Critical reputation

Political views

• One of Art Bell's Coast to Coast interviews occurred in 1997 with Mel Waters, who discussed what is known as "Mel's Hole" in rural Washington, which is said to be an infinitely deep hole featuring paranormal powers. No such hole has ever been found.
• On May 23, 1997 Art interviewed a man who called himself "Victor", who claimed to have been at S-4 (near Area 51), and was responsible for the release to the public of a nearly 3 minute video commonly called the "alien interview". For almost two hours, Victor described the ebe program at S-4, verifying most of Bob Lazar's claims.
• In 1997 Art took a call from a frantic man claiming to be an ex-Area 51 employee who grew progressively more upset as the call wore on, culminating in the show's going temporarily off the air because of "satellite failure".

• This incident formed the basis of the song "Faaip de Oiad" by the rock band Tool, which features said interview (with Art Bell's part cut out), over frantic drumming and buzzing static.
• The interview was also sampled in Konkhra's track "Religion is a Whore," and The Faceless's "Planetary Duality."
• Yet another song featuring the call was "It's Out There and It's Gonna Get You" by experimental Texas-quartet The Paper Chase on their 2006 album Now You Are One Of Us.
• J.C. Webster the Third, or "J.C." — J.C. began calling in 1996, and has since been on the air over 50 times. He purports to be a Baptist Revival preacher, and believes Art to be "the Devil's Mouthpiece." He has continued to call George Noory and guest hosts. Although some have expressed a disbelief that someone like J.C. could exist, Art Bell and George Noory have repeated their beliefs that J.C. is real, and is neither a "put on" nor a "plant."
• On the night of 10/23/1997, Art interviewed Harlot the Witch (Patsy).
• In the mid to late 1990s, a regular caller named "Fritz" would call in and give his view on various matters.
• In the mid to late 1990s, another regular caller known only as "Charlie Liberal" used to call with his perspectives on current events.
• In April 1996, Bell received a package of what would be known as "Art's Parts". These parts were allegedly pieces of debris from the 1947 Roswell UFO crash. Extensive analysis of the metals indicated they were made of an odd Bismuth material.
• In 1998, Bell spoke with John Titor, a self proclaimed time traveler from 2036 who made all kinds of fantastic predictions and discussed time travel.
• In February 2005, Bell received a call from a person calling himself "Oscar" proclaiming to be "the Son of Satan." Oscar had since also called George Noory, but disappeared after a June, 2007 on-air confrontation with J.C.
• Another song "Planetary Duality I : Hideous Revelation" by the technical death metal band The Faceless uses snippets of the call dubbed over an eery and ominous sounding instrumental track.
• In 1997 Cusco's Michael Holm, the group’s leader revealed that a song on APURIMAC III - Nature Spirit Pride - Pahrump-Big Water was titled in recognition of Art Bell and Coast to coast.
• A caller in 2000 named "Daniel Murray" claimed he was a Majestic Agent from Downey, CA.
• This call served as the inspiration for the alternate reality game Majestic.
• In March 2005 a man also called about disturbing events on Kwajalein and Johnston Atoll about a weapon that only targeted certain people and could leave others unhurt. He indicated he had been on both islands (that are US military only) and that these weapons had been tested in 1993. Art lost the call after another voice came on the line with a click saying "Shelton, terminate the call from A-6." Art tried to call the man back but was unsuccessful.
• "Bugs" - Aging farmer who has repeatedly told of his account of shooting and burying two Bigfoot creatures back in the 1970s in the Texas Panhandle, initially thinking they were bears. Bugs has mailed a map of the location of this "burial" to Art Bell, to be released to the public upon Bugs' death. During his first appearance in 1996, Bugs said he had taken a dozen Polaroid photos of the creatures he would be willing to send to Art. None of the alleged photos have yet been made available.
• In 2003, Chris Clements, a freelance writer with the Washington Post, called Art Bell to tell him he had evidence of a financial connection between the Bush family and the Bin Ladens. Clements went on further to tell of how his research showed that 9/11 may have been orchestrated by the Bush family and hinted at proof of a coming police state with secret prisons and the chipping of citizens. Clements promised to forward all of his information to Bell but it was reported that Clements died in a suspicious car crash in the weeks after his call.
• In 2009, David Van Dyke, a photojournalist with Metro News Canada, called into Coast-to-Coast (guest hosted by Art Bell that night) and warned listeners that Toronto would become a testing ground for police tactics and subverting citizens at a soon to be announced global summit. Weeks after the call Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Toronto would play host to the G20 summit. Van Dyke, also Toronto citizen, returned to the show after the announcement and declared that Toronto's downtown would be 'stripped of everything not bolted down. Even trees and sticks will be removed, so that the oligarchy could not be touched.' Van Dyke went missing shortly after the second call. Van Dyke resurfaced in mid-2010 following the G20 Summit in Toronto and was interviewed on local news channel CP24 while protesting outside a court hearing for G20 detainees. Van Dyke claimed he was held against his will in a stone-block room for "what felt like years" while being subjected to various psychological stress tactics. "German industrial metal music blasted frequently. A bright strobe light came on intermittently, and when it wasn't on a TV constantly played a loop of interracial porn," Van Dyke told CP24. He also claimed he was only fed raw steak and agents "dressed in pink bunny costumes" shouted anti-Marxist slogans at him. At this point the interview was abruptly ended by the reporter.
• Art Bell is taking calls on the wildcard line.

• Airyn Ruiz, April 11, 2006 – present. Children: Asia Rayne Bell
• Ramona Lee Hayes, August 4, 1991  – January 5, 2006 ? (see below)
• Vickie L. Baker, married March 1, 1981, divorced, July 3, 1991. Children: Arthur William Bell
• Sukiyaki Sakamoto Kyo, divorced. Children: Art "Scooter" Bell IV.
• Sachiko Toguchi Bell Pontius, married 1965, divorced 1968. Children: Vincent Pontius, Lisa Pontius Minei.

Return: He returned on October 28, 1998. Bell asserted that the brief departure was brought on by threats made against his family. On May 29, 1999, Art Bell explained that this retirement was due to an allegation made by hosts of WWCR shortwave radio that Bell had paid to cover up a criminal indictment. (Announcement date from "The Washington Post" 5-29-99, where Bell's show was said to be on 460 stations.)

The actual facts of the matter became public knowledge with Art Bell's second retirement in 2000, when it was revealed that an actual criminal indictment was filed against a person who had assaulted a member of Bell's family. Because of the nature of the crime, Bell had wanted to keep the matter private. The hosts at WWCR shortwave radio had accused Bell of the crime. (Bell took legal action against the hosts and stations, which was settled in 2000.)

Return: On January 24, 2001, it was announced (in Vancouver, Washington's "The Columbian" newspaper), Art Bell would return to Coast To Coast AM on February 5, 2001. Bell noted that since his departure the show had lost a number of affiliates, commercial content had risen to an unbearable level, and Siegel had taken the program in a "different direction" of which Bell disapproved. He retained some authority over the program as its creator and thus felt his return was necessary.

Return: Bell again on September 23, 2003, announced (in Vancouver, Washington's "The Columbian" newspaper) would return as a weekend host on September 27, 2003, having missed the microphone, this time replacing Barbara Simpson and Ian Punnett as host of the Saturday and Sunday evening broadcasts. In June 2005, he scaled this schedule back a bit (a "semiretirement"), deciding to host only the last two Sundays of every month. Bell went back to hosting every weekend show as his schedule permitted after his wife Ramona’s death a few months later.

Death of Ramona Bell

Change in schedule

Remarriage

Relocation to the Philippines

Return to "the High Desert and the Great American Southwest"

Immigration Controversy

• Ronson, Jon. The Men Who Stare at Goats, Picador, 2004 ISBN 0-330-37547-4; Simon & Schuster, 2006 ISBN 0-7432-7060-1. Chapter 6, "Privatization", pp. 93—114.