Franklin Bell

Franklin Roosevelt (Bobo) Bell was born on May 9, 1934, to Laura Britton Belln and Aaron Bell, Sr. in Greensboro, Alabama. The family later moved to Tuscaloosa, AL. In his teenage years he and his siblings were raised by his father and stepmother, Lillie Bell. In 1968, he assisted his widowed sister with 4 children, Greg, Fred, Orlita and Kelly, in Los Angeles, California. He purchased the house next door to her where he resided until his death. He confessed his faith in Christ at an early age. He departed life on July 29, 2024, at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, California following a brief illness.

Franklin graduated from Industrial High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Franklin was an amazing and multi-talented man. One of the first African Americans to attend UCLA. He followed in his father’s footsteps and became a top-notched mechanic; if you broke it, he could fix it. He was an entrepreneur and sharp businessman who owned and managed Bell’s Chevron service station on Alameda & Imperial for many years in Los Angeles. He was a self-taught drummer and musician. He and is band members traveled the world and entertained royally wherever they went. At one point, he and his Band performed the opening act for NFL Super Bowl in 2015 which was televised throughout the nation. Franklin loved the Blues; in fact, the Blues were his specialty. In his retirement, a cool place where people of all colors – young and old—could come from all over to play, sing, dance and just entertain themselves on any given Sunday evening while listening to great well-known and unknown musicians and vocalists. Franklin became known as Uncle Bobo; he was legally blind, but he and a few friends could manage the Workshop with ease, finesse and with real hearty food and fellowship. 

Franklin was celebrated all over South Central and Southern California as the nicest and kindest man. The Fall 2016 issue of Malibu Magazine featured him as one of the ten most extraordinary people in Los Angeles. LA Weekly called the Blues Workshop South Central LA’s coolest Blues juke joint. Also, many other newspaper and magazine articles featured him and his Blues Workshop throughout the years; fans carried Franklin’s reputation throughout California and beyond. Franklin always remained humble and unassuming through it all.

His famous parting words to friends and loved ones, “Pass My Love Around”. 

He was preceded in death by daughters Annette Jackson and Jacqueline Cooper; Father Aaron Bell Sr.; Mother Laura Britton Bell; four brothers Jimmy Lee Bell, Aaron Bell Jr. of Tuscaloosa; William Bell Royal Sr., of West Point, MS and Mose Bell of Columbia, SC; and one sister Susie Barnes of Los Angeles, CA. 

He leaves to cherish his rich memory daughters Josephine Cooper & Terry Clark of Tuscaloosa, AL; one sister Irene Byrd of Tuscaloosa, AL; ten grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; nieces & nephews; and a host of friends.

Please visit this link for a tribute in the local paper.

Spectrum News