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Biography
BLP sources|date=November 2010Infobox musical artist | name = Leon Russell| image = Leon Russel April 2009.jpg| caption = Leon Russell in 2009| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Claude Russell Bridges| alias =| birth_date = birth date and age|1942|04|02|birth_place = Lawton, Oklahoma United States | death_date =| instrument = Singing|Vocals , piano , Electronic organ|organ , guitar , bass guitar | genre = Country music|Country , Rock music|rock , Folk music|folk , rhythm and blues , folk rock , blues rock | occupation = Musician , singer-songwriter | years_active = 1956present| label = Capitol Records|Capitol , Shelter Records , Paradise Records| associated_acts = Claude Russell Bridges (born April 2, 1942), known professionally as Leon Russell , is an American musician and songwriter , who has recorded as a session musician , sideman , and maintained a solo career in music.
Born in Lawton, Oklahoma , he began playing piano at the age of four. Russell attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma . At this time he was already performing at Tulsa nightclubs. http://www.leonrussellrecords.com/memory_lane.shtml Biography at Leon Russell Records After moving to Los Angeles, he became a session musician , working as a pianist on the recordings of many notable musical artists since the 1960s. By the late 1960s, Russell diversified, becoming successful as an arranger Sept. 18, 1965 p.76. and wrote/co-wrote songs. As a musician, he worked his way from gigs as a sideman to well known performers. By 1970 he had graduated to solo recording artist, although he never ended all his previous roles within the music industry.
Russell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Monday, March 14, 2011, at a black-tie dinner at The Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan.cite web|url= http://rockhall.com/inductees/leon-russell/ |title=Leon Russell: inducted in 2011 & #124; The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum |publisher=Rockhall.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-24
Career
Russell began his musical career at the age of 14 in the nightclubs of Tulsa, Oklahoma . He and his group The Starlighters, which included J.J. Cale , Leo Feathers, Chuck Blackwell and Johnny Williams, were instrumental in creating the style of music known as the Tulsa Sound . After settling in Los Angeles , he studied guitar with James Burton . Known mostly as a session musician early in his career, as a solo artist he has crossed genres to include rock and roll , blues , and gospel music|gospel music, playing with artists as varied as Gary Lewis , George Harrison , Delaney Bramlett , Ringo Starr , Doris Day , Elton John , Ray Charles , Eric Clapton , The Byrds , The Beach Boys , The Ventures , Willie Nelson , Badfinger , Tijuana Brass , Frank Sinatra , The Band , Bob Dylan , Glen Campbell , and The Rolling Stones .cite book |first=Martin C. |last=Strong |year=2000 |title=The Great Rock Discography |edition=5th |publisher=Mojo Books |location=Edinburgh |pages= 838839 |isbn=1-84195-017-3
As a member of Phil Spector 's studio group, Russell played on many of the most popular songs of the 1960s, including some by The Byrds , Gary Lewis and the Playboys , Bobby "Boris" Pickett , and Herb Alpert . He can be seen in 1964's "The T.A.M.I. Show", playing piano with " The Wrecking Crew (music)|The Wrecking Crew " (an informal name for the top L.A. session musician s of the 1960s), sporting short, dark, slicked-back hair, in contrast to his later look. Soon after, he was hired as Snuff Garrett 's assistant/creative developer, playing on numerous #1 singles, including " This Diamond Ring " by Gary Lewis and the Playboys.Billboard, March 4, 1967 & December 15, 1973, pg 37. He wrote or co-wrote two hit songs for Gary Lewis and Playboys: " Everybody Loves a Clown (song)|Everybody Loves a Clown " (which hit the Billboard Top 40 on October 9, 1965, remaining on the chart for 8 weeks and rising to number 4) and " She's Just My Style " (which hit Billboard's Top 40 on December 18, 1965 and rose to number 3).See generally Joel Whitburn, ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, p. 275 (5th ed. 1992). He played xylophone and bells on the 1966 single "The Joker Went Wild", sung by Brian Hyland and penned by Bobby Russell (no relation to Leon). He also worked sessions with Dorsey Burnette and Glen Campbell on Campbell's 1967 album Gentle on My Mind , where he was credited as "Russell Bridges" on piano.Citation needed|date=March 2011 Russell's first commercial success as a songwriter came when Joe Cocker recorded the song "Delta Lady" for his 1969 album, Joe Cocker! The album, produced and arranged by Russell, reached #11 on the Billboard 200 .cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/joe-cocker-r4236/charts-awards |title=Joe Cocker& #33; - Joe Cocker |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2012-04-24 Russell went on to organize and perform in the concert tour|tour supporting Cocker's album, Mad Dogs and Englishmen (album)|Mad Dogs and Englishmen . " Superstar (Carpenters song)|Superstar ", co-written by Russell, Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett , was sung by Rita Coolidge on that tour and later proved a success for The Carpenters , Luther Vandross , Sonic Youth and other performers.
Soon after the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour, Shelter Records released his 1970 eponymous solo album Leon Russell (album)|Leon Russell , which included the first recording of " A Song for You ". This has become one of his best-known songs, with cover version s released by more than 40 different artists including Ray Charles , Peggy Lee , Willie Nelson , Helen Reddy , Whitney Houston , Donny Hathaway , and Christina Aguilera . Both The Carpenters and The Temptations named an album after the song. Also in 1970, Russell played piano on Dave Mason 's album, Alone Together (Dave Mason album)|Alone Together , most notably on the song "Sad and Deep as You".
During the 1960s and '70s, Russell owned the Church Recording Studio on 3rd Street in Tulsa . Russell still records there frequently, while his former home on Grand Lake, in northeast Oklahoma, still contains the dining room table and chairs made from church pews from his Church Studio. On the property stands a private recording studio that has hosted many musicians, including members of The Beatles .
During the summer of 1971, at the invitation of George Harrison , Russell played piano on Badfinger 's third album, Straight Up (album)|Straight Up . The piano part complemented Pete Ham and George Harrison's dual slide guitars on Badfinger's " Day After Day (song)|Day After Day ". The Straight Up sessions were interrupted when many of the musicians left for New York City to participate in the Concert For Bangladesh , at which Russell performed a medley of the songs " Jumpin' Jack Flash " and " Young Blood " and sang a verse on Harrison's " Beware of Darkness (song)|Beware of Darkness ." Russell (on bass guitar) and Harrison (on electric guitar and vocals) also played on a number of Bob Dylan 's hits.
A busy year for Russell, 1971 also brought the Shelter Records|Shelter release of Leon Russell And The Shelter People and Asylum Choir II (which was co-produced by Marc Benno ). That same year, Russell played on recording sessions with B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan.
Russell helped blues guitarist Freddie King to revive his career by collaborating with him on three of his albums for Shelter Records|Shelter during the early 1970s.
1972 was highlighted by a large-scale concert tour by Russell and his "Shelter People" entourage. A live performance was recorded in California at the Long Beach Arena on August 28, 1972, and was released as the Leon Live album. In November 1972, Billboard (magazine)|Billboard cited Russell as a top concert draw and reported the '72 tour gross at almost $3 million. Billboard vol. 84 no.45 p.40, November 4, 1972..
Russell's song, " This Masquerade ", the B-side of his 1972 hit single "Tight Rope", went on to be recorded by numerous artists, including Helen Reddy and The Carpenters . http://www.allmusic.com/search/track/This+Masquerade/order:year-asc This Masquerade at AllMusic.com George Benson 's version of the song reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. http://www.allmusic.com/album/breezin-r30393 Breezin' at AllMusic.com
In 1979, Russell and Willie Nelson had a number-one hit on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard country music chart with their duet of " Heartbreak Hotel ". Russell spent the next two years touring with the New Grass Revival , and released two more albums with Paradise before the label folded.
During November 2009, he wrote many songs with Elton John and Bernie Taupin for The Union (Elton John and Leon Russell album)|The Union , a double album record credited equally to both Russell and John. Recorded in February 2010 and produced by T-Bone Burnett , the CD was released on October 19, 2010.cite web|last=Cashmere |first=Tim |url= http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx? id=11444_Elton_John_and_Leon_Russell_Album_Cover_Revealed |title=Elton John and Leon Russell Album Cover Revealed - Undercover.fm News |publisher=Undercover.com.au |date=2010-07-25 |accessdate=2012-04-24 On April 2, 2011, Russell and John performed together as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live . A couple of months later, Leon announced plans for a solo LP, although no specifics were given. Leon and Elton embarked on The Union Tour
Leon's current band line up includes long time bass player Jackie Wessel, Brandon Holder on drums, Chris Simmons on guitar, and multi-instrumentalist Beau Charron.
Discography
Albums
Year
Album
Peak chart positions
Certifications ( List of music recording sales certifications
US
US Country
CAN
CAN Country
NZ
1966
Rhapsodies for Young Lovers (with Midnight String Quartet )
1968
Look Inside the Asylum Choir (with Marc Benno )
201
1970
Leon Russell
60
1971
Leon Russell And The Shelter People
17
14
US : Goldcite web
Asylum Choir II (with Marc Benno )
70
1972
Carney
2
4
US: Gold
1973
Leon Live
9
9
US: Gold
''Hank Wilson's Back
28
15
85
Looking Back
1974
Stop All That Jazz
34
43
1975
''Will O' the Wisp
30
72
US: Gold
1976
Best of Leon Russell
40
US: Gold
Wedding Album (with Mary Russell)
34
1977
Make Love to the Music (with Mary Russell)
142
1978
Americana
115
1979
One For the Road (with Willie Nelson )
25
3
28
1
11
US:& nbsp;Gold CAN:& nbsp;Goldcite web
url = http:/ / www.cria.ca/ cert.php
publisher = Canadian Recording Industry Association
title = Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)
UK : Silverhttp:/ / www.bpi.co.uk/ certifiedawards/ search.aspx
"" denotes releases that did not chart.
Singles
Year
Single
Chart Positions
Album
US cite book
US Country
CAN
CAN Country
CAN AC
1970
"Roll Away the Stone"
109
Leon Russell
1971
" A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall "
105
Leon Russell and the Shelter People
1972
"Tryin' to Stay 'Live"
115
Asylum Choir II
"Tight Rope"
11
5
Carney
1973
"Queen of the Roller Derby"
89
" Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms " (as Hank Wilson)
78
57
30
''Hank Wilson's Back, Vol. 1
" I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry " (as Hank Wilson)
78
1974
"A Six Pack to Go" (as Hank Wilson)
68
76
If I Were a Carpenter "
73
87
Stop All That Jazz
1975
"Lady Blue"
14
44
18
''Will O' the Wisp
1976
"Back to the Island"
53
33
"Rainbow in Your Eyes"
52
Wedding Album
1978
" Heartbreak Hotel " (w/ Willie Nelson )
1
1
One for the Road
1984
" Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues "
63
Solid State
" Wabash Cannonball " (w/ Willie Nelson, as Hank Wilson)
91
single only
1992
"Anything Can Happen"
Anything Can Happen
"No Man's Land"
"" denotes releases that did not chart.
Music videos
Year
Video
Director
1992
"Anything Can Happen"
Sherman Halsey
"No Man's Land"
References
Reflist|refs=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5327 Wolley, John. http://www.willrogers1959.com/files/John_Williams_article_3-31-02.pdf "Come Blow Your Horn", Tulsa World , March 31, 2002. http://www.lindawolf.net/Joe Joe Cocker Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour photos at lindawolf.net http://www.berniejtaupin.com/articles.bt? n_id=459564 "New Album Update" at berniejtaupin.com < ref name= "Answers.Com"> http://www.answers.com/topic/leon-russell
External links
commonscat|Leon Russell
http://www.leonrussellrecords.com Official website
Tulsa Area Music Archives, http://www.preservemusic.org
Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1970s Persondata | NAME =Russell, Leon | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =April 2, 1942 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Lawton, Oklahoma|Lawton , Oklahoma | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Leon Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:Songwriters from Oklahoma Category:American male singers Category:American rock musicians Category:American session musicians Category:American singer-songwriters Category:People from Tulsa, Oklahoma Category:Musicians from Oklahoma Category:People from Lawton, Oklahoma Category:Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members Category:The Wrecking Crew members Category:Grammy Award winners Category:American rock pianists Category:American rock guitarists Category:Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Elton John
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