Missing Country Singer Luke Bell Found Dead Following Arizona Disappearance

In a tragic case, acclaimed country singer Luke Bell has been found dead.

The 32-year-old was initially reported as missing on August 20 in Tucson, Arizona, and after more than a week of searching, authorities discovered his body near where he had initially disappeared from. While details are limited and his official cause of death remains “unknown” at this time, Luke’s friend, caretaker, and fellow country singer Matt Kinman confirmed the news to Saving Country Music.

Explaining the star faced a very serious battle with bipolar disorder, there were periods where Luke would go under the radar, so to speak, and it would turn out he was in the hospital or even jail. Matt added how over the last year and a half the country crooner had found a bit more stability due to medication and treatment, and was beginning to re-enter the spotlight. However, his mental health seemingly took a turn for the worse recently and while in Tucson with Matt, the star ran off for what would ultimately be the last time.

The Where Ya Been? singer was originally born in Lexington, Kentucky on January 27, 1990, and later raised in Cody, Wyoming. He would go on to attend school at the University of Wyoming, where he ultimately dropped out and moved to Austin, Texas to pursue a career in music. He released his debut album, Don’t Mind If I Do, in 2014 and later signed a record deal with Thirty Tigers in 2016 where he released his self-titled album.

In a 2016 interview with The Boot, the country star opened up about life on the road:

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

Industry members were shocked and saddened by the news of Luke’s death, and took to social media to share their condolences. Joshua Hedley wrote:

“Man…Luke Bell…what the f**k. RIP to a real one. Been a long time since I saw him and I was just talking about him the other day wondering what he’s been up to. Truly a sad night for country music.”

See the full tweet (below):

Man…Luke Bell…what the fuck. RIP to a real one. Been a long time since I saw him and I was just talking about him the other day wondering what he’s been up to. Truly a sad night for country music.

— ʎǝlpǝH ɐnɥsoſ (@JoshuaHedley) August 30, 2022