M. Scott Morris: Here It Is: Jay Bell’s Origin Story

M. SCOTT MORRIS Before he became my good friend from “Bradenton-Sun-in-the-Sun-Baby-Florida,” Jay Bell was my neighbor. We lived in Jackson, Alabama, which was in a dry county back then. The idea of Jay in a dry county almost doesn’t compute, but there he was, with an apartment filled with strong beverages that he’d hauled in from the county line package store. I’d learned some hermit-like ways in my previous job, so it took a while to warm up to him and his roommate, Kevin Gramelspacher – and, no, that’s not a made-up name, and, yes, I’m proud I can spell it without consulting my address book. One day, Kevin knocked and asked for a favor.