About
Leon Russell and his 6 piece Band
Russell played on produced, arranged, and wrote some of rock and roll's most successful and important records. George Benson's cover of "This Masquerade" written by Leon Russell was the first song in music history to occupy the number one spot on the jazz, pop, and R&B charts. "This Masquerade also "Record of the Year" and a Grammy in 1976. He released four Gold Albums and had a hand in many other chart hits including "Superstar," and a "A Song For You.".Leon Russell was instrumental in some of Joe Cocker's biggest hits, including, perhaps, the defining song of Joe Cocker's career, "Delta Lady," written by Leon Russell. The Carpenters struck gold with Leon's song "Superstar," and Ray Charles covered "A Song For You," while Mott the Hoople cut "Roll Away The Stone," and B.B. King covered "Hummingbird." Leon Russell is pop music's most anonymous big shot."
Born in 1942, Leon began as a night club piano player in Oklahoma at the age of 14. Leon Russell backed touring artists when they came to town. Leon and his band were hired to back Jerry Lee Lewis at Cain's ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Lewis was so impressed that he hired Leon's band for two years of road tours. Relocating to Los Angeles just before its rise to prominence as rock's capital in the 1960's, Leon became part of the "Wrecking Crew," an elite group of studio musicians which included Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine.
Leon eventually produced and played on sessions with Bob Dylan, Frank Sinartra, Ike and Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, The Ventures, Bobby Darin, Wayne Newton, Sam Cooke, Johnny Mathis and many records with Herb Albert and Tijuana Brass.
Leon can be heard playing piano on Jan and Dean's "Surf City," Bobby Boris Pickett's "Monster Mash LP," and The Beach Boys "California Girls" and "Pet Sounds" among others. Leon played on most of Phil Spector's landmark records. According to Jack Nitzsche, noted producer, writer and arranger, "Leon was there for the solos and the fancy stuff," Jack was the band leader for those sessions.
George Harrison's guitar playing on Leon's first album led to his participation in the first rock and roll benefit concerts, the "Concert for Bangladesh." Leon played piano, guitar, and bass guitar. His duet with George Harrison on "Beware of Darkness," and his performance of "Youngblood" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" are legendary. These performances were subsequently included in the film and platinum album "Concert for Bangladesh." The all star lineup included: George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Klaus Voorman, Bad Finger, and Ravi Shankar, along with Leon's band members Don Preston, Carl Radle, and Claudia Lanier with friends Jim Horn, Jim Keltner, and Jesse Ed Davis.
Leon's career was well underway at the time of the Concert for Bangladesh. Three of Leon Russell's solo albums, 1971's "Leon Russell and The Shelter People," 1972's "Carney" (which went to number two on the pop album chart), and 1973's three album set "Leon Live" were certified gold. These albums were released on Shelter Records, owned by Leon and producer Denny Cordell, along with early albums by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Phoebe Snow and The Gap Band, also three albums that Leon produced and played on for the great blues guitarist, Freddie King.
In the 1970's Leon was established as a major live performer and was reported by Billboard Magazine to be the top concert attraction in the world by 1973. Many different performers opened for Leon in this period including Elton John, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson and Charlie Daniels. Leon and the Shelter People, along with Memphis blues singer Furry Lewis, taped a fan favorite special that aired on PBS. Miss Emily Smith was featured dancing while baking a pie.
Leon shocked everyone and became the toast of Nashville, Tennessee, when he recorded his first Hank Wilson country record. This was at the peak of his popularity as a rock performer. Popular artists of the time played it safe with their careers by restricting themselves to a single genre of music. Leon became known as a musical "ChameLeon," delighting his fans and confusing his critics who just didn't get it. Country artists like Mark Chestnut and Clint Black have credited Leon and his Hank Wilson's Back Volume One album with inspiring them to pursue country music careers.
Leon created ShelterVision, a video branch of Shelter Records. It was an idea that was before it's time and never achieved its full potential. This was circa 1975, long before most Americans even knew what a VCR was. Leon then founded Paradise Records, which became a training ground for members of Concrete Blonde, and Steve Ripley, the future designer of country retro group, "The Tractors." Leon converted the First Church of God at Third and Trenton in Tulsa into the "Church Studios", which is now the home of Steve Ripley and The Tractors.
After receiving his fourth gold album for "Will O' The Wisp," which included the hit single "Lady Blue", Leon teamed with Willie Nelson and the dynamic duo achieved success with the "One For The Road" record. This record was honored by the Country Music Association as "Best Album of The Year." Willie & Leon's hit "Heartbreak Hotel," topped the country charts, and they have toured together many times since, and in recent years having much success with their "Two Man" show. Leon co-hosted the first of the Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnics. This show was later broadcast on Wolfman Jacks "Midnight Special." These picnics were perhaps the single most important force that helped bridge the gap between hippies and rednecks in the 1970's. Leon also joined the Willie Nelson tour at the peak of Willie's popularity circa 1979, in which he substituted for Willie's sister Bobby on piano.
Leon wrote and recorded many major hits and FM radio staples and fan favorites that became standards for the period including: Superstar (with Delany Bramlett), A Song for You, This Masquerade, Blues Power (with Eric Clapton), Dixie Lullaby (with Chris Stainton), I Put a Spell on You, Shoot Out on the Plantation, Delta Lady, Roll Away the Stone (with Greg Dempsey), Stranger in a Strange Land (with Don Preston), Out in the Woods, Lady Blue, Back to the Island, Bluebird, Lost Inside of You (with Barbara Streisand) for A Star is Born.
In the 1980's Leon toured with The New Grass Revival. The live album and video from this tour featured knockout bluegrass versions of the Beatles, "I've Just Seen a Face" and the Rolling Stones "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Leon also toured with Edgar Winter on a double bill for two years and shared the stage of Austin City Limits with him. They played concerts in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia, as well as many in the US.
Continuing into the 1990s, he released "Anything Can Happen," which was produced by Leon & Bruce Hornsby in 1992 for Virgin Records. He followed that up with 1998's "Hank Wilson Vol. 3: "Legend In My Time" and in 1999, "Face In The Crowd."
Today, Leon is once again wearing the hat of record label owner with the launching of Leon Russell Records. Kicking off the label's release schedule in September of 2001 with three titles from Leon: "Signature Songs," a collection of acoustic piano/vocal recordings of Russell classics; "Guitar Blues," an album which was previously only available in Japan; and the re-release of "Face In The Crowd." Also released are jazz artists Connye Florance, Black Entertainment Television's (BET) "Jazz Vocalist of the Year" in 2000, and jazz guitarist and touring guitarist for the Joe Cocker Band, Mike Gallaher. The record label also has released the re-issue of "Hank Wilson Vol. 2," "Hank Wilson Vol. 4: Rhythm and Bluegrass," featuring Russell with The New Grass Revival. Leon recorded this album some twenty years ago, but did not release it at that time. Also in this release group is "Hymns of Christmas", which is a piano and orchestra instrumental CD of his favorite Christmas hymns
This year on LRR came the self titled release by Russell's son Teddy Jack, and one of the most exciting releases of Leon's career, "Moonlight and Love Songs," which features Leon singing "standards" accompanied by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.
Current members of Leon's band include: Leon's daughters, Tina Rose and Sugaree Noel on Vocals and Percussion; Jackie Wessel, Bassist/Backing Vocals; Jon Woodhead, Guitarist; Cody Chesterfield, Drums/Percussion
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