Art Bell, Paranormal Radio Show Host, Dies on Friday the 13th at Age 72
Art Bell, a self-proclaimed expert on the paranormal who hosted a popular syndicated radio show for decades, has died at the age of 72 — on Friday the 13th, appropriately enough.
Bell died in his home in Pahrump, Nevada, according to the Nye County sheriff’s office.
Community Announcement — Long time resident, and radio show host, Art Bell died today at 72 years old in his home in Pahrump Nevada. https://t.co/eNOYD97i4b
— Nye County Sheriff (@NyeSheriff) April 14, 2018
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He started out as a disc jockey but drifted into political talk radio in the 1970s and saw a ratings boost when he veered into the realm of conspiracy theories and the paranormal. He espoused his belief in alien abductions, ghosts, crop circles report — and even that the Hale-Bopp comet that neared the Earth in 1986 was being followed by a UFO.
Soon, his late-night show “Coast to Coast” gained national syndication and allowed him to broadcast from his own Pahrump-based radio station, KNYE 95.1 FM. At the height of his fame, as many as 500 stations carried his show in the U.S. and Canada.
Bell also made cameo appearances (typically as himself) in movies like 2007’s “I Know Who Killed Me” and TV shows like “Dark Skies.”
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In a 1999 interview with Larry King on CNN, Bell displayed the even-keeled tone and that made his out-there theorizing seem so reasonable and inviting.
“People are always demanding proof,” he told King at one point. “These are things that are not easily proved.”
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