Country Singer Luke Bell’s Manager Sheds Light on His Untimely Death

Luke Bell tragically died this month, and now his business manager is speaking out.

Bell, a 32-year-old country singer, was reported missing August 20 in Tucson, after he disappeared while his friend and fellow musician Matt Kinman was grabbing a bite to eat. His body was found August 29, not far from where he was last seen.

Now, his business manager Brian Buchanan tells TMZ that the star was suffering from bipolar disorder. He explained, “Luke fought this as hard as he could, but the disease got the better of him. When he was beating the disease, he was the sweetest and most generous guy. He’s found peace now and there’s some comfort.”

Kinman had previously told the Saving Country Music blog that the men were in Arizona to work and play some music, adding, “He just took off. He was in the back of the truck. I went in to get something to eat. I came out, and he’d got out of the truck and left.” Matt also indicated that a change in Luke’s medication may have contributed to his disappearance.

A follow-up post on the same blog shared the news of Bell’s passing.

The post stated, “Bell was found today, August 29th, 2022, not far from where he disappeared, and in a manner we all feared he would be when we first heard the news,” adding that Kinman confirmed the news that Luke had passed away.

Bell’s cause of death has not been released, pending autopsy results.

Luke released a self-titled album in 2012, followed by “Don’t Mind If I Do” in 2014. He was signed by the Nashville label Thirty Tigers in 2016.

Around that time, he opened up to The Boot about his life, saying, "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."

While his career seemed to halt after that, he did win Best Honky Tonk Male at the Dale Watson-backed Ameripolitan Awards in 2018 and he appeared in videos and livestreams with Kinman in recent years.

Luke also released a single in 2021 called “Jealous Guy.”