since they tooled a song for me.
Guess mechanics never really set the pace.
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Vince Bell, a Texas singer, musician, and songwriter
I met Vince and his wife, Sarah, by chance in a dusty little New Mexico town between Raton and Taos. The town was Cimarron, very historic and interesting, but that's another story. I heard Vince sing his songs that mild summer evening out on the deck of the St. James Hotel, where we were lodging for the evening. His music captivated me and now, as I read his book, One Man's Music, I can see why. In 1982 he was almost killed after being rammed in by a drunk driver at 65 mph. He suffered severe head and liver injuries and almost lost his right arm which would have deprived him of his livelihood. After years of rehabilitation and hard work Vince rose up from the ashes like the Phoenix and produced CDs and a book. His debut CD is appropriately entitled, Phoenix. He now lives in Santa Fe, NM with his wife Sarah Wrightson, and a cat and dog or two. I hope the animals will forgive me for not remembering their names. Vince Bell has given me permission to include some of his work on this website and for that I am extremely grateful.
If you are interested in finding out more about Vince or ordering his CDs or book, please visit his website: vincebell.com
Look for more of Vince's work in the future.
- Glenn Currier -