My musical hero. The boy could write rock, jazz, country, blues, gospel, and any combination therein and all with his own unique style. A master who played with the best. Phil Specter, Delaney & Bonnie, The Shelter People, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, JJ Cale, so many greats.
RIP Leon
Peace,
Kenny
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Russell
Leon Russell
Russell c. 1970
Born
Claude Russell Bridges
(1942-04-02)April 2, 1942
Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died November 13, 2016(2016-11-13) (aged 74)
Mount Juliet, Tennessee, U.S.
Other names Leon Russell, Hank Wilson, Russell Bridges
Occupation Musician, singer-songwriter
Years active 1956–2016
Spouse(s)
- Mary McCreary (m. 1975–1980)
[1]
- Jan Bridges (Janet Lee Constantine) (m. 1983–2016)
[2]
Children 6
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
- Keyboards
- vocals
- bass guitar
- guitar
- baritone horn
- harpsichord
Labels
Associated acts
Leon Russell (born
Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942
[3] – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling
pop music records during his 60-year career. His genres included
pop,
country,
rock,
folk,
gospel,
bluegrass,
rhythm and blues,
folk rock,
blues rock,
surf,
standards, and
Tulsa Sound.
[4]
His collaborations rank as some of the most successful in music history, and as a touring musician he performed with hundreds of notable artists.
[5] He recorded 33 albums
[6] and at least 430 songs.
[7] He wrote "
Delta Lady", recorded by
Joe Cocker, and organized and performed with Cocker's
Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour in 1970.
[8] His "
A Song for You", added to the
Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018,
[9] has been recorded by more than 200 artists, and his "
This Masquerade" by more than 75.
[10][11][12]
As a pianist, he played in his early years on albums by
The Beach Boys,
Dick Dale and
Jan and Dean. On his first album,
Leon Russell, in 1970, the musicians included
Eric Clapton,
Ringo Starr, and
George Harrison. One of his biggest early fans,
[13][14] Elton John, said Russell was a "mentor" and an "inspiration". They recorded their album
The Union in 2010,
[15] which earned them a Grammy nomination.
[16]
Russell produced and played in recording sessions for, among others
Bob Dylan,
Frank Sinatra,
Ike & Tina Turner, and
The Rolling Stones. He wrote and recorded the hits "
Tight Rope" and "
Lady Blue". He performed at
The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 along with Harrison, Dylan, and Clapton, for which he earned a Grammy Award.
His recordings earned six
gold records. He received two
Grammy awards from seven nominations. In 2011, he was inducted into both the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the
Songwriters Hall of Fame.
[17]