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Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges on April 2 1942 in Lawton, Oklahoma
Lawton, Oklahoma

Lawton is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, United States. It is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
) is a singer, songwriter
Songwriter

File:Beethoven.jpgA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer....
, pianist
Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an musical ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
, and guitarist
Guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres....
. Russell attended Will Rogers High School
Will Rogers High School

Will Rogers High School, located on 3909 E. 5th Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was built by Tulsa Public Schools in 1939 and designed by Joseph R. Koberling, Jr....
 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population in the United States. With an estimated population of 384,037 in 2007, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 905,755 residents projected to reach one million between 2010 and 2012....
.

First known mostly as a session musician
Session musician

Session musicians are instrumental performers or vocalists who are available for hire for live performances or recording sessions, as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical ensemble or who have acquired fame in their own right as bandleaders....
, Russell has played with artists as varied as Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame....
, Phil Spector
Phil Spector

Harvey Philip Spector is an United Statesn record producer and songwriter.The originator of the "Wall of Sound" production technique, Spector was a pioneer of the 1960s' girl group sound and clocked in over twenty-five Top 40 hits between 1960 and 1965....
, Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker

John Robert "Joe" Cocker OBE is an England rock /blues singer who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty human voice and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles....
, George Harrison
George Harrison

George Harrison Order of the British Empire was an English Rock music guitarist, singer-songwriter and film producer. He achieved international fame as lead guitarist in The Beatles, and is listed number 21 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 100 Best Guitarists of All Time"....
, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr

Richard Starkey Order of the British Empire , better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an England musician, singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer for The Beatles....
, Elton John
Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John Order of the British Empire is an England singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music, especially during the 1970s....
, BB King, Freddie King
Freddie King

Freddie "The Texas Cannonball" King was an influential American blues guitarist and singer best known for his recordings from early 1960s including "Hide Away" and "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" and the album Burglar recorded in 1974....
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton Order of the British Empire is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. He is "probably most famous for his mastery of the Stratocaster guitar." Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream , and as a solo performer, being the only person to...
, Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman is the former bass guitarist for the England rock and roll band The Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings....
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close harmony and lyrics reflecting a California youth culture of cars and surfing....
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson is an United States country music singer-songwriter author, poet and actor. He reached his greatest fame during the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, but remains Cultural icon, especially in American popular culture....
, Badfinger
Badfinger

Badfinger was a rock band formed in Swansea in the early 1960s and was one of the earliest representatives of the power pop genre. During the early 1970s the band was tagged as the heir apparent to The Beatles, partly because of their close working relationship with the 'Fab Four' and partly because of their similar sound....
, Tijuana Brass, J.J. Cale
J.J. Cale

J.J. Cale is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter and musician best known for writing two songs that Eric Clapton made famous, "After Midnight" and "Cocaine ", as well as the Lynyrd Skynyrd hits "Call Me the Breeze" and " I Got the Same Old Blues"....
, David Gates
David Gates

David Gates is an United States of America singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the band Bread , which during the 1970s peaked the music charts with numerous well known songs....
, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
, The Band
The Band

The Band was a rock music group active from 1967 to 1976 and again from 1983 to 1999. The original group consisted of four Canadians: Robbie Robertson ; Richard Manuel ; Garth Hudson ; and Rick Danko , and one American, Levon Helm ....
, Marc Benno, Edgar
Edgar Winter

Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician who had significant success in the 1970s and 1980s. Edgar is a multi-instrumentalist, performing on the keyboards, and as a vocalist, saxophonist and percussionist, well-versed in jazz, blues and rock music....
 and Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter

John Dawson "Johnny" Winter III is an United States blues guitarist, Vocalist and Record producer.Johnny and Edgar Winter were nurtured at an early age by their parents in their musical pursuits....
, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell

Glen Travis Campbell is a Grammy Award, Dove Award winning, and two time nominated Golden Globe Award United States country pop singer, guitarist and occasional actor....
, Gary Busey
Gary Busey

'William Gareth Jacob "Gary" Busey' is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-nominated American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a number of films, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , The Buddy Holly Story, Big Wednesday, Lethal Weapon, Point Break, The Firm , Gingerdead Man, Black Sh...
, Jesse Ed Davis
Jesse Ed Davis

Jesse Edwin Davis was an United States guitarist....
, and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock music band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards....
. With a solo career spanning the genres of rock
Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
, blues
Blues

Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
, and gospel
Gospel music

Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, Russell began his musical career at 14 in Tulsa nightclubs.






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Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges on April 2 1942 in Lawton, Oklahoma
Lawton, Oklahoma

Lawton is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, United States. It is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
) is a singer, songwriter
Songwriter

File:Beethoven.jpgA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer....
, pianist
Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an musical ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
, and guitarist
Guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres....
. Russell attended Will Rogers High School
Will Rogers High School

Will Rogers High School, located on 3909 E. 5th Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was built by Tulsa Public Schools in 1939 and designed by Joseph R. Koberling, Jr....
 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population in the United States. With an estimated population of 384,037 in 2007, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 905,755 residents projected to reach one million between 2010 and 2012....
.

First known mostly as a session musician
Session musician

Session musicians are instrumental performers or vocalists who are available for hire for live performances or recording sessions, as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical ensemble or who have acquired fame in their own right as bandleaders....
, Russell has played with artists as varied as Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame....
, Phil Spector
Phil Spector

Harvey Philip Spector is an United Statesn record producer and songwriter.The originator of the "Wall of Sound" production technique, Spector was a pioneer of the 1960s' girl group sound and clocked in over twenty-five Top 40 hits between 1960 and 1965....
, Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker

John Robert "Joe" Cocker OBE is an England rock /blues singer who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty human voice and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles....
, George Harrison
George Harrison

George Harrison Order of the British Empire was an English Rock music guitarist, singer-songwriter and film producer. He achieved international fame as lead guitarist in The Beatles, and is listed number 21 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 100 Best Guitarists of All Time"....
, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr

Richard Starkey Order of the British Empire , better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an England musician, singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer for The Beatles....
, Elton John
Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John Order of the British Empire is an England singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music, especially during the 1970s....
, BB King, Freddie King
Freddie King

Freddie "The Texas Cannonball" King was an influential American blues guitarist and singer best known for his recordings from early 1960s including "Hide Away" and "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" and the album Burglar recorded in 1974....
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton Order of the British Empire is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. He is "probably most famous for his mastery of the Stratocaster guitar." Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream , and as a solo performer, being the only person to...
, Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman is the former bass guitarist for the England rock and roll band The Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings....
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close harmony and lyrics reflecting a California youth culture of cars and surfing....
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson is an United States country music singer-songwriter author, poet and actor. He reached his greatest fame during the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, but remains Cultural icon, especially in American popular culture....
, Badfinger
Badfinger

Badfinger was a rock band formed in Swansea in the early 1960s and was one of the earliest representatives of the power pop genre. During the early 1970s the band was tagged as the heir apparent to The Beatles, partly because of their close working relationship with the 'Fab Four' and partly because of their similar sound....
, Tijuana Brass, J.J. Cale
J.J. Cale

J.J. Cale is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter and musician best known for writing two songs that Eric Clapton made famous, "After Midnight" and "Cocaine ", as well as the Lynyrd Skynyrd hits "Call Me the Breeze" and " I Got the Same Old Blues"....
, David Gates
David Gates

David Gates is an United States of America singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the band Bread , which during the 1970s peaked the music charts with numerous well known songs....
, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
, The Band
The Band

The Band was a rock music group active from 1967 to 1976 and again from 1983 to 1999. The original group consisted of four Canadians: Robbie Robertson ; Richard Manuel ; Garth Hudson ; and Rick Danko , and one American, Levon Helm ....
, Marc Benno, Edgar
Edgar Winter

Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician who had significant success in the 1970s and 1980s. Edgar is a multi-instrumentalist, performing on the keyboards, and as a vocalist, saxophonist and percussionist, well-versed in jazz, blues and rock music....
 and Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter

John Dawson "Johnny" Winter III is an United States blues guitarist, Vocalist and Record producer.Johnny and Edgar Winter were nurtured at an early age by their parents in their musical pursuits....
, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell

Glen Travis Campbell is a Grammy Award, Dove Award winning, and two time nominated Golden Globe Award United States country pop singer, guitarist and occasional actor....
, Gary Busey
Gary Busey

'William Gareth Jacob "Gary" Busey' is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-nominated American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a number of films, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , The Buddy Holly Story, Big Wednesday, Lethal Weapon, Point Break, The Firm , Gingerdead Man, Black Sh...
, Jesse Ed Davis
Jesse Ed Davis

Jesse Edwin Davis was an United States guitarist....
, and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock music band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards....
. With a solo career spanning the genres of rock
Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
, blues
Blues

Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
, and gospel
Gospel music

Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, Russell began his musical career at 14 in Tulsa nightclubs. He and his group The Starlighters, which included J.J.Cale, Chuck Blackwell and Johnny Williams, were instrumental in creating the school of music known as the Tulsa Sound
The Tulsa Sound

The Tulsa Sound is a musical style that originated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was a mix of Rockabilly, Rock 'n' Roll, and Blues sounds of the late 1950s and early 1960s....
 Two years later, after settling in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. state of California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated as a beta global city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California....
, he studied guitar with James Burton
James Burton

James Burton is an United States guitarist.A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 , Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame....
, and worked sessions with Dorsey Burnette
Dorsey Burnette

Dorsey Burnette was an early Rockabilly singer from Memphis, Tennessee and with his younger brother Johnny Burnette and a friend named Paul Burlison was one of the founder members of The Rock and Roll Trio....
 and Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell

Glen Travis Campbell is a Grammy Award, Dove Award winning, and two time nominated Golden Globe Award United States country pop singer, guitarist and occasional actor....
.

After becoming a part of Phil Spector's studio group, Russell played backup on many of the most popular hits of the 1960s, including songs by The Byrds
The Byrds

The Byrds were an American Rock music band. Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964, The Byrds underwent several lineup changes, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group's disbandment in 1973....
, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert

Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an United States musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass or as Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass or just TJB for short....
. He also served as Snuff Garrett
Snuff Garrett

Snuff Garrett is a retired United States record producer whose most famous work was during the 1960s and 1970s. His nickname is a play on Garrett's Snuff, a brand of smokeless tobacco....
's assistant on numerous productions. Russell built his own recording studio in 1967, and recorded his first LP, Look Inside the Asylum Choir
Look Inside the Asylum Choir

Look Inside is the first of two LPs released by the Asylum Choir, a studio group consisting of session musicians Leon Russell and Marc Benno....
, in a collaboration with Marc Benno.

His first songwriting hit was Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker

John Robert "Joe" Cocker OBE is an England rock /blues singer who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty human voice and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles....
's 1969 version of "Delta Lady", and Russell went on to organise Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Mad Dogs and Englishmen (album)

Mad Dogs and Englishmen is Joe Cocker 1970 live album, featuring a fusion of rock music and soul music. The album title is drawn from the 1931 No?l Coward Mad Dogs and Englishmen ....
 tour. The Russell-written "Superstar", sung by Rita Coolidge
Rita Coolidge

Rita Coolidge is a Grammy Award winning United States singing. She is of Cherokee Native Americans in the United States and Scotland descent....
 on that tour, would go on to be a big hit by The Carpenters
The Carpenters

The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter and Richard Carpenter . Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and press materials is simply "Carpenters", without the Article ....
, Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross

Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an United States rhythm and blues and soul music singer-songwriter, and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times....
, and others. Shortly thereafter, Russell released a solo album, Leon Russell
Leon Russell (album)

Leon Russell is the eponymous debut by the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell....
, which included the original version of the popular "A Song for You
A Song for You

"A Song for You" is a 1970 song written and originally performed by rock music singer-songwriter Leon Russell. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness from an estranged lover, the tune is one of Russell's best-known songs....
". Also in 1970, Russell played piano on Dave Mason
Dave Mason

David Thomas Mason is an England musician, singer-songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic . In his long career, Mason has played and recorded with many of the era's most notable musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Mama Cass...
's album, Alone Together
Alone Together

Alone Together was the debut solo album by former Traffic member Dave Mason. Performing with Mason was a roster of guest musicians, including Delaney & Bonnie and Bonnie Bramlett, Leon Russell, Jim Capaldi, Rita Coolidge,Carl Radle and Jim Gordon ....
 (notably, on the song "Sad and Deep as You").

During the 1960s and 1970s, Russell owned the Church Recording Studio on 3rd Street in Tulsa, which is now owned by Glen Mitchell and one-time Russell studio engineer Steve Ripley
Steve Ripley

Steve Ripley is a singer, songwriter, studio engineer, guitarist and inventor. He is also a member of country rock band The Tractors....
 of the country band The Tractors
The Tractors

The Tractors is an United States country rock band composed of a loosely associated group of musicians, headed by guitarist Steve Ripley. Under the band's original lineup, The Tractors was signed to Arista Records in 1994, releasing their self-titled debut album that year; the album went on to become the top-selling album of 1994, even though...
. Russell still records there frequently, while his former home on Grand Lake, in northeast Oklahoma, still contains the famous dining room table and chairs made from church pews from his Church Studio. On the property stands a private recording studio that has seen many famous names, including members of The Beatles
The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
.

In the summer of 1971 Russell was asked by George Harrison
George Harrison

George Harrison Order of the British Empire was an English Rock music guitarist, singer-songwriter and film producer. He achieved international fame as lead guitarist in The Beatles, and is listed number 21 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 100 Best Guitarists of All Time"....
 to play piano on Badfinger
Badfinger

Badfinger was a rock band formed in Swansea in the early 1960s and was one of the earliest representatives of the power pop genre. During the early 1970s the band was tagged as the heir apparent to The Beatles, partly because of their close working relationship with the 'Fab Four' and partly because of their similar sound....
's third album, Straight Up
Straight Up

Straight Up may refer to:* Straight Up , an album by United Kingdom rock music group Badfinger* Straight Up , a song by Paula Abdul* Straight Up , a song by Chant? Moore...
. The piano which complements George Harrison's slide guitar on Badfinger's radio hit "Day After Day
Day After Day

Day After Day could refer to:*Day After Day , a novel by Carlo Lucarelli*Day After Day , a song by Badfinger from their album Straight Up ...
" is played by Leon from those Apple sessions. The sessions were interrupted because many of the musicians on Straight Up left for New York City to participate in the Concert For Bangladesh, organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar

Pandit Ravi Shankar is a Bengali people Indian sitar player and composer. He is a disciple of Allauddin Khan, the founder of the Maihar gharana of Hindustani classical music....
, at which Russell performed a memorable medley of the songs "Jumpin' Jack Flash
Jumpin' Jack Flash

"'Jumpin' Jack Flash'" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song is seen as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelic music of their preceding albums Between the Buttons and Their...
" and "Young Blood
Young Blood

"Young Blood" is a song written by the songwriter team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, together with Doc Pomus, in 1957.Musically, the song follows a minor blues structure, built mostly around three chords except for the bridge ....
".

Also in 1971 Russell played on recording sessions with B.B. King, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton Order of the British Empire is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. He is "probably most famous for his mastery of the Stratocaster guitar." Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream , and as a solo performer, being the only person to...
, and Bob Dylan. He also released two studio albums under his own name that year, Leon Russell And The Shelter People
Leon Russell and the Shelter People

Leon Russell And The Shelter People is the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist's second studio solo effort....
 and Asylum Choir II
Asylum Choir II

Asylum Choir II is the 2nd and final album of the studio aggregation consisting entirely of Leon Russell and Marc Benno. It was recorded, and meant to be released in 1969, but legal hassles held up its release for two years....
. Further, Russell helped Freddie King
Freddie King

Freddie "The Texas Cannonball" King was an influential American blues guitarist and singer best known for his recordings from early 1960s including "Hide Away" and "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" and the album Burglar recorded in 1974....
 to revive his career by collaborating with him on three of his albums for Shelter in early 1970s.

In 1972, his album Carney
Carney (Leon Russell album)

Carney is Leon Russell's 3rd solo studio album, and the first one to contain a hit single . All songs composed by Russell....
 reached #2 on the charts, fueled by the hit single "Tight Rope". In addition, the LP contained a tune called "This Masquerade
This Masquerade

"This Masquerade" is a song composed by Leon Russell. The song appeared on the b-side of the single for Russell's 1972 hit "Tight Rope."The most successful version was released by George Benson in 1976....
" that the Carpenters also recorded, and years later, would win a Grammy for George Benson. Leon performed at the Thanksgiving Jam at Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX in 1972 with Doug Sahm, Jerry Garcia,Mary Egan, Hank Alrich, Phil Lesh, Benny Thurman, Jerry Barnet, and others.

During the '70s, Russell continued to occasionally perform at the Paradise Club along with other noted music spots around Tulsa. He surprised his fans one night by performing with Flash Eddy and the Eclectics at the Paradise.

His 1975 album Will O' the Wisp was commercially successful, along with its single "Lady Blue". Gailard Sartain, fondly remembered by Tulsans as Mazeppa Pompazoidi (a Saturday night movie host, joined many times by Gary Busey
Gary Busey

'William Gareth Jacob "Gary" Busey' is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-nominated American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a number of films, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , The Buddy Holly Story, Big Wednesday, Lethal Weapon, Point Break, The Firm , Gingerdead Man, Black Sh...
), did the cover artwork for the LP.

Later that year, Russell married Mary McCreary, a former member of Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone

Sly & the Family Stone is an Music of the United States Funk music, soul music and rock music band from San Francisco, California. Originally active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music....
's background vocal group Little Sister
Little Sister (band)

Little Sister was an United States all-female vocal harmony group, which served primarily as the background vocalists for the influential rock music/funk band Sly & the Family Stone in concert and on record....
. The two collaborated on The Wedding Album
The Wedding Album

The Wedding Album might refer to:* Wedding Album, a recording by John Lennon and Yoko Ono* The Wedding Album , a science fiction story by David Marusek...
 in 1976. In 1977, Russell and McCreary reunited for another album. Russell and Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson is an United States country music singer-songwriter author, poet and actor. He reached his greatest fame during the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, but remains Cultural icon, especially in American popular culture....
 had a number one duet on the Billboard country music
Country music

Country music is a blend of popular American music forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in Traditional music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s....
 charts in 1979 with the Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was an United Statesn singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis", and is also sometimes referred to as "List of honorific titles in popular music" or "The King"....
 classic "Heartbreak Hotel
Heartbreak Hotel

"Heartbreak Hotel" is a rock and roll song performed by Elvis Presley, with Bill Black , Scotty Moore , D.J. Fontana , Floyd Cramer and Elvis on rhythm guitar as the main supporting musicians....
". He spent the next two years touring with the New Grass Revival
New Grass Revival

New Grass Revival was a progressive bluegrass band from 1971 to 1989....
, and released two more albums with Paradise before the label folded.

For several years, Russell stayed largely out of the music spotlight, releasing Anything Can Happen in 1992, then two more albums in 1998 and 1999. He continues to tour at the age of 66. His bassist, Jack Wessel, has been with Russell close to 25 years. His son with McCreary, Teddy Jack (named after Gary Busey's character on Sartain's show), has also toured with his father, as have his sisters Tina Rose and Sugaree Noel.

Discography


  • 1966 Rhapsodies for Young Lovers - Leon Russell/ Midnight string quartet
    Midnight string quartet

    The Midnight String Quartet were an easy listening chamber music quartet, consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello, made up of students or graduates from the University of California....
  • 1968 Look Inside the Asylum Choir
    Look Inside the Asylum Choir

    Look Inside is the first of two LPs released by the Asylum Choir, a studio group consisting of session musicians Leon Russell and Marc Benno....
     - Leon Russell/Marc Benno
  • 1970 Leon Russell
    Leon Russell (album)

    Leon Russell is the eponymous debut by the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell....
     - Leon Russell
  • 1971 Leon Russell And The Shelter People
    Leon Russell and the Shelter People

    Leon Russell And The Shelter People is the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist's second studio solo effort....
     - Leon Russell
  • 1971 Asylum Choir II
    Asylum Choir II

    Asylum Choir II is the 2nd and final album of the studio aggregation consisting entirely of Leon Russell and Marc Benno. It was recorded, and meant to be released in 1969, but legal hassles held up its release for two years....
     - Leon Russell/Marc Benno
  • 1972 Carney
    Carney (Leon Russell album)

    Carney is Leon Russell's 3rd solo studio album, and the first one to contain a hit single . All songs composed by Russell....
     - Leon Russell
  • 1973 Leon Live (triple live album) - Leon Russell
  • 1973 Hank Wilson's Back - Leon Russell
  • 1973 Leon Russell, Looking Back - Leon Russell/Various Wrecking Crew.
  • 1974 Stop All That Jazz - Leon Russell
  • 1975 Will O' the Wisp - Leon Russell
  • 1976 Best of Leon Russell [DCC/Shelter] - Leon Russell
  • 1976 Wedding Album - Leon & Mary Russell
  • 1977 Make Love to the Music - Leon & Mary Russell
  • 1978 Americana - Leon Russell
  • 1979 One For the Road - Leon Russell and Willie Nelson
  • 1979 Life and Love - Leon Russell
  • 1981 The Live Album - Leon Russell & New Grass Revival
  • 1984 Hank Wilson, Vol. 2 - Leon Russell
  • 1984 Solid State - Leon Russell
  • 1989 Leon Russell [Bonus Tracks] - Leon Russell
  • 1992 Anything Can Happen - Leon Russell
  • 1992 Crazy Love - Leon Russell
  • 1992 Collection - Leon Russell
  • 1995 Hymns of Christmas - Leon Russell
  • 1996 Gimme Shelter: The Best of Leon Russell - Leon Russell
  • 1997 Retrospective - Leon Russell
  • 1998 Hank Wilson, Vol. 3: Legend in My Time - Leon Russell
  • 1999 Face in the Crowd - Leon Russell
  • 1999 Blues: Same Old Song - Leon Russell
  • 2000 Live at Gilley's - Leon Russell
  • 2001 Best of Leon Russell [EMI-Capitol Special Markets] - Leon Russell
  • 2001 Guitar Blues - Leon Russell
  • 2001 Signature Songs - Leon Russell
  • 2001 Rhythm & Bluegrass: Hank Wilson, Vol. 4 - Leon Russell & The Newgrass Revival
  • 2002 Moonlight & Love Songs (with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra) - Leon Russell
  • 2003 In Your Dreams - Leon Russell
  • 2003 Bad Country - Leon Russell
  • 2003 Almost Piano - Leon Russell
  • 2006 A Mighty Flood - Leon Russell
  • 2006 Angel In Disguise - Leon Russell


External links