George Bell obit

George Bell, America's tallest man and former Norfolk deputy, dies at 67

 

He was not on the list.

NORFOLK, Virginia — George Bell, a former Norfolk sheriff's deputy who was recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest man in America at a towering 7-foot-8, has died. He was 67 years old.

Bell was born in 1957 in Portsmouth and was declared the tallest man in America in 2007, but was dethroned by Igor Vovkovinskiy, who edged Bell out by less than half an inch. Bell reclaimed the title when Vovkovinskiy died in 2021.

"We are saddened to learn of the passing of former deputy George Bell. George was a valued member of the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office from December 2000 – May 2014," reads a statement from the Norfolk Sheriff's Office. "He was well known for many things, but for those who worked with him he will be remembered for his kind and fun-loving personality. Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to his friends and family during this difficult time."

Bell played basketball at Morris Brown College and Biola University before a stint with the Harlem Globetrotters and the Harlem Wizards.. He also appeared in American Horror Story and in AMC's Freakshow.

In an interview for the show, he revealed that he appeared as an alien who landed on top of the L.A. Coliseum at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He also appeared on season 4 of American Horror Story. He first showed signs of his impending tallness when he was 9 or 10, Bell said, but through high school he never grew so tall that he felt out of place. By the time he hit his early 20s, however, his height had exceeded 7 ft (2.1 m). When he last measured himself, about 20 years ago, he said, he was 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m). But the measurements for the Guinness book showed he had grown another inch. Bell said he had a medical condition called gigantism, which caused excessive growth hormone secretion during childhood. He said he did not suffer from some of the other effects of gigantism, such as an enlarged heart, although he did have to take some medicines for the rest of his life.

Bell passed away at his home in Durham, N.C.