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Lee Phillip Bell, Legendary Co-Creator Of Y&R and B&B, Passes Away

Photo: JPI

The entire soap world and daytime community is saddened today with the news of the passing of a true icon and TV pioneer, Lee Phillip Bell.

According to her children, William James Bell, Brad Bell (EP and head writer, B&B) and Lauralee Bell Martin (Christine, Y&R), Lee passed away on February 25th at the age of 91.

Photo: JPI

They shared: “Our mother was a loving and supportive wife, mother and grandmother.  Gracious and kind, she enriched the lives of all who knew her. We will miss her tremendously.”

Born in Chicago, Illinois on June 9, 1928, Bell was co-creator, along with her late husband William J. Bell, of two of daytime television’s most successful dramas: The Young and the Restless (Y&R), and The Bold and the Beautiful (B&B).

Bell’s career as a broadcast journalist began in Chicago, where she hosted and produced her own show, The Lee Phillip Show, for CBS TV for over 30 years. A pioneer in the evolution of the afternoon talk show format, Bell was a trailblazer in the exploration of timely social issues and concerns.  Additionally she produced and narrated numerous award-winning specials and documentaries covering social concerns such as foster children, the subject of rape, children and divorce, and babies born to women in prison, to name a few.. Bell interviewed heads of state such as Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Regan; film actors Judy Garland, Clint Eastwood and Jerry Lewis; musicians such as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles; television and stage stars such as Lucille Ball, Jack Benny and Oprah Winfrey; and many other politicians, authors, journalists, fashion designers and rock stars.

Photo: JPI

She was awarded 16 regional (Chicago) Emmy awards and numerous Golden Mike awards. Bell is also the recipient of the Alfred I. Dupont/Columbia University Award for the special The Rape of Paulette, the first program in Chicago to explore the issue.  In 1977, she was the first woman to receive the coveted Governors Award from the Chicago chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.  In 1980, she was named “Person of the Year” by the Broadcast Advertising Club of Chicago and the “Outstanding Woman in Communications” by the Chicago YMCA.  She also received the Salvation Army’s William Booth Award for her distinguished career in communications and social service. Bell won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series as co-creator of The Young and the Restless in 1975 and was recipient of the Daytime Emmys’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

In addition to her children, Lee Phillip Bell is survived by her daughters-in-law Maria Arena Bell and Ambassador Colleen Bell, her son-in-law Scott Martin and eight grandchildren.

Since the news of Lee’s death, many stars from daytime have been sharing their remembrances and condolences of this great woman and what she meant to them.  We will share more on this story later today.

For now, share your condolences for the Bell family and your thoughts on the passing of this icon, Lee Phillip Bell in the comment section below.

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Violet Lemm2JimhKayLew S.Rodd Recent comment authors
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Jimh
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Jimh

The Bells were great/…MR Bell had written Days Of Our Lives best stories and the show ended up on the cover of Time Magazine-with BIll Hayes and Susan Seaforth…daytime will never see that greatest ever again!!!

Kay
Guest
Kay

No they won’t it’s very sad they knew how to write relationships then ! When I was in college we would schedule our classes around the soaps so we could run to the dorm and get our fix ! Now days I run to the door screaming how awful how cheesy ! Thank you gracious lady you will be missed but now you are with your man at peace!

Jimh
Guest
Jimh

They also become dark and gloomy…British soaps too

Michael
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Michael

She lived a full and beautiful life. May she RIP.

Momo
Guest
Momo

Well, Colleen Bell is no longer an ambassador.

Condolences to her family. Her legacy lives on.

Rodd
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Rodd

How wonderful that she was able to do so many wonderful things during her life and we are all the better for it. Rest in Peace.

Lew S.
Guest
Lew S.

The last of the great ones! RIP

Violet Lemm2
Guest
Violet Lemm2

As a mother of two young children, we loved watching her Lee Phillip Show back in the 60’s when living in the Chicago area. Condolences to the family, so much talent there.

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BREAKING NEWS: Tina Turner, Trailblazing Rock Star, Dead at 83

In heartbreaking pop culture news, the legendary and iconic, Tina Turner has died at her home in near Zurich, Switzerland after a long illness.

The news came from Turner’s reps who shared, “With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model.”  The rock legend was 83-years-old. Turner’s life was marked by regaining her life after domestic abuse and being an icon for women in the music industry and more.

Photo: ABC

As an entertainment non could compare, Tina won nine Grammy Award and sold over 200 million albums. She rose to fame in the 1960s as the centerpiece of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.   Turner was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Her relationship with Ike Turner and her trials, tribulations and success where made into a 1993 movie, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” which starred Angela Bassett.  That film was based on her 1986 moving and harrowing memoir, “I Tina”.

There was no greater pop comeback story, when at 44 years old, she released the iconic album, Private Dancer, which featured hit after hit and gave Tina the push to have an even greater second-half to her 60 year career.

Photo: Billboard

Before concert and performing retirement at age 69, she was still tearing it up with her dance moves like no one else.

Some of her greatest hits include:  “The Best,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me” and of course, “Proud Mary” and “River Deep Mountain High.”

Turner had iconic film and TV including as the Acid Queen in Tommy (1975) and as Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). On television, she was always a guest and featured on variety shows, MTV, and in commercials and more.

We will have more on the death of Tina Turner as remembrances pour in on social media throughout the day.

What was your favorite song of  the extraordinary Tina Turner ? Are you saddened to learn of her passing? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Kin Shriner Says He’s Been Written Out at GH and Shares: “Thank You General Hospital Fans For Decades of Supporting Me!”

Out of nowhere, long-running General Hospital vet, Kin Shriner, shared on his Twitter account Tuesday morning that the soap opera which he has called home, on and off for 45 years, has written him off the show.

That would mean, coming up in story, Shriner’s Port Charles alter-ego, Scott Baldwin is somehow exiting the canvas.

In his tweet, Shriner expressed:I just found out Scotty was written out, I thank U General Hospital fans for decades of supporting me!”

Many are finding this hard to believe, in part, because back in December of 2021 Shriner tweeted, “Scotty’s run is done, so heading to Florida to ride Vespa around the tropics!”  Eventually, Kin was back at GH.

The last long period of time that Kin was away from GH was a five-year absence until Scott was back in Port Charles in February of 2013.

No word yet from the show itself, confirming the news put out by Shriner.  If this is all said and done, we firmly believe Scott will have to come to Port Charles at some point.

Shriner remains one of the all-time favorites of the iconic soap opera currently celebrating its 60th year on the air.

So, what do you think about Kin stating that he is being written off of GH? Comment below.

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GH’s Haley Pullos Arrested for Felony DUI

General Hospital favorite, Haley Pullos (Molly Lansing-Davis) told Soap Opera Digest last week, via a statement, that she was taking a break from taping new episodes at the ABC daytime drama, because she was recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident.

However, news this morning from TMZ, indicates there was much more to the story. Now, it turns out, Pullos was arrested for a felony DUI after allegedly causing a major freeway crash.

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