Early career Delia Bell was born Francis Leona Nowell on April 16, 1935, in
Bonham, Texas. Inspired by the music of
Bill Monroe, he took up mandolin. In 1959, Bell began singing with Bobby's friend Bill Grant. Bell accompanied herself on guitar, and Bill Grant played mandolin, and Bell sang tenor to Grant's lead. In 1960, Bell and Grant were regulars on the Little Dixie Hayride radio show on KIHN radio. They recorded more than a dozen albums for their own label Kiamichi Records as well as albums on
County Records,
Rebel Records,
Rounder Records, and
Warner Brothers. During the 1980s, Bell and Grant recorded three albums for Rounder featuring accompaniment and harmonies by members of the Johnson Mountain Boys and
Del McCoury. The 1989 album
Dreaming collected songs from their Rounder albums. Grant and Bell have each been recognized as a Pioneer of Bluegrass Music by the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum in
Owensboro, Kentucky. Grant was also inducted in to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.
Salt Creek Park From 1969 until 2003, Grant hosted Grant's Bluegrass Festival on a 360-acre cattle ranch near Hugo. He named the festival site "Salt Creek Park". In 1987, Bell and Grant also launched a March Early Bird Bluegrass Show, which was staged annually for almost 20 years. ==Deaths==