Madeline Bell

Madeline Bell - Picture Me Gone (2008)
She sat next to me a Hammersmith Odeon when I went to see Bill Withers once! people kept coming up to her and kissing her. Born 23 July 1942, Newark, New Jersey, USA. The teenage Bell gained singing experience as a member of gospel groups, the most notable of which was the Alex Bradford Singers.

Bell arrived in the UK in 1962 with the cast of Black Nativity, a gospel show, but remained to embark on a solo career. Although early releases veered towards MOR, the singer's mid-60s recordings, including "I Really Got Carried Away", "Picture Me Gone" and "Doin' Things Together With You", were among Britain's strongest home-grown soul singles.

Her version of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" reached the US Top 30 in 1968. A respected session vocalist, her powerful tones were also heard on numerous pop releases alongside Doris Troy, Lesley Duncan and Rosetta Hightower.

Bell later secured consistent success as a member of Blue Mink, and forged a lucrative career singing jingles for television advertisements, during which time she released two singles, duetting with Dave Martin on "East Side West Side" and "I'm Not Really Me Without You". In 1991, she appeared in a UK stage production of The Cotton CluBorn Bell is a regular at jazz clubs in her adopted England, performing mainly with her group the Musicians.