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Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and roll, country, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and the ...
- Staff Writer
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- Where Russell Got It From. Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges) learned the ways of the rockstar by watching country piano man Jerry Lee Lewis work a crowd into a frenzy.
- Russell (Quite Literally) Made Music Nonstop. Russell was making music all of the time. When he wasn’t recording up to four sessions a day for eight days straight, sometimes forgetting to eat in the interim, he was recording music in his home studio.
- Russell Partially Inspired a Muppets Character. Russell – along with fellow eccentric rockers Dr. John and Elton John – served as inspiration for the top hat-clad Muppets character, Dr. Teeth, who fronted the colorful group The Electric Mayhem.
- There Were Just as Many Downs in Russell’s Career as Ups. Stories that herald the legend of Russell always speak of his musical prowess and untouchable skill.
- A Song for You. Of all the songs Russell ever wrote, A Song for You is perhaps his best remembered. A painfully impassioned plea for clemency from one lover to another, it’s since been recorded by over 200 artists, including Ray Charles, who earned a Grammy Award for it in 1994, and Donny Hathaway, whose gospel-inflected interpretation is, of all the cover versions, perhaps the most electrifying.
- Delta Lady. As Joe Cocker was turning Russell’s Delta Lady into a timeless standard in 1969, Russell was still figuring out if he wanted to be a sideman or the main event.
- Tight Rope. In the middle of cutting Carney, Russell ran into a problem – he still had space to fill on the album but was fresh out of songs to fill it with.
- Lady Blue. When Russell wanted to go tender, he went tender. Lady Blue caches him in a particularly romantic mood. The lyrics – direct and to the point as always – are the opposite of the song’s grumpier musical cousin, This Masquerade.
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- “A Song for You” “A Song For You” is the work that stands out above all in Russell’s repertoire. It’s been covered by hundreds of artists since its release, making it the composition for which Russell is most remembered.
- “Delta Lady” Sung with equal aplomb by Joe Cocker, who helped make it into a timeless and memorable standard, “Delta Lady” is a masterful example of how tone and tempo can be varied within the structure of a single song.
- “Roll Away the Stone” One of Russell’s most robust rockers, it was reprised to great effect on Leon Live, his live triple-disc extravaganza. There may be no better example of Russell in full flight, given its gospel-like chorus and unbridled exhortation.
- “This Masquerade” Famously covered by George Benson, who turned it into a major crossover hit, this song wasn’t nearly as smooth when rendered by Russell in its ragged original incarnation.
Mar 13, 2023 · Oct. 7, 2022. “ Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History” by musician and author Bill Janovitz is the most ambitious effort yet to peel back the curtain...
Mar 30, 2023 · Russell died in 2016 at the age of 74. He would have turned 81 this weekend. Musician Bill Janovitz released a new biography titled “Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock and Roll History,” which examines the influential musician’s life and career.
Jan 19, 2023 · by Alli Patton about a year ago 1. Leon Russell’s story has been put to page. A new biography, arriving in early spring, will chronicle the enigmatic music master’s life and legacy. Videos by...
