Seattle’s alternative “grunge” rock was a punk/metal hybrid sound made famous by bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden that seized pop culture in the early ’90s. Among the musicians who came to define the scene, white men dominated, and women were few. And Black women? If the most common version of history is to be believed, there were none. But that version is wrong.
In the spring of 1983, Martin placed an ad in The Rocket, a free biweekly music ’zine in Seattle. “Forming punk band, need bass and drums,” the ad read, as Ledgerwood recalls, and he responded to it. “Tommy was intimidating, but meeting Tina was an overwhelming—dare I say—religious experience. She was so stunningly beautiful; rudely beautiful, I used to always say. But she didn’t ask me a thing about music. She wanted to know about my family, my wife, my mom, and my son.
“Tina was literally the only Black woman on the scene then,” says Ledgerwood. “The suits and ties couldn’t see our relevance, but the crowds usually ate us up, especially her. Tommy was leader of the band until we got on stage. Then it was ‘the Bell.’ Without question, she set the pace. If the crowd was slightly less than enthusiastic, she would get fiercer. We followed suit. She was so dynamic, so unpredictable, and so energetic. I’ve never seen a more explosive performer.
According to many familiar with Bam Bam, this omission of the band from the history of grunge could have everything to do with racism and misogyny. “A lot of people didn’t get Bam Bam,” says King. “I remember someone seeing one of their fliers at my house and saying, ‘I just don’t get the female Black singer thing,’ which didn’t make sense to me. I had seen Black people in punk rock and there were women in punk rock. I don’t remember anybody ever saying that about Bad Brains.
The couple’s move to Europe was a decision that turned out to be an unfortunate mistake, and it changed their futures in numerous ways. For one thing, it resulted in the dissolution of their marriage. “They tried to keep it under wraps, but it was very evident,” T.J. recalls of that time. “They would come to visit me in France, or I would go to see them in London. Initially, there was a concerted effort to go on outings as a family.
For the most part, Bell never spoke about the band again. “She felt betrayed by the world and buggered off to Vegas,” Ledgerwood explains. “Not just to get away from music but also to get away from her family and friends and everything else.”
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