Tina Bell, singer of Seattle band Bam Bam, is credited as a founder of the grunge genre. (Cyndia Lavik)
Bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Nirvana are synonymous with the grunge genre, or "Seattle sound," known for its muddy electric guitar and angsty vocals. But before Kurt Cobain was getting Rolling Stone cover features, he was just one of many Seattle teenagers enthralled by Seattle band Bam Bam and its late frontwoman, Tina Bell.
On July 9, Seattle-area musicians pay tribute to Bell, whom they revere as one of the founders of grunge, by playing a show of her music at the Central Saloon. Matt Cameron, the former Bam Bam and Soundgarden drummer who now plays with Pearl Jam, will hold down the rhythm section. Kendall Jones of Fishbone and singer-songwriter Ayron Jones will play Bam Bam's chords and leads. And Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard will play a song as a special guest.
Tina Bell, sings with Bam Bam. (Courtesy of Scott Ledgerwood)
The legacy of Bell, a Black woman, has often been overlooked in a genre typically associated with long-haired white guys.
Seattle-area musician Om Johari, singer for Bad Brains tribute band Re-Ignition, used to sneak out after curfew to go to Bam Bam shows as a teenager. Johari says she was inspired to see a fellow Black woman screaming into a microphone in front of crowds in the Seattle hard-rock scene, which wasn't always inclusive of Black people or women. She says Bell doesn't receive the recognition she deserves as one of the founders of grunge music, because of sexism and racism. Bam Bam bassist Scott Ledgerwood says grunge stars like Cobain were roadies for Bam Bam before they were famous - Ledgerwood remembers yelling at Cobain for dropping his guitar and seeing him "sitting at the side of the stage hugging his knees" at Bam Bam shows.
Tina Bell, sings with Matt Cameron, who went on to drum for Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. (Courtesy of Scott Ledgerwood)
Johari organized the concert after CBS News contacted her because Gayle King wanted to do a segment on "CBS This Morning" about Bell, who died in 2012. For the location of the TV interviews, Johari chose the Central Saloon, a venue with rich grunge history that recently put a mural of Bell on one of its walls. With so many former Bam Bam band members and fans-turned-musicians coming to one place, Johari says she had a golden opportunity for a show.
For vocalists, Johari chose Black women influenced by Bell's music: Eva Walker of The Black Tones, Shaina Shepherd of BEARAXE, Dmitra Smith of Ex's With Benefits and New York-based songwriter Dejha Colantuono. Johari also chose the singers to capture Bell's huge vocal range on the 13 Bam Bam songs the tribute band will play. Ledgerwood says Bell's voice "could go so quickly from a sultry coo to an absolutely spine-chilling shriek."
Johari says though Black women like Sister Rosetta Tharpe were among the founders of rock 'n' roll, they've never been adequately recognized for their contributions to the genre.
"People sometimes have a really difficult time accepting women who happen to be Black in the genre of rock 'n' roll - that we invented," Johari says.
Ledgerwood says Bell didn't get the record deals and fame some white male grunge artists achieved because people in power in the music industry didn't give her the shot she deserved. "They were too blind to see that America was ready for a Black superstar, a gorgeous lady, up front in a hard [rock] band."
Now with the King interview, the mural at the Central Saloon and the tribute concert, Ledgerwood says Bell is finally starting to get the recognition she deserves.
Bam Bam Tributaries - A Tribute to Tina Bell and Bam Bam with Re-Ignition and DJ C-Note
8 p.m. Friday, July 9; Central Saloon, 207 First Ave. S., Seattle; $150 (tickets no longer available online as of this writing), strangertickets.com. Tickets to watch the livestream start at $20, available at mandolin.com.
