Ferdinando Dominick Bello, known as Freddie Bell, was born on September 29, 1931, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a musician who formed his own group, the Bellboys, in 1952 and gained prominence by performing R&B hits of the time. The group secured a residency at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and released their first recording on Teen Records in 1955, including a cover of "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton. This version caught the attention of Elvis Presley, who later included it in his repertoire. Freddie Bell and the Bellboys became regular performers at various venues on the Las Vegas Strip throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The group disbanded in the mid-1960s, but Bell continued to perform in Las Vegas until his death on February 10, 2008.
