Leon Russell isn’t a reputation that informal music followers will know today. But for many who know (and people trying to discover out extra), it’s virtually laborious to fathom his contribution to rock music. The Grammy Award winner and member of the Roll and Roll Hall of Fame left us on November 13, 2016, on the age of 74, however his legacy lives on.
Born Claude Russell Bridges, he modified his title to Leon Russell when he moved to Los Angeles from his residence in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His 60-year profession embraced spells as a celebrated session musician and included writing a few of rock’s most memorable songs, similar to “A Song for You’ and “Delta Lady.” Those that Leon labored with included George Harrison, Elton John, Joe Cocker, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and Ringo Starr.
Russell moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the place he labored on periods for the Byrds, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Bobby “Boris” Pickett and Herb Alpert; he appeared at 1964’s T.A.M.I. Show, enjoying piano with the top-drawer session musicians generally known as the Wrecking Crew. He wrote two hits for Gary Lewis and Playboys and by 1967 he appeared on the Glen Campbell album, Gentle on My Mind, credited by his start title, Russell Bridges.
Look Inside the Asylum Choir, a 1968 album, was a recording of a studio group together with Russell and Marc Benno. The following 12 months, Russell grew to become a member of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, enjoying guitar and keyboards on their albums and as a member of their touring band that included Eric Clapton and George Harrison.
Russell discovered additional success as a songwriter with “Delta Lady,” recorded by Cocker for his 1969 album, Joe Cocker! The album, co-produced by Russell, made No.11 on the Billboard chart. This led to Russell becoming a member of 1970’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour that includes many alumni from the Delaney and Bonnie band. “Superstar,” co-written by Russell with Bonnie Bramlett and sung by Rita Coolidge on that tour, later grew to become successful for the Carpenters, Luther Vandross, and plenty of others.
Shelter Records launched his 1970 solo album, Leon Russell, which included the primary recording of “A Song for You.” This has been endlessly recorded by numerous performers from Ray Charles to Willie Nelson in addition to Amy Winehouse, Donny Hathaway, Simply Red and Michael Bublé. It was additionally in 1970 that Russell performed piano on Dave Mason’s album, Alone Together.
In 1971 Russell produced some tracks for Dylan, together with the one “Watching the River Flow” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” each of which function Leon’s gospel-flavored piano. Later that 12 months he performed piano on Badfinger’s third album, Straight Up; his keyboard enjoying additionally enhances Pete Ham and George Harrison’s slide guitars on the group’s hit “Day After Day.” It was right now that Russell appeared on Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh, at which he carried out a medley together with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Young Blood” and sang a verse on Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness.”
Also in 1971 Russell launched Leon Russell and the Shelter People and Asylum Choir II and performed on periods for B.B. King and for Clapton. He additionally helped blues guitarist Freddie King by collaborating with him on three of his albums for Shelter Records.
In 1972 Russell’s Shelter People took to the highway and a stay efficiency was recorded and launched because the Leon Live album in 1973. The 12 months earlier than, he launched his third studio album Carney, which options “Tight Rope” and the attractive “This Masquerade.” The latter ballad was recorded by quite a few artists together with Helen Reddy and the Carpenters; George Benson’s model reached No. 10 on the Hot 100 and in 1977 gained a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Russell launched Hank Wilson’s Back! (Vol. 1), recorded in Nashville in 1973; incongruously, he additionally helped the funk-soul outfit the Gap Band, based mostly across the trio of Tulsa brothers who backed Leon on his Stop All That Jazz album. The following 12 months, Will O’ the Wisp grew to become Russell’s fourth gold album.
Leon shaped his personal label, Paradise Records, in 1976 and over the approaching many years recorded a string of albums, however none achieved the prominence of his early recordings. Russell and Willie Nelson had a No.1 on the nation music chart in 1979 with their duet of “Heartbreak Hotel.” By the early Eighties, he was working as New Grass Revival and in 1984 launched Hank Wilson Vol. II.
In 1991, Russell launched Anything Can Happen on Virgin Records, produced by Bruce Hornsby, and the 2 of them labored intently collectively all through the last decade. Into the brand new millennium, Russell was nonetheless releasing information nevertheless it was in 2009 {that a} main new venture got here alongside when he and Elton John recorded the album The Union collectively, produced by T-Bone Burnett and launched the next 12 months. Rolling Stone positioned it at No.3 on its record of the 30 greatest albums of 2010. In 2011 the Union movie documentary was launched; made by Cameron Crowe, it explored the artistic course of behind the file.
In 2014, Life Journey, made with producer Tommy LiPuma, was launched, and the next 12 months Russell joined Rita Coolidge, Claudia Lennear, Chris Stainton, and different members of the 1970 Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour for a tribute live performance to Cocker organized by the Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Leon Russell was a significant expertise, releasing properly over 30 albums throughout his profession. While he did get a number of recognition throughout the first half of the Seventies, his star by no means did shine fairly as brightly because it ought to have within the ensuing many years. Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s love of his music introduced him some belated recognition, nevertheless it’s unhappy that an artist’s passing is typically wanted to carry him the form of accolades reserved for others. Elton referred to as “A Song For You” an American basic, and its phrases are value remembering now…
I’ve been so many locations in my life and time
I’ve sung a number of songs
I’ve made some unhealthy rhymes
I’ve acted out my life on phases
With 10, 000 folks watching
But we’re alone now and I’m singing this track to you
Follow the official Leon Russell Best Of playlist.