Art Bell Dead at 72

Art Bell

Art Bell, founder and original host of Coast to Coast AM, Dreamland, and Midnight in the Desert, passed away at his home in Pahrump, Nevada on Friday the 13th, according to the Nye County Sheriff's office.  

Bell was an extremely influential member of paranormal media, with Coast to Coast AM having been syndicated on over 500 stations and reaching over 20 million listeners at the height of his success as the show's host.  Coast to Coast AM, currently hosted by Bell's successor George Noory, is a call-in radio show that features interviews with authors and media personalities on a variety of paranormal topics. 

The popular radio host retired several times between the late nineties and early aughts, citing safety concerns and family issues, but officially retired from Coast to Coast AM in 2007 to spend more time with his family.  He would appear as a guest host on the show into 2010.  In 2015 Bell began hosting Midnight in the Desert, but retired after only five months, once again citing safety concerns after claiming his house had been shot at by armed trespassers.  Midnight in the Desert continues with host Heather Wade.

An autopsy is scheduled in the coming days to determine the precise cause of death, but Bell revealed in 2016 that he had been hospitalized for pneumonia and was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

He was 72.