Rising country star Luke Bell has passed away. He was 32.
The Tucson Police Department confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that the artist was found dead in Arizona on August 29. It came more than a week after he was reported missing.
The publication quoted the authorities’ statement, saying, “He was found in the 5500 block of E. Grant Road in Midtown Tucson. The investigation is ongoing at the moment.”
Saving Country Music was the first to report about Bell’s passing on Monday. It obtained confirmations from his fellow artist, Matt Kinman, who was also his close friend and confidant.
As reported, Luke Bell went missing on August 20 in Tucson, Arizona. He was with Kinman at the time, but he allegedly “ran off while Matt went to get something to eat.”
The “Where Ya Been?” singer’s mental state reportedly “took a turn for the worse” recently while out West. It came amid his battle with bipolar disorder, with music blog The Boot reporting, Matt Kinman “voiced concern that a recent change in [his friend’s] medication could have ‘played a role’ in his disappearance.”
The country artist was found “not far from where he disappeared" nine days later. But, no official report has emerged yet regarding the cause of death.
Luke Bell was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1990 and grew up in Cody, Wyoming. He dropped out of college from the University of Wyoming and relocated to Austin, Texas, to pursue a career in country music, according to the New York Post.
In 2016, the then-26-year-old singer reportedly got his big break after signing with Thirty Tigers. He dropped his self-titled album later that year, two years after releasing his debut album, "Don't Mind If I Do," and gained nationwide recognition, especially in the country music scene.
The singer last released a single in January 2021, titled "Jealous Guy."
The outlet continued that Bell collaborated with several country icons in his “short but impactful career.” Some personalities include Margo Price, Langhorne Slim, and Alabama Shakes.
In the wake of Luke Bell’s passing, fellow country stars and personalities paid tribute on social media.
Us Weekly, in its piece covering the matter, shared that these individuals include Margo Price and Joshua Hedley, who stated that the news of his passing is a “sad [one] for country music.”
Country group Mike and the Moonpies also mourned Bell’s death and shared how “heartbroken” the members are after learning the news.
Elsewhere in its tribute, the act urged the public to “do yourself a favor and put on some Luke Bell tunes tonight in his memory.”