Luke Bell, country singer and songwriter, is dead at 32

The Kentucky-born Bell was raised in Wyoming and was last known to live in Tennessee. He had a short but celebrated music career, and is best known for the hit song “Where Ya Been?”. He released a single, “Jealous Guy,” in 2021.

According to CNN, Bell was reported missing over a week ago. Tucson Police Sgt. Richard Gradillas told The Washington Post that Bell was found alone, and that “detectives are still looking to verify if a missing report was completed.”

Fans and fellow artists expressed their condolences on social media, describing Bell as a talented artist with a passion for country music.

“A bunch of us met in Nashville when we were so young and obsessed with country music — those years were so formative. He was extremely gifted & special,” wrote Kelsey Waldon, a fellow Kentuckian and singer-songwriter.

“I can vividly remember the first time I met Luke at Hole in the Wall over a decade ago, down to the clothes on his back. The man (and his music) left an impression,” members of the Texas-based Americana band Mike and the Moonpies wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.

The Academy of Country Music tweeted Wednesday that it was “a sad day for our Country Music community.”

Bell was often described as a “troubadour,” moving from place to place, including Austin, New Orleans, Louisiana and Nashville. In a 2016 interview with the Boot, a website that covers the country music industry, Bell suggested that the lifestyle had its ups and downs.

“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,” he said.

“To be honest, I live in the day, and I count smiles.”