Country singer Luke Bell has died several days after being reported missing.
The 32-year-old emerging artist was found dead Monday near where he was last seen. He was reported missing on Aug. 20, the Tucson Police Department confirmed to the New York Post. Bell's cause of death remains unknown, authorities probing the tragedy stated.
Bell's friend and fellow country singer, Matt Kinman, also confirmed the news to Saving Country Music, which noted that the musician struggled with bipolar disorder. In its obituary, the music site paints the picture of a musician struggling with his diagnosis.
Bell would reportedly disappear for long periods of time only to end up in hospitals, the site noted. Over the past year, he was "finally beginning to find a new equilibrium thanks to medication and treatment," Saving Country Music wrote. But then his mental state "took a turn for the worse." The music site reported that recently, Bell was with Kinman in Tucson when he ran off.
Bell lived a nomadic life. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and raised in Cody, Wyoming, where he attended the University of Wyoming before dropping out and moving to Austin, Texas, to pursue a career in music. He performed various shows across the Lone Star State's capital before moving to New Orleans, Wyoming, then Nashville.
Bell's break came in 2016, when he signed with Thirty Tigers and released his eponymous album, which gained nationwide attention. He remained humble despite his newfound success, The Boot reported.
"To be honest, I live in the day, and I count smiles," Bell told the music blog in a 2016 interview. "That's it. Listen, half the time, I end up drinking beer with my neighbors. Life's not that bad.
"The downside, in some ways, is I don't have a wife and kids, but at the same time, it's pretty ideal right now. I just travel around to other cities and hang out with other people. ... The goal is to have high hopes and low expectations and have a good time."
Thirty Tigers owner David Macias lead a flood of tributes on social media upon news of Bell's death.
"We lost a true original today," he wrote on Twitter. "From all at @ThirtyTigers, we send love and hope for eternal peace to our friend Luke Bell. Thanks for riding a while with us."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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