Leon Russell might not be insanely popular or as famous as most of the people he had worked with, but undoubtedly he was a huge musician with a career that spanned half a century, and all that missing appreciation he was not receiving from the masses, he was certainly getting from his peers, because his value among musicians was always quite high.
Russell had surgery for brain fluid leak in 2010 and he had a heart attack earlier in 2016, followed by bypass surgery. On November 13th he died in his sleep at his home in Nashville, but no specific cause for his death has been given to the public yet. The sad news was reported through his official website.
Leon Russell was in Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound Orchestra, he was the leader of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs And Englishmen, he had played with Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, The Ventures, The Monkees, The Byrds, and he had written songs made famous by others like The Carpenters, Luther Vandross, Ray Charles, George Benson and Joe Cocker. In other words Leon Russell was present and active throughout rock history's finest years and chances are that even if you didn't know his name, you might had heard his playing or writing via someone else.
In 2011 he was inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll hall of fame and his career and fame were slightly rejuvenated though his well-received late albums, particularly his 2010 collaborative album with Elton John, The Union.
In 2011 he was inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll hall of fame and his career and fame were slightly rejuvenated though his well-received late albums, particularly his 2010 collaborative album with Elton John, The Union.
Here follow a couple of Leon Russell-penned songs that you might didn't realize were his compositions, followed by a cut from his trademark album (which happens to be also his highest-topping one in the U.S.), Carney...
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