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Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and roll, country, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and the Tulsa Sound.

He collaborated with many notable artists and recorded at least 31 albums and 430 songs. He wrote "Delta Lady", recorded by Joe Cocker, and organized and performed with Cocker's '' Mad Dogs & Englishmen'' tour in 1970. His "A Song for You", which was named to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018, has been recorded by more than 200 artists, and his song "This Masquerade" by more than 75.

As a pianist, he played in his early years on albums by the Beach Boys, Dick Dale, and Jan and Dean. On his first album, ''Leon Russell'', in 1970, the musicians included Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison. One of his early fans, Elton John, said that Russell was a "mentor" and an "inspiration". They recorded their album ''The Union'' in 2010, earning them a Grammy nomination.

Russell produced and played in recording sessions for Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Ike & Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, and many other artists. He wrote and recorded the hits " Tight Rope" and " Lady Blue". He performed at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, along with Harrison, Dylan, and Clapton; he earned a Grammy Award for this.

His recordings earned six gold records. He received two Grammy Awards from seven nominations. In 2011, he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Early life

Russell was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, on April 2, 1942. He began playing the piano at the age of four.

Russell attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as did David Gates, with whom he had an early collaboration as The Fencemen.

Career

1950s/1960s

Russell began his musical career at the age of 14, in 1956, in the nightclubs of Tulsa. In high school, he played piano in a band, the Accents, with David Gates, who would later achieve fame in the band Bread. Leon with 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 in 1958, he studied guitar with James Burton. He was known mostly as a session musician early in his career. As Russell developed his solo artist career he crossed genres to include rock and roll, blues, bluegrass and gospel music. As a session musician he has played for and with artists as varied as Jan and Dean, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, George Harrison, Delaney Bramlett, Freddy Cannon, Ringo Starr, Doris Day, Elton John, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, the Byrds, Barbra Streisand, the Beach Boys, the Ventures, Willie Nelson, Badfinger, the Tijuana Brass, Frank Sinatra, the Band, Bob Dylan, J. J. Cale, B.B. King, Dave Mason, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, the Rolling Stones, and the Flying Burrito Brothers.

In Los Angeles, Russell played as a first-call studio musician on many of the popular songs of the 1960s, including some by the Byrds, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Bobby Pickett, and Herb Alpert. He also played piano on many Phil Spector productions, including recordings by the Ronettes, the Crystals, and Darlene Love and in the 1963 ''A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector'' album. He can be seen in the 1964 concert film ''T.A.M.I. Show'' playing piano with the Wrecking Crew (an informal name for the top Los Angeles session musicians 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 and creative developer, playing on numerous number-one singles, including "This Diamond Ring" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys.

In the mid-1960s, he wrote or co-wrote songs, including two hits for Gary Lewis and the Playboys: " Everybody Loves a Clown" (which reached the ''Billboard'' Top 40 on October 9, 1965, remaining on the chart for eight weeks and reaching number 4) and " She's Just My Style" (which entered the ''Billboard'' Top 40 on December 18, 1965, and rose to number 3). In 1964, he appeared on various TV shows, performing songs by Chuck Berry and others.

He played xylophone and bells on the 1966 single "The Joker Went Wild", sung by Brian Hyland and written by Bobby Russell (no relation to Leon). He also contributed to recording sessions with Dorsey Burnette and with Glen Campbell, whose 1967 album ''Gentle on My Mind'' credited him as "Russell Bridges" on piano, and arranged and conducted the 1966 easy listening album ''Rhapsodies for Young Lovers'' by the Midnight String Quartet. He co-produced and arranged hits by Tom Northcott, including "Sunny Goodge Street" in 1967, written by Donovan.

Russell released his first solo single, "Everybody's Talking 'Bout the Young", for Dot Records in 1965.

The 1968 release of ''Look Inside the Asylum Choir'' by Smash Records was a recording of a studio group consisting of Russell and Marc Benno ("The Asylum Choir").

Russell and Denny Cordell established Shelter Records in 1969. The company operated from 1969 to 1981, with offices in Los Angeles and Tulsa.

Russell performed as a member of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends in 1969 and 1970, playing guitar and keyboards on their albums and as part of the touring band. Through this group, he met George Harrison and others with whom he would work over the next couple of years.

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, co-produced and arranged by Russell, reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Russell went on to organize and perform in (playing either piano or lead guitar) the 1970 '' Mad Dogs & Englishmen'' tour, using many of the musicians from Delaney and Bonnie's band. "Superstar", co-written by Russell, was sung by The Carpenters and other performers.

1970s

During the ''Mad Dogs & Englishmen'' tour, Shelter Records released his 1970 solo album, ''Leon Russell'', which included the first recording of "A Song for You". This has become one of his best-known songs, with versions released by more than 40 different artists, including the Carpenters, Ray Charles, Billy Eckstine, Peggy Lee, Willie Nelson, Helen Reddy, Carmen McRae, Elkie Brooks, Freda Payne, and Donny Hathaway. Both the Carpenters and the Temptations named an album after the song. Ray Charles recorded a version that earned him the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Another song from the same album, "Delta Lady", was covered by Bobbie Gentry under the title "Delta Man" on her 1970 album ''Fancy''. The "Leon Russell" album had a number of guest vocalist and accompaniment: Chris Stainton, Bonnie Bramlett, Greg Dempsey, Bob Dylan, Marc Benno, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Joe Cocker, and Merry Clayton. Leon Russell's ''A Song For You'' was added to Grammy Hall Of Fame for the 2018 Grammy Hall of Fame class.

Also in 1970, Russell played piano on Dave Mason's album '' Alone Together'', notably on the song "Sad and Deep as You". The song "The Letter" performed by Joe Cocker with Leon Russell & the Shelter People peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 on May 30, 1970; this was Russell's first hit song.

In November 1970, Russell performed at the Fillmore East, with Elton John on the same bill. Those performances have been bootlegged. Russell and John appeared on ''The David Frost Show'' with Fillmore owner Bill Graham on December 3, 1970. Russell's album ''Prince of Peace: Radio Broadcast 1970'' is a soundboard recording of a concert at Fillmore East in late 1970.

''Leon Russell and Friends'' recorded the "Homewood Sessions", broadcast as an "unscripted and unrehearsed" one-hour TV special on KCET (Los Angeles) that aired in December 1970 and was later re-broadcast several times on the Public Broadcasting Service.

Also in December 1970, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine carried an interview with Russell. It opened with a characterization of his sound as "those driving, lurchy, churchy rock and roll songs".

Russell produced some tracks for Bob Dylan in March 1971 when Dylan was experimenting with his new sound. The sessions produced the single "Watching the River Flow" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece", both of which prominently featured Russell's gospel-flavored piano.

At the invitation of George Harrison, Russell played piano on Badfinger's third album, '' Straight Up'' in the summer of 1971. Leon performed piano, vocals, bass and backing vocals at the two shows of the war-refugees' benefit(Concert for Bangladesh) on August 1, 1971. He was featured performing a medley of the songs "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and " Young Blood" and singing a verse on Harrison's " Beware of Darkness". Bob Dylan surprised Russell by asking him to play bass for some of Dylan's portion of the concert; Russell and Harrison sang harmonies on the chorus of "Just Like a Woman". ''The Concert for Bangladesh'' benefit album released in late 1971 was a major critical and commercial success. The release topped album charts in several countries, and went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in March 1973. The Concert also became an Apple concert benefit film directed by Saul Swimmer

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