RIP Leon Russell (1 Viewer)

Damn, yet another. 2016 has been hard on musicians :(
 
This loss is one I particularly didn't want to see. When I was growing up outside of Tulsa, Leon was the coolest guy in town, pretty much an idol to everyone who wanted some kind of counter to the usual conformity of life in Oklahoma. And the sound he got out of all his influences was an amazing melange of trad rock, country, gospel, and anything else he'd happen to hear. I was too young to know much about the Wrecking Crew, but beginning with his work with Joe Cocker and his astonishing performances at The Concert for Bangladesh, and happily played often by our local prog rock station, Leon's sound became the sound of my teenage years.

At the very end of high school I joined a couple of classmates heading out to a welding barn in the middle of nowhere to watch Leon, his then-wife Mary McCreary, and others prep for an upcoming tour to promote his latest, Wedding Album. Leon's rehearsals were legendary, and for good reason; you never knew when you'd get something like this:

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Leon's re-emergence over the last few years and his long-deserved recognition from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, thanks in part to Elton John's generous celebrations of Leon's impact on all the rock pianists who followed him, was a very welcome gift. Man, he'll be missed.
 
"Framed by life and the funeral pyre" - quote from "Tight Rope", probably my favourite of all his great songs.
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RIP to a unique talent
 

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