Rocker Leon Russell dies in Nashville at 74

First and foremost let me give my condolence's to the immediate and extended family of Leon Russell... Such a wonderful and talented musician who lived to entertain...
I believe the year was 2000 that I was fortunate enough to see Leon and his band in a rather unusual venue... Not your typical juke joint but a converted Bowling ally on the Westside of Indianapolis called the Eight Seconds Saloon... Just the right size... Cozy and very well stocked Bar and some of the same people I had been lucky enough to attend the same concerts 30 years earlier... The party was on, little did I know that it would be the last concert I have attended since...
I always had a very strange way of judging how good of a time I had the night before. My voice, if I had a voice left a mediocre time was generally the consensus... Well this particular night I lost vocal chords way early. I was having such a great time being entertained by a great group of musicians and fellow concert attendees...
I was never very proficient at consuming alcohol... Don't get me wrong I tried, but just was not my area of expertise. But this particular night I was behaving like a genuine alcohol expert... Draft Beer and Shots of Crown Royal... Life was exceptionally good and not to mention I had a designated driver to get me home...
I ended the evening after the concert sitting at a table with Leon's beautiful daughter and other members of the band consuming more alcohol and falling deeply in love with his daughter...

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I have lead a very good life... When I got home and crawled into bed with my wife she rolled over and asked if I had a good time... I gave her a thumbs up because I had no voice...

God Bless Hank Wilson...
 
Ridgerunner, what scale is G Mixolydian relative to Ionian you ridiculous kook?

Snouter I love music... Music of all shapes and sizes... But my creator has a warped sense of humor, and gave me no and I mean no musical ability at all... I wear my ridiculous kook hat with pride...
 
First and foremost let me give my condolence's to the immediate and extended family of Leon Russell... Such a wonderful and talented musician who lived to entertain...
I believe the year was 2000 that I was fortunate enough to see Leon and his band in a rather unusual venue... Not your typical juke joint but a converted Bowling ally on the Westside of Indianapolis called the Eight Seconds Saloon... Just the right size... Cozy and very well stocked Bar and some of the same people I had been lucky enough to attend the same concerts 30 years earlier... The party was on, little did I know that it would be the last concert I have attended since...
I always had a very strange way of judging how good of a time I had the night before. My voice, if I had a voice left a mediocre time was generally the consensus... Well this particular night I lost vocal chords way early. I was having such a great time being entertained by a great group of musicians and fellow concert attendees...
I was never very proficient at consuming alcohol... Don't get me wrong I tried, but just was not my area of expertise. But this particular night I was behaving like a genuine alcohol expert... Draft Beer and Shots of Crown Royal... Life was exceptionally good and not to mention I had a designated driver to get me home...
I ended the evening after the concert sitting at a table with Leon's beautiful daughter and other members of the band consuming more alcohol and falling deeply in love with his daughter...

View attachment 98275

I have lead a very good life... When I got home and crawled into bed with my wife she rolled over and asked if I had a good time... I gave her a thumbs up because I had no voice...

God Bless Hank Wilson...

Yes as mentioned in the other thread I was at a similar show on that same tour and I know the daughter of which you speak ---- although it did seem to me she was mostly there as eye candy.

lrb10.jpg
 
I don't think I've ever heard of him before now. Maybe I have but I just don't remember. Oh well, RIP anyways.

Oh I guarantee you've heard his influence, directly or indirectly. Here's a partial list I put in the other thread, this is just accessory credits in producing, arranging and writing, and only for singles, not even counting session musician:

Here's a brief CV for the profound impact Leon Russell had on American music, all before he became Joe Cocker's musical director and launched his solo recording stuff, which would be around 1968-70 (thanks to 45cat for info)

1964:
  • The Crickets - (They Call Her) La Bamba / All Over You (Liberty) - Arranger
  • Gary Lewis And The Playboys - This Diamond Ring / Hard To Find (Liberty) - Arranger

1965:
  • Bobby Vee - Cross My Heart / This Is The End (Liberty) - Arranger
  • Gary Lewis And The Playboys - Count Me In / Little Miss Go-Go (Liberty) - Arranger/Composer
  • Gary Lewis/Playboys - Save Your Heart For Me / Without A Word Of Warning (Liberty) - Arranger/Composer
  • Gary Lewis /Playboys - Everybody Loves A Clown / Time Stands Still (Liberty) -Arranger/Composer
  • Joe And Eddie - Walkin' Down The Line / It Ain't Me Babe (GNP Crescendo) - Arranger
  • Leon Russell - Everybody's Talking 'Bout The Young / It's Alright With Me (Dot) - Artist/Composer/Producer
  • Tommy Sands - The Statue / Little Rosita (Liberty) - Producer/Arranger
  • Gary Lewis/Playboys - She's Just My Style / IWon't Make That Mistake Again (Liberty) - Arranger/Composer

1966:
  • The Spotlights - Batman And Robin / Dayflower (Smash) - Composer/Producer
  • Gary Lewis/Playboys - Sure Gonna' Miss Her / I Don't Wanna Say Goodnight (Liberty) - Arranger
  • Brian Hyland - 3000 Miles / Sometimes They Do, Sometimes They Don't (Philips) - Arranger/Producer
  • Del Shannon - The Big Hurt / I Got It Bad (Liberty) - Producer/Arranger
  • Gary Lewis And The Playboys - Green Grass / I Can Read Between The Lines (Liberty) - Arranger
  • Jimmy Boyd - I Would Never Do That / Lazy Me (Imperial) - Producer/Arranger/Composer
  • Del Shannon - Show Me / Never Thought I Could (Liberty) - Producer/Arranger
  • Brian Hyland - The Joker Went Wild / I Can Hear The Rain (Philips) - Composer/Arranger
  • The Shindogs - Who Do You Think You Are / Yes I'm Going Home (Viva) - Producer
  • Gary Lewis & The Playboys - My Heart's Symphony / Tina (Liberty) - Producer/Arranger
  • The Astronauts - Main Street / In My Car (RCA Victor) - Producer
  • Gary Lewis/Playboys - Paint Me A Picture / Looking For The Stars (Liberty) - Arranger/Composer
  • The Robbs - Next Time You See Me / I Don't Feel Alone (Mercury) - Producer
  • Gary Lewis/Playboys - Where Will The Words Come From / May The Best Man Win (Liberty) - Arranger
  • Gene Clark - Echoes / I Found You (Liberty) - Arranger
  • James Darren - All / Misty Morning Eyes (Warner Bros) - Arranger
  • The Pipsqueeks - Santa's Little Helpers / Santa's Magic Flute (Warner Bros) - Arranger

1967
  • Harpers Bizarre - 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) / Lost My Love Today (Warner Bros) - Arranger
  • Gary Lewis/Playboys - The Loser / Ice Melts In The Sun (Liberty) - Composer
  • The T-Bones- The Proper Thing To Do / Tee Hee Hee (Liberty) - Arranger
  • The Everly Brothers - She Never Smiles Anymore / The Devil's Child (Warner Bros) - Arranger
  • Le Cirque - Land Of Oz / I'll Be Thinking Of You (Buddah) - Composer/Producer
  • Glen Campbell By The Time I Get To Phoenix / You've Still Got A Place In My Heart (Capitol) - Arranger
  • Wayne Newton Love Of The Common People / It's Still Loving You (Capitol) - Arranger

1968
  • Tom Northcott - 1941 / Other Times (Warner Bros) - Producer/Arranger
  • The Parade - The Radio Song / I Can See Love (A&M) - Arranger
  • Don Preston And The South - City Lights / I Found Love (A&M) - Producer/Arranger
  • Dorothy Morrison All God's Children Got Soul / Put A Little Love In Your Heart (Elektra) - Producer
  • Daugthers of Albion Well Wired/Story of Sad - Producer/Publisher
  • Joe Cocker - Delta Lady (Composer/Arranger)... She Came In Through the Bathroom Window (Producer/Arranger).... The Letter (Producer/Arranger)

---- and that's not even counting his credits as a keyboard player on many if not most of those tracks (as well as Frank Sinatra, the Band, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton etc etc etc), or publishing through Skyhill, or future composer credits including Superstar for the Carpenters and This Masquerade for George Benson .... so this barely scratches the surface...

--- and I saved this one as an example of the infectious gospel-styled energy that was his trademark as an arranger/bandleader --- Joe Cocker's the singer but Leon put it together:

 
First and foremost let me give my condolence's to the immediate and extended family of Leon Russell... Such a wonderful and talented musician who lived to entertain...
I believe the year was 2000 that I was fortunate enough to see Leon and his band in a rather unusual venue... Not your typical juke joint but a converted Bowling ally on the Westside of Indianapolis called the Eight Seconds Saloon... Just the right size... Cozy and very well stocked Bar and some of the same people I had been lucky enough to attend the same concerts 30 years earlier... The party was on, little did I know that it would be the last concert I have attended since...
I always had a very strange way of judging how good of a time I had the night before. My voice, if I had a voice left a mediocre time was generally the consensus... Well this particular night I lost vocal chords way early. I was having such a great time being entertained by a great group of musicians and fellow concert attendees...
I was never very proficient at consuming alcohol... Don't get me wrong I tried, but just was not my area of expertise. But this particular night I was behaving like a genuine alcohol expert... Draft Beer and Shots of Crown Royal... Life was exceptionally good and not to mention I had a designated driver to get me home...
I ended the evening after the concert sitting at a table with Leon's beautiful daughter and other members of the band consuming more alcohol and falling deeply in love with his daughter...

View attachment 98275

I have lead a very good life... When I got home and crawled into bed with my wife she rolled over and asked if I had a good time... I gave her a thumbs up because I had no voice...

God Bless Hank Wilson...


That looks a lot like Sugaree Noel Bridges, one of Leon's delightful daughters.

That whole family is precious.

DVD review by John Wooley:
Out of a Mercedes Trunk and Deep Freeze | Oklahoma Magazine
 

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