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Tracey Bell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Tracey Bell in 2009 | |
| Occupation(s) | Celebrity impersonator, comedian |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Website | www.traceybell.com |
Tracey Bell is a Canadiancomedian,impersonator, andimpressionist. She is the creator of theone-woman show, "8 Divas in 44 Minutes" and known for her live impersonations ofcelebrities likeCher,Marilyn Monroe,Madonna,Liza Minnelli,Tina Turner,Janis Joplin,Celine Dion, andDolly Parton.[1][2][3]
Tracey Bell was raised inEdmonton,Alberta,Canada.[4] As a child, she drew pictures of herself as a future movie star.[1] She started performing as a young age in her basement and did a regularSonny Bono and Cher skit with a friend, alternating roles each time.[2][5] She also did early impersonations ofJudy Garland'sDorothy Gale fromThe Wizard of Oz when she was in high school.[5] Her first job was at 14 atWoolco where she made product announcements.[1]
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In 1985, Bell was studyingsociology in university and working as a coat check girl at Goose Loonies, a night club in Edmonton.[2][5] At Goose Loonies, she began doing Tina Turner and Marilyn Monroe impersonations and became a nightly performer, later impersonating popular musical acts likeDoctor and the Medics,Amazulu, andKatrina and the Waves.[2][5] She began working independently three years later.[2]
After performing at clubs for a number of years, Bell created a one-woman show called, "8 Divas in 44 Minutes" for her public and corporate events, built around her impersonations of famous"divas" including Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Celine Dion, Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, Liza Minnelli, and Madonna to go along with interactive audience participation.[2]
Bell has impersonated other celebrities such asLady Gaga,Shania Twain, Judy Garland's Dorothy Gale inThe Wizard of Oz,Julie Andrews' Maria von Trapp fromThe Sound of Music, andNicole Kidman's Satine fromMoulin Rouge.[4][5] She has also impersonated characters like Jem fromJem and the Holograms and created her own original characters like Lucy Potatoe.[1][4]
Bell has also sung"Happy Birthday" as Marilyn Monroe to formerCanadian Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau.[4]
Bell is also an ally of theLGBT community, having performed at events like the 2016Edmonton Pride Festival.[6]
Bell appeared as Cher onThe Post-Modern Prometheus, anEmmy Award-winning episode ofThe X-Files.[7]The show's creator,Chris Carter, had originally written the episode with Cher in mind, but Bell was cast to play her when Cher was unavailable.[8][9] After the episode aired on television, viewers questioned whether or not Cher had in fact guest-starred on the show.[10]
Bell was the 2005 Winner for Entertainer of the Year by the Canadian Special Event Industry Awards.[1][2] She has also won Entertainer of the Year at the BC Event Industry Awards.[1][2] In 2015, she was again nominated by the Canadian Special Event Industry Awards for Entertainer of the Year.[11]