If you're an insomniac, you've probably listened to radio host Art Bell.
70-year-old (Arthur William Bell, III) is one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. In 2003, he semi-retired from Coast to Coast AM, hosting the show many weekends for the following four years. In 2007, Bell announced his "permanent" retirement even from weekend hosting because he wanted to spend time with his new (4th) wife and their daughter who was born that year. He and his new family moved to the Philippines but returned in 2009.
On September 16, 2013, Bell started a new nightly show, Art Bell's Dark Matter, on Sirius XM Radio, which lasted just six weeks. On July 20, 2015, he returned to radio with a new show, Midnight in the Desert, available online, via TuneIn, and on some terrestrial radio stations.
On December 11, 2015, Bell announced his retirement (again), citing fears for his and his family's safety because of repeated intrusions on his property in Pahrump, Nevada.
The threats to his safety began on October 21, 2015. From his website :
During Art's live broadcast of his "Midnight in the Desert" radio program Wednesday night [Oct. 21], gun shots rang out in his neighborhood. Police were called to the scene and it was determined that a subject had driven into Art's neighborhood and fired shots near or at Art's [home] studio. [...]
The incident is still under investigation. Art posted on his Facebook page:
Ok, the police just left for the second time and the girls are asleep, so here is what I can tell you, about 10:33 PT I got a text from my close neighbor saying he had heard 4 or 5 fast shots that seemed near my studio, he thought they were from the street behind the house but did not see anything, then a moment later another neighbor lady texted me that she heard the shots and saw a car in the dead end lane in front of my studio fire 4 or 5 rifle shots at or near the house and take off in a mid size car. We will check for bullet holes in the daylight. The girls turned off all lights and hugged the floor. We are all OK but a bit freaked out. We have video cameras, but not recorded, that will change. Sorry for the scare but it was worse on this end.
A second shooting incident led to Bell's permanent retirement from radio broadcasting. On December 11, 2015, Bell issued the following statement on :
I am sorry to have to announce this but I will not be on Tonight or any other night, yes I am going to hang it up. Whoever this crazy person is, they are not stopping and it has come to the point that we as a Family do not feel it is worth the risk. While I think the person or persons are after me, my Wife and now my Daughter are really scared, the other night after the latest incident my Daughter was off in the corner of her bed scared to death as the Police cars came screaming up. I will not put my Family through this. As you all know I dearly love what I do but not at the expense of never ending Terrorism. I want to thank those of you who have shown so much support and it has been my joy, short as it has been to have cracked that Mic open for a last time. This was a Family decision. The girls stuck with me and still would but if one of them were harmed because of what I love doing my life would be over.
A member of the Libertarian Party, Bell holds a mixture of conservative and liberal views, being pro-Second Amendment gun right, pro-free market and anti-abortion, but believes in man-made global warming. He supported Obama for president in 2008 and 2012.
So Art Bell is an Obama supporter.
I'm so glad I was never a subscriber of his Midnight in the Desert show. As far as I am concerned, I'm glad he (again) retired and hope he stays retired.