Art Bell was one of those strange one person phenomena that had to be heard to be believed. He started his broadcast career as a conventional political talker before veering into conspiracy theories, sort of like Alex Jones only less hysterical. By the mid-1990s he settled into his niche of discussing the paranormal and related topics with an eclectic number of guests. Bell’s style was not to necessarily agree or disagree with what the guest was saying but to let the person talk and, in essence, be the entertainment. Art Bell became the most listened to Late Night Radio host as a result, controlling the airways in his “Coast To Coast” show.
A platform for nuts, as well as celebrities and scientists too
One never knew what the subject of conversation would be about on an episode of “Coast to Coast.” One night it might be the latest rash of UFO sightings with some verbiage of government conspiracies. The next night might concern the Mayan Apocalypse that was supposed to have occurred in 2012. Another night, Sasquatch or some other Cryptozoic creature would be the topic.
Art Bell would like to mix things up by interviewing a celebrity guest or two, including Willie Nelson, Gordon Lightfoot, George Carlin and, appropriately, Chris Carter, creator of “The X-files.” Bell even had some legitimate scientists on his program, Michio Kaku, who currently graces many shows on the Science Channel, was a frequent guest.
Seth Shostak and science fiction writer Greg Bear also appeared on the program. He even had a couple of people claiming to be time travelers from the future.
Art Bell’s death.
It seemed oddly appropriate that Art Bell would have died in his Nevada home on Friday the 13th, April 2018. The 21st Century featured a number of bizarre “retirements” and “comebacks” in which Bell would leave the airwaves and then return.
He would hint about a number of threats and conspiracies directed at him and his family. His last retirement occurred in 2015 when he reported instances of trespassers and shots being fired on his property.
However, the truth of the matter was that Art Bell was not in the best of health in his later years. He suffered from severe back pain brought on by a fall in his youth.
He also suffered from bouts of pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As of this writing, the exact cause of his death has not been revealed. However, knowing the man and his history, one suspects that the conspiracy theories will not be long in coming.
