Ray Bell

Unknown - Nov 21st, 2008
  • Birth Date: Unknown
  • Death Date: Nov 21, 2008
  • Funeral Date: Unknown
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Biography: Ray Bell, an accomplished jazz and classical musician and comprehensive guitar instructor, died Friday morning at age 67 in Little Rock. As a teenager in school, he showed a single minded determination to master the guitar. He road trains to learn the guitar from Mel Bay. By his late teens, he started playing with jazz and blues bands and toured with the likes of The Clyde ( sugar blues) McCoy Band and the band of Ray ( Young Man with a Horn ) Anthony. Dissatisfied with the road, he came back home and started teaching music at Rosen Music, downtown. He became a very talented session guitarist who was often hired to play with the bands of stars at the Vapors and other local venues when they came to the area. He followed Bob Boyd when he opened his music store in 1963 and became a fixture at Boyd Music, as a guitar instructor to hundreds of students through the years. He taught music mastery at all levels. Later he became accomplished with the mandolin, writing a Mandolin Chord Guide for the popular Mel Bay book group and was a member of the Classical Mandolin Society. His life and work will continue to live on through his students. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Ann Hunt Bell, his mother Hazel Stephens Rice, brother, Ivan Bell and His wife Linda, daughter, Robin Dickens of Little Rock, step children, Bobby Illing and Robin Fisher, three grandchildren, Robert Bailey Jr. , Rhiannon Dickens and Richard Dickens, and two great grandchildren. Ray is also survived by numerous step grandchildren and step great -grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Tuesday at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church with Rev. Debbie Freeman officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Arkansas Hospice, 5600 W. 12th Street, Little Rock, AR 72204 or to the American Cancer Society, 901 N. University, Little Rock, AR 72205. Cremation arrangements are by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com

Condolences(12)
Ginny Becton
#12
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
Prayers for peace and condolences to family and friends. Bay Bell was an excellent musician and will leave a hole in the musical community! Rest In Peace, Ray!
Ricky David Tripp
#11
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
Hearing of Ray?s passing so many years ago was a truly sad day. In addition to being a good friend who always had a smile to offer, he was one of my last instructors, a great supporter and I?m honored that one of his last performances was as the sanctuary musician at my 2007 wedding to my precious wife Barbara. He will be missed forever.
Todd Parsley
#10
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
I started taking lessons from Ray at Boyd music when I was five years old. My mother took me from Sherwood to Little Rock every Wednesday for 12 years until I was old enough to drive myself. Ray always was kind and skillful at teaching this young boy how to play guitar. When I turned 16 he even took me to play a job with him at the American Legion in L.R.. He then started sending students to me when his schedule became full. I owe Ray more than just thanks for teaching me guitar. He taught me much more than music over all the years. My deepest thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I hope to jam again someday with Ray in the heavenly band. Ray you will be greatly missed.
Blessings,
Todd Parsley
Bruce Graybill
#9
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
My prayers and best wishes to Ann and Ray's family. I met Ray in Providence, Rhode Island in 1995 at the Classical Mandolin Society of America convention. We became friends in short order and I was fortunate enough to play a number of concerts with Ray over the following eleven years. We performed together twice in Atlanta GA, once in Bozeman MT, Denver CO, Little Rock AR, Louisville KY, Philadelphia PA, San Diego CA, Toronto Ontario CAN, and several times in Lawrence KS.

Ray was truly accomplished as a musician and teacher, and one of the kindest and most honest human beings God ever created.

Ray always treated me as a peer in our professional relationship, though he was always far more musically advanced than I. The part that was amazing to me is that Ray taught me the whole time he was treating me as a peer! He was truly the biggest musical mentor I have had in life, and I will miss his counsel as I am sure many will.

Ray was very active in the Classical Mandolin Society, having served a term as a Board of Directors member a few years ago. Ray accompanied more acts than any Guitar player at our conventions, and he was very much missed during the last two conventions he was unable to attend.

Ray is up there in heaven now, and I am sure he is playing, much to the pleasure of those there with him.
Sarah Hall
#8
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
My condolences to Ray's family. My husband Bob Bullock and Ray knew each other in the sixties and played gigs with each other. My thoughts and prayers will be with you in the days ahead.
Bob Boyd
#7
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
I have known Ray Bell since 1957. He was always upbeat and cheerful and laughed a lot. He was a man of integrity, who always did what he said he would do. He leaves a legacy as an example of a musician who actually mastered his instrument, and had a lifelong love for his music and for the guitar and mandolin. He also leaves a legacy of thousands of students whom he believed in, and he imparted to them not only the ability to play, but the desire to be like him in his dedication and love for music. Ray exemplifies the dedicated musician who loved the music and the instruments he played. He was a serious and dedicated teacher who never compromised his beliefs concerning teaching. He will live on in the lives of all those who studied music with him, many of whom have become professional artists in their own right. And, Ray will live on in the lives of all of us who knew him as the kind and gentle man he was.
Bob and Mary Lincoln
#6
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Anne and the rest of Ray's Family. I was Ray's co-teacher at Boyd Music since 1965 and we played many gigs together over the years. I used to talk to Ray almost nightly on the CB radio which was Ray's main hobby except for music. There never was a more true friend or a better buddy than Ray. He was truly a master guitarist and a superb mandolin player. We will miss you good buddy, may you rest in peace.
Bob Pennington
#5
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
Ray was a friend, my teacher and played guitar at my wedding back in 1978. He will be missed and remembered by everyone who knew him. I enjoyed visiting with him when he attended Friday Night Music at the Sherwood Senior Center on several occasions.
Sandy Cochran
#4
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
Ken was a wonderful person and musician. He will certainly be missed by many. I knew him briefly through Bob Boyd's music store. I'm so sorry for your loss.
Sandra Stephens
#3
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
Aunt Hazel and family:

Aunt Hazel I love you so much and miss you!! I am so very sorry to hear about Ray. I know I only met him a few times but he was a joy to be around. I want to give my most heartfelt sympthy to you, Ivan and the rest of the family.

Love
Sandra Gray Stephens
Windell Stephens
#2
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
Am so sorry to hear of Ray's passing. I had no idea he was ill. I will be at the service Tuesday and hope I can spend some time with Ivan and Hazel and others. My condolences to all our family. I was just thinking of Ray this morning before learning of his passing and making plans to contact him this week. I will miss him. I always looked up to him. I want to reconnect with everyone and keep much closer contact that we have in the past. God bless and keep us all.
Kimberley Huff
#1
Mar 15th, 2019 11:44 am
My thoughts and prayers are truly with family and friends during this time.

Another angel has earned his wings!

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